LoginInterrogative Determiners for intermediate learners
There are three interrogative determiners in English: what, which, and whose. In this lesson, we will go through each one of them.
What Are Interrogative Determiners?
'What' as an Interrogative Determiner
When seeking information about a person or thing, we typically use the determiner 'what'. It's important to note that 'what' as a determiner cannot stand alone and must always be followed by a noun or a noun phrase. Study the following examples carefully:
As you can see, the determiner is followed by a noun phrase.
'Which' as an Interrogative Determiner
When asking about which item or person to select from a series of events, people, or objects, we use the determiner 'which'. For example:
As you can see, there determiner is always followed by a noun.
Tip!
It's important to understand that 'what' is a general determiner, while 'which' is a specific determiner. When we ask a question using 'which', the response is limited to a few items, whereas 'what' allows for a broader range of possible responses.
'Whose' as an Interrogative Determiner
To inquire about the ownership or possession of something, we use the interrogative possessive determiner 'whose'. Keep in mind that 'whose' is the only determiner that can both ask a question and indicate possession (as a possessive determiner) in a noun phrase. Study the following examples:
Here, the determiner is followed by a noun.
Warning!
Please note that these determiners no longer function as determiners if they stand alone and are not followed by a noun or a noun phrase. Compare the following examples:
Here, 'what' is a determiner because it is followed by a noun.
Here, 'what' is not a determiner because it is used alone.
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