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Interrogative pronouns in English: Meaning, usage, exercises

Interrogative pronouns in English are one of the important grammar structures, used frequently in communication and real exams. Many students think that interrogative pronouns usually include words like Who, What, Which... and are used for asking questions. That assumption is not wrong, however, besides having the function of asking questions, interrogative pronouns also have other usages. In the article below, PREP will provide you with knowledge about this matter!

I. Interrogative pronoun definition

Interrogative pronouns in English are used to ask questions or request information and replace question words like "anything" or "anyone". Like most other pronouns, English interrogative pronouns replace nouns in sentences.

Common interrogative pronouns in English are What, Which, Who, Whose, Whom. Below are some interrogative pronouns with examples:

What is your favorite color?
Which book do you recommend?
Who is coming to the party?
Whom did you meet yesterday?
Whose car is parked outside?

II. The usage and types of interrogative pronouns in English

Let’s check out the interrogative pronoun list with PREP! Let’s check all interrogative pronouns in the below table!

Interrogative pronoun	The usage of the interrogative pronoun	Example
What	Used to request information about a person, thing, event or state.	What is your favorite food?
Which + Noun	Used to request selection or determination from a number of available options.	Which color do you prefer, red or blue?
Who	Used to ask about the identity or person involved in an action, event, or matter	Who is the new manager of the company?
Whose	Used to ask about ownership or ownership relationships.	Whose book is this?
Whom	Used to ask about the object of an action or matter.	Whom did you invite to the party?

III. Notes on interrogative pronouns in English

1. A comparison of Who, Whose, and Whom

While all these three interrogative pronouns in English denote a human subject, their usage is not quite the same. Let's explore their differences together with PREP below!

Interrogative pronoun	Who	Whose	Whom
Similarities	All of them have human subjects
Differences	Used to ask questions about the identity or person performing the action.	Used to ask questions about ownership or ownership relationships.	Used to ask questions about the object of an action or matter. In modern colloquial contexts, “whom” is often replaced by “who”.
Examples	Who is the person standing over there?	Whose dog is this?	Whom did she invite to the party?

Note: In modern English, "whom" is not common and is often replaced by "who" in daily contexts. In addition, "Who" is often used as the subject of a sentence or clause, while "Whom" is used as the object being referred to by the main subject in a sentence. For example:

_____ is the manager? Because the interrogative pronoun plays the role of the main subject in the sentence, “who” is employed. We often say "She is the manager" instead of "Her is the manager".
_____ did you call last night? Because the interrogative pronoun plays the role of the object being referred to by the main subject "you" in the sentence, “whom” is employed.

2. A comparison between What and Which

What and Which are two interrogative pronouns in English used to describe objects and events. However, these two pronouns have their distinct uses. Let's explore the differences between these two interrogative pronouns together with PREP!

Interrogative pronoun	What	Which
Similarities	Both refer to objects or events
Differences	“What” is used when the information or option you are asking about is not predetermined. It is often used when you want to know something unknown or unknown.	“Which” is used when you have a specific list or options and want to choose one from them.
Example	What is your favorite color?	Which book do you want to read?

Note: “Which” is often used when there are several clear choices, while “What” is used when a specific list is not available.

IV. Other common interrogative pronouns in English

In addition to the four interrogative pronouns in English mentioned above, there are also other variations derived from these pronouns. Let's explore them together with PREP in the below section!

Interrogative pronoun	Meaning	Example
Whatever	it is not important what is	Whatever you decide, I will support you.
Whichever	any one from a limited set	Whichever shirt you choose, it will look great on you.
Whoever	any person - subject	Whoever left their bag here, please come and claim it.
Whomever	any person – object	Whomever you invite to the party, make sure they RSVP.

V. Exercises on interrogative pronouns

Exercise: Fill in the blanks with appropriate interrogative pronouns:

_____ car is parked outside, please move it.
Please give the gift to _____you think deserves it.
_____wins the competition will receive a cash prize.
You can take _____route you prefer to get to the destination.
You can choose _____you like from the menu.
_____movie did you watch last night?
_____dog is this?
_____did you meet yesterday?
_____is your best friend?
_____is your favorite singer?

Answer keys:

Whosoever
whomever
Whoever
whichever
whatever
Which
Which
Whom
Who
What

English interrogative pronouns are one of the grammatical items you must master to conquer English grammar. Hopefully, Preppies will find useful knowledge in this article. PREP wishes you success!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.