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'What' is commonly known as a question word, but there is more depth to this word than you are aware. Click here t learn all about it!
What is a widely-used vocabulary and a part of the WH-words category. We will learn five functions of what in this lesson:
1. 'What' as an Interrogative Pronoun
Use
What as an interrogative pronoun is used to ask about the object, the subject, the subject complement, and people's full name. It is also the object of a preposition. Remember that what is only used to refer to things. Take a look at its uses:
- What as an interrogative pronoun is used to ask about the non-human objects of a sentence; for example:
- What as an interrogative pronoun is used to ask about the non-human subjects of a sentence; for example:
- What as an interrogative pronoun is used to ask about the subject complement with linking verbs; like:
'What' replaces the subject complement.
- What is used to ask for peoples' names; for instance:
- What as an interrogative pronoun can also be the object of prepositions in formal contexts. For example:
On
- What as an interrogative pronoun can be used alone to ask someone to repeat what they have just said. For example:
Position in a Sentence
What as an interrogative pronoun is used at the beginning of a clause. If what replaces the object, an inversion is required.
How the inversion is made?
- The interrogative pronoun comes at the beginning of a clause;
- The object is omitted and the pronoun 'what' is replaced;
- The subject and the verb are inverted if the object is omitted. If the subject is omitted, the verb comes after the interrogative pronoun.
Tip
Note that the subjects 'I' and 'we' change to 'you.'
If there is a main verb in a sentence, a semi-auxiliary or an auxiliary verb is needed for interrogation.
For example:
In the example above, the object 'some water' is omitted. An inversion between the subject and the verb is needed. For example:
In this example, the subject 'a book' is questioned, so the verb comes after the interrogative pronoun.
Warning
What can also be used at the end of a clause in informal contexts. In this case, the inversion is not needed.
Tip
What as an interrogative pronoun can be used alone to show surprise or excitement.
2. 'What' as an Interrogative Determiner
Use
What as an interrogative determiner is used in questions before nouns. For example:
'What' is the determiner of 'time.'
Position in a Sentence
What comes before a noun and an inversion is also required. For example:
Tip
What is mostly used to refer to non-human objects or subjects, but it can also refer to humans. Look at this example:
'Idiot' refers to a human.
3. 'What' as a Pre-determiner
Use
What as a pre-determiner is used to show surprise, pleasure, and other emotions. For example:
'What' shows surprise.
Position in a Sentence
What as a pre-determiner is used before definite articles or indefinite articles.
Tip
'What' as a pre-determiner can be used with uncountable nouns as well. Remember that there is no article before uncountable nouns. For example:
'What' is a pre-determiner.
4. 'What' as a Relative Determiner
Use
What as a relative determiner is used to connect the relative clause to an independent clause. The relative clause introduced by a relative determiner is nominal because it acts as an object or a subject for the independent clause.
I don't know
'What book you want' is the object of 'know.'
'What book you want to buy' is the subject of 'doesn't matter.'
Position in a Sentence
What as a relative determiner is always used at the beginning of a nominal relative clause.
'What book you want to buy' is a nominal relative clause.
Do you know
'What flower to get' is the nominal relative clause introduced by 'what.'
5. 'What' as a Nominal Relative Pronoun
Use
What as a nominal relative pronoun is used to connect a relative clause to an independent clause. The relative clause is nominal because it acts either as a subject, an object, or a complement for the independent clause. For example:
I don't know
'What you want' acts as an object for 'I don't know.'
'What you want' is the subject for 'doesn't matter.'
Position in a Sentence
What as a nominal relative pronoun always heads a nominal relative clause and it is not followed by nouns. For example:
It is
'What you want' is the complement of 'it is.' In addition, 'what' heads a nominal relative clause.
I don't know
'What you want' is the nominal relative clause as it is introduced by 'what.'
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