VOA慢速英语2021--Why Do We Say, ‘How Come?’

Hello! Welcome to Ask a Teacher. This week we answer a question from Shinji in Japan.

Question

Here's the question:

I think I once learned¹ the expression "How come?" which I hear is to explain reasons. For example, "How come the schools are cancelled?" But I rarely come across this construction, recently, both in writing and speaking. I am not quite sure about the distinction between this and "why." If it would be all right with you, I would appreciate your lesson on it. Sincerely Yours,

Shinji, Japan

Answer

And here's the answer:

Dear Shinji,

When I started to look into this question, I found that, as you experienced², the expression is not as common now as it was in the past. The first use in American English is recorded around 1848. The highest point for its use was in the 1940s and 1950s. Its use has dropped since 2012.

The Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary says "how come" is "used to ask why something has happened or is true." It is a short form of "how did it come about that." The dictionary also says the expression is usually found in the United States and is used in casual³ speech. When it appears in news headlines, Merriam-Webster says the purpose is to create a more relaxed quality to the writing.

For example, books that have "how come" in the title seem to be aimed at children. Even presidents sometimes want to sound more casual, as President Barack Obama did in a 2017 campaign speech for the Democratic⁴ candidate⁵ for governor⁶ of Virginia: "How come we can't get things through Congress⁷? How come we can't get things through the state house? Because you slept through the election," Obama said.

Word order of a question

When we use "why" to ask a question, we must change the usual English word order. Let us begin with the statement,

You are cooking lunch.

To ask a question with "why," you would change the order of the subject (you) and the verb (are), as in this question:

Why are you cooking lunch?

But when we use "how come," the word order of the statement does not change:

How come you are cooking lunch?

It could be that the simplicity⁸ of this question form makes it easier for children to use and gives it a more casual feel. I hope this helps you understand the expression, Shinji.

What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at [email protected]

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Words in This Story

casual – adj. done without much thought, effort, or concern

headline – n. the title written in large letters over a story in a newspaper

title – n. the name given to something (such as a book, song, or movie) to identify or describe it

1 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

2 experienced   

adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。

3 casual   

adj.漠不关心，冷漠的；随便的，非正式的；偶然的，碰巧的

参考例句：

• He earns a living by casual labour.他靠做临时工为生。
• The guests wore casual clothes.客人们穿着便服。

4 democratic   

adj.民主的；民主主义的，有民主精神的

参考例句：

• Their country has democratic government.他们国家实行民主政体。
• He has a democratic work-style.他作风民主。

5 candidate   

n.候选人；候补者；投考者，申请求职者

参考例句：

• Voters like a candidate who has the common touch. 投票者喜欢那些平易近人的候选人。
• The local newspapers dressed up the candidate as a boxer.当地报纸把那个候选人描绘成一个拳击手。

6 governor   

n.统治者，地方长官(如省长，州长，总督等)

参考例句：

• The governor was an expert at fencing with reporters.这位州长是搪塞新闻记者的能手。
• He was elected governor of the state of California.他当选为加州州长。

7 Congress   

n.(代表)大会；(C-:美国等国的)国会，议会

参考例句：

• There were some days to wait before the Congress.大会的召开还有几天时间。
• After 18 years in Congress,he intented to return to private life.在国会供职18年后，他打算告老还乡。

8 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。