The phrase "what about" is used in English primarily to:
- Suggest or introduce a topic or possibility.
- Ask if someone or something is affected or included.
- Raise a concern, problem, or question related to a previous statement.
- Redirect a question or ask for someone's opinion or response.
For example, "What about my guitar lesson on Saturday?" raises a concern about a prior plan
. It can also be used to ask what should be done about something, such as "What about the others?" when deciding on a course of action
. "What about" is often interchangeable with "how about" when making suggestions or asking about inclusion, but "how about" can uniquely be used to request something or propose an action, while "what about" is more about raising issues or asking what to do about something
. Grammatically, "what about" is typically followed by a noun or noun phrase ("What about my guitar lesson?"), while "how about" is followed by a gerund or pronoun plus infinitive ("How about spending the day in town?" or "How about we clean the house?")
. In summary, "what about" functions as a versatile phrase to bring up topics, concerns, or questions related to a conversation or plan. It can be used to suggest, inquire, or redirect attention in informal and formal contexts
