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Let's Speak English 4 : What's The Matter?

There are many ways to express something happen,
like:

What's the Matter? This question is used when something we don't know happen and we need to know what exactly happened at that time.
This question is usually expressed spontaneously and almost the same time at speaking.

Besides, We also can use this following expression:

- What's Up?
- What's going on?
- What happenned?
- What is it?
- What's Wrong?

All expressions above are almost the same in meaning. Those are different in the way we stress.
For examples:

The expression "What's wrong?" has small different with "What's up? or what's going on?.
"What's wrong" tends to ask something whether it is right or wrong. I mean ... Are the things okay? or is there something wrong with it?.

"What's up or what's going on" is usually used when something happenned in a process of time of speaking. This probably makes Indonesian's speakers as non native speakers get confused of at what time should it be said or expressed.

English has its own character to express something. It always uses time and action. In other words, English language always talks about time and action. Where there is an action there will be time of when it occurs.