How Come, How About, How + Adjective Exercises
B1-B2 Level
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How about (or 'What about') makes suggestions and is followed by a noun or gerund: 'How about a cup of tea?' 'How about going to the cinema?' Beyond these, 'how' combines with many adjectives to ask about specific qualities: 'How tall is he?' 'How deep is the lake?' 'How heavy is this box?' Each combination targets a different measurement — height, depth, weight, speed, and more. At B1-B2 level, you also need to distinguish between 'how' in indirect questions: 'I wonder how old she is' uses statement word order, not 'how old is she.' This skill is tested frequently in Cambridge B2 First examinations.
Quick Rule
how come + statement order (informal why) | how about + noun/gerund (suggestion) | how + adjective + is/are (measurement)
- 1.How come she didn't tell anyone about the problem? (how come — informal why, negative, statement order)
- 2.How about trying a different approach? (how about + gerund — making a suggestion)
- 3.How tall is your brother? (how + adjective — asking about height)
- 4.How wide is the new swimming pool? (how + adjective — asking about width)
- 5.How heavy are these suitcases? (how + adjective — asking about weight, plural)
All 20 questions
Complete each question with the correct 'how' combination. Choose from the options in brackets. Choose the correct 'how' combination.
_____ did you manage to finish so quickly? I thought it would take hours! (How come / How about / How long)
_____ is the swimming pool? I need to know if I can touch the bottom. (How deep / How wide / How long)
_____ trying the new restaurant on the corner tonight? (How about / How many / How come)
_____ patience do you need for this job? It seems incredibly demanding. (How many / How much / How long)
_____ she didn't tell us about the meeting? Everyone else knew about it. (How about / How come / How often)
_____ can this lift carry? We have some heavy equipment to move upstairs. (How many / How much / How heavy)
_____ is the bridge? I'm worried about driving across it with a large lorry. (How wide / How heavy / How long)
_____ have you been waiting? You should have called me earlier. (How often / How far / How long)
_____ taking a break? We've been working for three hours straight. (How come / How about / How long)
_____ experience do you have with this type of software? (How many / How long / How much)
_____ can your car go on the motorway? I'm thinking of buying the same model. (How far / How fast / How long)
_____ is it to the nearest petrol station? We're almost out of fuel. (How long / How often / How far)
_____ the project got approved without our input? I thought we were part of the team. (How come / How many / How about)
_____ is your brother? He looks like he plays basketball professionally. (How long / How tall / How high)
_____ advice did they give you about the interview? I have one coming up next week. (How many / How much / How long)
_____ do you check your emails? I seem to miss important messages when I don't check often enough. (How often / How long / How many)
_____ meeting at the coffee shop before the conference? We could go over our presentation. (How come / How about / How often)
_____ is this suitcase? The airline has a 23-kilogram limit. (How much / How heavy / How many)
_____ you managed to get tickets? I heard they sold out in minutes. (How about / How many / How come)
_____ will it take to drive there in rush hour traffic? I need to plan my departure time. (How often / How far / How long)
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