Definition:
A pronoun that introduces a question. The five interrogative pronouns in English are who, whom, whose, which, and what. See also:
Examples and Observations:
- Who are you?
- "Even if you do learn to speak correct English, whom are you going to speak it to?"
(Clarence Darrow) - "When a man tells you that he got rich through hard work, ask him: 'Whose?'"
(Don Marquis) - What is your favorite color?
- Which color do you prefer?
- "I got a belt on that's holding up my pants, and the pants have belt loops that hold up the belt. What is going on here? Who is the real hero?"
(Mitch Hedberg) - "Notice that an interrogative pronoun will never have an antecedent. Since it asks a question, there is no way to know which noun an interrogative pronoun refers to. The antecedent remains a mystery until the question is answered."
(Michael Strumpf and Auriel Douglas, The Grammar Bible, Owl Books, 2004) - What versus Which
What is used when specific information is requested from a general or open-ended possible range. Which is used when specific information is requested from a restricted range of possibilities:A. I've got your address. What's your phone number?
However, where the number of options is shared knowledge among speakers and listeners, what + noun is often used in informal contexts. Here, what is an interrogative pronoun used as a determiner:
B. Oh it's 267358.
(an open-ended range of possible information)
[looking at a pile of coats]
A. Which is your coat?
B. That black one.[talking about a shop]
(Ronald Carter and Michael McCarthy, Cambridge Grammar of English: A Comprehensive Guide, Cambridge University Press, 2006)
What side of the street is it on, left or right?
(or: Which side of the street is it on?)
A: Did you see that documentary about the SARS virus last night?
B; No, what channel was it on?
(or: Which channel was it on?)
Pronunciation: inte-ROG-eh-tiv PRO-nown
