LoginInterrogative Pronouns For Intermediate learners
This lesson covers Interrogative Pronouns with easy-to-follow explanations and useful examples to reinforce your understanding.
What Are Interrogative Pronouns?
In English, interrogative pronouns are used to form questions. Although many of these pronouns begin with "wh-", not all words that begin with "wh-" are interrogative pronouns, and it's important to understand the difference.
How to Use Them
Interrogative Pronouns as the Subject
To form a question using an interrogative pronoun as the subject, we simply replace the subject of the sentence with the appropriate pronoun. The verb remains the same, and no other changes are necessary. Pay attention to the following examples:
Interrogative Pronouns as the Object
Using interrogative pronouns as objects requires a different approach. First, the object in the sentence needs to be removed, and then the sentence should be rephrased as a yes/no question . Finally, the appropriate interrogative pronoun can be added to the beginning of the sentence. Study the following examples carefully:
I'm talking about
As you can see, the place of the verb is changed accordingly.
She's pointing to
Warning!
There is a subtle difference between 'What' and 'Which'. When 'What' is used as an interrogative pronoun, an infinite number of answers are possible. However, when 'which' is used, the range of answers is limited. Look at the examples below:
Who and Whose
'Who' is used to ask about people. We typically use 'who' to ask about the subject and the object. Look at the following example:
'Whose' is the only possessive pronoun here and it replaces possessive nouns or possessive determiners. It is used to ask about ownership. Look at the following examples:
That bus is
She is talking to
Tip!
Another interrogative pronoun in English is 'whom'. It is old-fashioned and formal and is not that common among English speakers. Its main purpose is to replace the object of the sentence. Look at the following example:
Interrogative Determiners
If interrogative pronouns are followed by a noun, they are no longer called pronouns. Rather, they will be considered interrogative determiners. Pay attention to the following examples:
As you can see, the interrogative pronoun is followed by a noun which turns it to a determiner.
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