What's that man?

Z

Zafir

New Member
Spain/Català
Dear all,
What could the answer be to the question: What's that man?

a. He's my brother.
b. It's an old man.
c. Yes, it's that man.
d. He's a teacher.

Thanks!
 
    • I'm afraid that the question is not one that any native speaker would ask. Instead, they would say either "Who is that man (who's that man)?" or "What's that man doing" or "What does that man do?"
     
    Dear Joelline,
    I know it doesn't sound right but I'm working on some English exams and one of the questions was this one. Maybe it's a mistake!
    Thanks anyway!
     
    You would only need to add a comma to make the sentence comprehensible and correct, interestingly: "What's that, man?" Of course, here you're asking the "man" to identify something or to repeat himself.
     
    Zafir said:
    I know it doesn't sound right but I'm working on some English exams and one of the questions was this one. Maybe it's a mistake!
    Click to expand...

    I agree with Joelline that none of the choices is idiomatic.

    However, if I had to make a choice, as you do, I would choose (d) "He's a teacher." My reasoning is that "what" may be used to refer to a job title or category in common speech.

    Example:
    A: The first man is a butcher, and the second man is a baker.
    B: What's the other man?
    A: He's a candlestick maker. (Or: teacher).​
     
    iskndarbey said:
    This question is gibberish; any teacher who uses it to teach English should be fired.
    Click to expand...

    oh,really ?
    To be honest ,I myself was taught that.

    Cagey said:
    However, if I had to make a choice, as you do, I would choose (d) "He's a teacher." My reasoning is that "what" may be used to refer to a job title or category in common speech.
    Click to expand...

    When talking about this matter ,my old teacher also said this question referred to the job of the person mentioned.
     
    Hmm...that is definitely a horribly written question and doesn't even make sense.

    "What's that man's profession?" would work, if you're asking what type of job he has.

    I realize you're asking about the answer, though. If you think it's referring to what the man's job is, then it would definitely be D. He's a teacher.
     
    The only answer that makes sense after that question is d, but the question itself sounds odd, especially with the contraction what's. In context, the question might make sense:

    A: "All walks of life are represented here."
    B: "Is there a butcher?"
    C: "Yes. See the man in the white apron?"
    D: "So is the woman in scrubs an internist?"
    E: "Yes, and the one with the fuzzy stethoscope is a pediatrician."
    F: "What is that man?"
    G: "Oh, he's a teacher. See the chalk on his trousers?"
     
    Zafir said:
    Dear all,
    What could the answer be to the question: What's that man?

    a. He's my brother.
    b. It's an old man.
    c. Yes, it's that man.
    d. He's a teacher.

    Thanks!
    Click to expand...

    Maybe...what could be the answer to the question: What's that man?
    I just had to say that.:D
     
    It reminds me of Hippy speech, or local Newcastle and Northern England, where people, men or women are referred to as "man"

    So it could be a question put to someone..

    "What's that, Man?".
     
    katie_here said:
    It reminds me of Hippy speech, or local Newcastle and Northern England, where people, men or women are referred to as "man"

    So it could be a question put to someone..

    "What's that, Man?".
    Click to expand...

    In that case, the only correct answer would be b, but doesn't that sound pretty strange?

    "What's that, man?"
    "It's an old man."

    :confused:

    I can't imagine that as a normal slice of conversational pie.
     
    No, you misread me.

    It doesn't say "What's that man?"

    It says "What's that, Man?" or "What's that, James? - that thing in front of you, Oh it's a computer"

    In North East England it is common to call other people, "Man, even women, as in some places it's comon to call people "mate" or "pal" or as we do "love", or as one of my friends called me today "chuck".

    so really, "what's that" is the question, "man" is the person you are asking.
     
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