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I wonder if "What are you at now?" is correct grammatically to use, in this format and context.

Two concerns that I have:

Ending with "at"

  • I am not ending the question with the "at". However, I am not sure adding a "now" at the end does help or not. Will this still be a valid question to ask? Is it valid to end a question with "at"?

Context

  • I am using it to address a person's need to understand where they are standing with a problem. The closest that I could think of to ask was "Where are you now?". However, I think the "Where" question is more about the location and not the state of the person.

I know there is a very similar question asked at here. However, mine is different in a sense that there is now at the end.

sheidaei
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  • Did you perhaps mean *Where are you at now?* – Drew Sep 23 '17 at 00:49
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    "Doctor, my blood pressure was 190/120 two hours ago." "What are you at now?" -- perfectly valid. – Hot Licks Sep 23 '17 at 00:50
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    No, I didn't mean the physical location. I mean, for example, Where mentally you are in that situation. Does that make sense? @Drew – sheidaei Sep 23 '17 at 01:26
  • Does it make sense talking about situations as well? For example, one is talking about an unpleasant situation in the past. You ask them "What are you at now looking back at that situation"? Is it valid in that situation too? @HotLicks – sheidaei Sep 23 '17 at 01:28
  • @sheidaei - no, I don’t think it makes sense for unpleasant situation in the past. Although honestly I don’t even understand your intention with that setup. Are you asking them how they feel about it now or what they think about it now or whether they have come to grips with it now? – Jim Sep 23 '17 at 01:49
  • @Jim let me make it more clear by an example. Imagine a friend of yours gone through a divorce. He is then opening up to you about his experience and how has he grown because of that. Then with the intention of bringing him to the understanding where he is now, is not the end of the journey of growing, you would ask him "What are you at now?" The answer might be an emotional answer, a point in his journey etc. However, I feel if I ask Where are you now? The answer to this question doesn't go deep in his mind. The answer would be a simple happy or sad. Do I make sense? – sheidaei Sep 23 '17 at 05:23
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    @sheidaei - Where are you at now? is much more idiomatic for eliciting the response you’re looking for and does not specifically require a shallow answer. – Jim Sep 23 '17 at 15:45
  • You seem to have two different issues here: 1) whether it's allowed to end a sentence with a preposition, 2) if you can use 'what' instead of 'where'. 1) yes, it is correct idiomatic English to say 'Where are you at?'. It is very informal though and probably not how you want to say it in print (use 'Where are you?' instead). Adding 'now' at the end doesn't change that at all. 2) "What are you at?' is not likely unless the asker knows that the situation is one where the answerer is 'at' a certain position (say on the bus/train moving along a number of stops and the name of the stop is sought. – Mitch Sep 25 '17 at 13:58
  • Now that you have edited it, I think the most idiomatic way people would phrase your query is 'Where have you got to with ...?' – Edwin Ashworth Sep 25 '17 at 14:39

1 Answers1

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ODO actually gives a relevant example, though it labels the usage informal:

be at informal

Be doing or trying to do.

‘what are you at there?’

But the definition is different, addressing an activity rather than a state. This is not used the same way as 'Where are you at now?' Compare the contrast between 'What are you doing now?' and 'How are you doing now?'

Laurel
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Edwin Ashworth
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  • Thanks. I think you answered my question without me asking it correctly. I was exactly looking for asking for a state with an action attached to. I am asking this question just after "What is it that you want?". – sheidaei Sep 25 '17 at 12:53