"How can we" vs. "How we can?"

Question

What is the proper way to ask?

How can we achieve this?

or

How we can archive this?

What's the difference between them?

Maulik V · Answer 1 · 2015-08-28T12:15:23.783

9

If you want to form a question, how/what/which etc. should be followed by a verb. And here, the verb is 'can'.

So,

How can we achieve this?

forms a question.

Take another example.

How we do it

is not forming a question. You need an auxiliary verb there to form a question.

How do we do it?

I often teach my daughter in this way...

The first one is 'actually' a sentence and not a question.

[This is] how we can achieve this!

It's not possible to mark it as a sentence with an auxiliary verb in it placed after 'how'

[This is] how can we achieve this?

The latter requires question mark and the former does not!

Just a trick!

edited Aug 28 '15 at 12:15

answered Aug 28 '15 at 12:12

Maulik V

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Then if I say How we can do it. What it means? Does it make sense? – Sathiya Kumar V M Aug 28 '15 at 12:14
1

In India, it's very common and if you are speaking to an Indian, it'll go 'okay!' But my personal recommendation - don't practice it! – Maulik V Aug 28 '15 at 12:16
Yes! In our country most of the people are asking/saying How we can instead of How can we. That's why got this doubt. :-) Thanks for your answer. – Sathiya Kumar V M Aug 28 '15 at 12:19

Sukru Araci · Answer 2 · 2022-06-15T14:12:37.740

The difference between these two sentences is too simple:

How can we achieve this? (This is a completed question.You are asking,what do I do? and then I achieve this)

How we can achieve this (This is not a completed question or sentence,only a phrase that describe how you do the action.)

example: If we study hard then we can pass the exam so "this is how we can achieve the success."(Think it like "This is our method to achieve the success")

"How can we" vs. "How we can?"

2 Answers2