What does "What kind of problems?" mean?

[Maffey]

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #59 "Chit Chat: On the phone", question 5

Woman: Sorry to hear that. What ......... of problems?

(a) species
(b) kind
(c) example
(d) group

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #59 "Chit Chat: On the phone", answer 5

Woman: Sorry to hear that. What kind of problems?

Correct answer: (b) kind

Your answer was: correct
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What does "What kind of problems?" mean?

Maffey

[Yankee]

Hi Maffey

When someone asks you "What kind of ___ ?" they want you to give them information that is a bit more specific. In the test, Charlie told the woman that he had had a few problems. The woman then wanted a little more information about the type of problems that Charlie had been having.
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Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[lost_soul]

Hi, Amy

And we cannot use articles after kind in that phrase, i.e. we must say What kind of __ man is he, right?

Thank you !
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Alex

A native speaker of Russian

[Yankee]

Hi Alex

The test sentence uses a plural noun (problems), so the use of 'a' is automatically ruled out.

I wouldn't rule out the use of 'a' with singular nouns, but I'd say it would usually be omitted.
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English