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How to ask this question?

np36Super Member!

Thailand

Hi,


          May I ask a question?


          If Mr.A has  3 children; Bob, Mary, and Lucy, so Mary is his second child. How can I ask Mr.A so that he will answer that Mary is his second child?


          Can I ask “What is the order of Mary among your children?”


          Thank you very much.

08:29 AM Dec 01 2013 |

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Teacher AmySuper Member!

United States

Usually when we ask about the order of children’s birth, we give the children labels, such as first child, second child, etc.


In this case, you could simply ask Mr. A, “Is Mary your second child?” 


You could also ask Mr. A, “Is Mary the oldest child?” Since she is not the oldest, he will likely reply, “No, Bob is the oldest child. Mary is the second child.”


Best,


Amy

07:35 PM Dec 04 2013 |

britdam007

britdam007

India

What if a person has 11 kids? He will go on telling like Bryan is my sixth child, Henry is my seventh child, John is my eighth child and so on? Please advise?



Best regards,



Abhishek

06:51 AM Dec 08 2013 |

Teacher AmySuper Member!

United States

If the family is quite large, you could ask, “Where does Mary fall among the line of your children?” It’s a confusing question to ask, though, and the person you are asking may or may not understand what you want to know. If he does not understand the question, you could follow up with a leading question, such as, “Is Mary your second child?” Hopefully, between the two questions, you would receive your desired answer.


Best,


Amy

05:26 AM Dec 10 2013 |