Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns are words we use to ask questions about people, things, or choices. You already know who, what, and which as question words. Now you will learn how they work differently depending on whether they are the subject or the object of a sentence.
What You'll Learn
- How who, what, and which can be used as the subject or the object of a question
- The difference between asking about the doer (subject) and the receiver (object)
- How to choose between who, what, and which based on what you are asking about
- How to form questions correctly using interrogative pronouns in both positions
When to Use
- Asking about a person (subject): "Who brought this cake to the party?"
- Asking about a person (object): "Who did you invite to your birthday party?"
- Asking about a thing (subject): "What made that loud noise outside?"
- Asking about a thing (object): "What did your mother cook for dinner?"
- Choosing from a group: "Which of these books do you want to borrow from the library?"
How to Form
Interrogative Pronouns and Their Uses
| Pronoun | Asks About | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who | People | Who is your best friend? |
| what | Things or ideas | What is your favourite subject in school? |
| which | A choice from a group | Which is the fastest route to the MRT station? |
Subject vs Object Position
When the interrogative pronoun is the subject, it does the action. When it is the object, someone or something else does the action to it.
| Position | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Interrogative pronoun + verb + rest | Who won the race? (Who = the winner) |
| Object | Interrogative pronoun + helping verb + subject + verb | Who did the teacher praise? (Who = the person praised) |
How to Tell the Difference
Look at what comes right after the interrogative pronoun:
| What follows the pronoun? | Position | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A main verb (ran, broke, fell) | Subject | What fell off the table? |
| A helping verb (did, does, was) | Object | What did you buy at the hawker centre? |
Key Rules
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Who for people: Use who when asking about a person or people. "Who is coming to the school carnival?"
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What for things and ideas: Use what when asking about things, events, or ideas. "What happened during recess?"
-
Which for choices: Use which when there is a limited set of options to choose from. "Which of the two desserts do you prefer?"
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Subject questions have no helping verb: When the interrogative pronoun is the subject, the sentence follows normal word order. "Who broke the window?" (not "Who did break the window?")
-
Object questions need a helping verb: When the interrogative pronoun is the object, you need a helping verb like did, does, or was. "What did she bring for show-and-tell?"
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Which can be followed by "of": When choosing from a specific group, use which of. "Which of these colours do you like best?"
Common Mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| What person helped you? | Who helped you? | Use who for people, not what |
| Which is your name? | What is your name? | Use what when there is no limited set of choices |
| Who did broke the vase? | Who broke the vase? | Subject questions do not need a helping verb |
| What you bought at the shop? | What did you buy at the shop? | Object questions need a helping verb (did) |
| Who did eat the last cookie? | Who ate the last cookie? | Who is the subject here, so no helping verb is needed |
| Which do you want, the red or the blue? | Which do you want, the red one or the blue one? | Add one after adjectives for clarity |
Clue Words
Use who
person, people, friend, teacher, someone, anyone, name of a person
Use what
thing, idea, event, reason, something, anything, happen
Use which
of these, of the two, of the following, choose, prefer, one
Subject position clues
The answer tells you the doer: "Who called?" "Tom called."
Object position clues
The answer tells you the receiver: "Who did you call?" "I called Tom."
Tip: Try answering the question. If the answer is the doer of the action, the interrogative pronoun is the subject. If the answer is the person or thing that receives the action, it is the object.
Practice Tips
- Answer test: Answer the question with a full sentence. If the answer replaces the question word as the subject, it is a subject question. If the answer appears after the verb, it is an object question.
- Helping verb check: If you see did, does, or was right after the question word, the pronoun is likely the object.
- Who, what, or which?: Ask yourself: Am I asking about a person (who), a thing (what), or a choice (which)?
- Read it aloud: Say the question out loud. If it sounds odd without a helping verb, you may need to add one for an object question.
Quick Reference
| Pronoun | Asks About | Subject Example | Object Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| who | People | Who won the spelling bee? | Who did the principal call to the office? |
| what | Things/ideas | What caused the power failure? | What did you learn in Science today? |
| which | Choices | Which costs less? | Which did you pick for your project? |
| Position | How to Spot It | Sentence Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | No helping verb after the pronoun | Who/What/Which + verb + rest |
| Object | Helping verb (did/does/was) follows | Who/What/Which + helping verb + subject + verb |