Useful English Word or Phrase to Boost Your English

What's the Matter? (Question)

What does it mean?

Quick summary: A common question used to ask what is wrong or what the problem is.

This is a standard way of asking 'What is wrong?' or 'What is the problem?' when you notice someone looks upset, ill, or worried.

REAL WORDS.
REAL ENGLISH.
Native UK character with a collection of useful English phrases

Is it positive or negative?

It is neutral to empathetic.

When do you use it?

Use it in everyday conversation when the situation matches the meaning.

Examples

Example 1: You look really pale. What's the matter? Do you feel sick?

NOW MAKE IT YOURS

Question for you

How would you respond if someone asked, 'What's the matter?'

Try saying your answer aloud, using the expression.

Practise it in a lesson

Are you looking for English speaking practice online?

Are you looking for English speaking practice online? If you're struggling with your confidence, what's the matter? I can help! I offer online English lessons using Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom for my high-quality classes. My English speaking lessons are perfect if you want to improve your spoken fluency and learn natural expressions directly from a British native speaker. If you want to study English with a British native speaker online, you can find out more about lessons here. For another useful word, see chuffed.

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