Interrogative pronouns
Use who, whom, whose, which and what to ask questions correctly.
You already know that pronouns stand in for nouns. In this lesson you will meet the pronouns that help us ask questions: who, whom, whose, which and what.
An interrogative pronoun is a pronoun that forms a question and stands for the person or thing we are asking about.
Examples
- Who finished the last samosa?
- Whom did the manager invite to the function?
- Whose are these muddy shoes?
- Which of the three routes is the shortest?
- What did the mechanic say about the car?
- With whom is Sneha travelling to Kochi?
How it works
Who for the doer
Use who when the person you are asking about does the action. The answer would be he, she or they.
Who drew this rangoli?
Whom for the receiver
Use whom when the person receives the action or comes after a preposition. The answer would be him, her or them. In casual speech many people say who, but formal writing keeps whom.
For whom is this birthday cake?
Whose for the owner
Whose asks who owns something. Do not mix it up with who's, which means who is or who has.
Whose is the red umbrella by the door?
Which or what
Use which when the choice is from a small, known group. Use what when the choice is open or the answer is unknown.
What would you like for breakfast?
Quick reference
| Pronoun | Asks about | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who | a person doing the action | Who called you? |
| whom | a person receiving the action | Whom did you call? |
| whose | the owner of something | Whose is this phone? |
| which | a choice from a known set | Which is your seat? |
| what | things, ideas or facts in general | What happened at the market? |
Common mistakes
✕Whom wants a cup of tea?
✓Who wants a cup of tea?
The person does the wanting, so the subject form who is needed.
✕Who's bag is this?
✓Whose bag is this?
Who's means who is; ownership needs whose.
✕What of these two shirts should I wear?
✓Which of these two shirts should I wear?
For a choice from a small, known set, use which.
Worked example
Exercise 1
Tap the interrogative pronoun.
Who broke the kitchen window?
✓Who
Who asks about the person who did the action.
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