When I am asked "How it is going?", can I answer it, "I'm fine?" Or, shoud I say "It's fine?"
eg
Q - How's it going? (Note the inversion)
A -Fine/OK/Not bad. You?
Clive
eg
Q - How's it going? (Note the inversion)
A -Fine/OK/Not bad. You?
Clive
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Comments
I'd like to know whether I can answer the question by changing the subject, 'it' to 'you.'
Please just give me a question and an answer, and I'll be happy to comment.
Clive
How is it going?
You are going fine.
No, of course you can't do that. If you repeat the subject, it has to be the same subject.
It is going fine.
The important thing to remember, though, is that nobody says the whole thing. They just say the last word. Fine.
CJ
However, my exact question is like this.
A: How is it going (with you)?
B: I'm fine. And you? (Not "You are going fine")
How is this conversation? Can't I answer "I'm fine" to the question, "How is it going?" I had thought it was right and natural until a native English speaker, who is American, said to me that it was wrong in terms of grammar - because of its subject. So, I posted this question to get more opinions about it.
Could you tell me how you think about it?
CJ
It depends on the context.
In most cases, 'How's it going?' is really just a formulaic way of saying 'Hello', and the speaker expects only the same formulaic answer from you.
In a context where your health is the issue, 'I'm fine' sounds OK.
In a context where your mother's health is the issue, 'Mom's fine' sounds OK.
In a context where the status of your work project is the issue, 'I'm fine' is inappropriate.
Clive