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Interrogative pronouns are the question words we use to ask about people, things, and choices. The five interrogative pronouns in English are who, whom, what, which, and whose. These pronouns stand in for unknown information that we want the listener to provide. They are the foundation of question formation in English and appear in every type of communication, from casual conversation to formal writing.
Table of Contents
What Are Interrogative Pronouns?
Interrogative pronouns are pronouns used to ask questions. They replace the unknown element in a sentence—the piece of information we want to discover. Unlike interrogative adverbs (where, when, why, how), interrogative pronouns function as nouns within the question and can serve as subjects, objects, or possessives.
Who called you? (asking about a person — subject)
What happened? (asking about a thing/event — subject)
Which do you prefer? (asking about a choice — object)
Whose is this coat? (asking about possession)
It is important to distinguish interrogative pronouns from interrogative adjectives (also called interrogative determiners). When "what," "which," and "whose" appear before a noun, they function as adjectives, not pronouns. When they stand alone, they are pronouns.
The Five Interrogative Pronouns
| Pronoun | Used For | Function |
|---|---|---|
| who | people | subject |
| whom | people | object |
| what | things, ideas, actions | subject or object |
| which | specific choices (people or things) | subject or object |
| whose | possession (people or things) | possessive |
Who — Asking About People (Subject)
Who is used to ask about people when the person is the subject of the question. It is the most common interrogative pronoun for people-related questions.
Who is your teacher?
Who won the game?
Who wants to go first?
Who told you that?
Who is coming to the party?
In modern informal English, "who" is also widely used as an object pronoun, replacing the more formal "whom": "Who did you call?" is perfectly acceptable in everyday speech, even though "Whom did you call?" is technically more correct.
Whom — Asking About People (Object)
Whom is used when the person being asked about is the object of the verb or a preposition. It is considered formal and is used less frequently in spoken English.
Whom did you invite? (You invited whom?)
Whom should I contact? (I should contact whom?)
To whom did you send the letter?
With whom are you traveling?
Quick Test: Replace the interrogative pronoun with he/him. If "him" sounds correct, use "whom." If "he" sounds correct, use "who."
"Who/whom won?" → "He won." → Use who.
"Who/whom did you call?" → "You called him." → Use whom.
What — Asking About Things, Ideas, and Actions
What is the most versatile interrogative pronoun. It asks about things, ideas, events, and actions. It is used when the range of possible answers is unlimited or very wide.
What is your name?
What happened last night?
What do you think about this?
What are you reading?
What time is it?
What can also be used as an interrogative adjective when followed by a noun: "What color is your car?" "What kind of music do you like?" In these cases, "what" modifies the noun rather than standing alone as a pronoun.
Which — Asking About Specific Choices
Which is used when asking someone to make a choice from a limited, defined set of options. It can refer to both people and things.
Which is your seat? (from the visible seats)
Which of these books have you read?
Which team do you support?
Which way should we go?
There are three routes. Which is the fastest?
Whose — Asking About Possession
Whose asks about ownership or possession. It can function as a pronoun (standing alone) or as a determiner (before a noun).
Whose is this jacket? (pronoun — standing alone)
Whose car is parked outside? (determiner — before a noun)
Whose idea was this?
Whose turn is it?
Don't confuse: Whose (possessive) with who's (contraction of "who is" or "who has").
Whose book is this? (Who does this book belong to?)
Who's coming to dinner? (Who is coming to dinner?)
What vs. Which: A Critical Difference
Both "what" and "which" can ask about things, but they differ in scope:
| What (open/unlimited) | Which (limited/defined) |
|---|---|
| What is your favorite color? (any color in the world) | Which color do you prefer, red or blue? (from two options) |
| What languages do you speak? (open question) | Which language is harder, Chinese or Arabic? (from two) |
| What do you do for a living? (any job) | Which of these jobs interests you? (from a list) |
Use what when the choices are unlimited or unknown. Use which when the choices are limited, specific, or already identified.
Subject vs. Object Questions
Interrogative pronouns can function as either the subject or the object of a question. The sentence structure changes depending on which role the pronoun plays.
Subject Questions
When the interrogative pronoun is the subject, there is no auxiliary verb inversion. The word order is: Interrogative Pronoun + Verb + Object.
Who called you? (Who = subject; normal word order)
What happened? (What = subject)
Which costs more? (Which = subject)
Object Questions
When the interrogative pronoun is the object, auxiliary verb inversion is required. The word order is: Interrogative Pronoun + Auxiliary + Subject + Verb.
Who did you call? (Who = object; inverted order with "did")
What are you doing? (What = object)
Which did she choose? (Which = object)
Indirect Questions
When interrogative pronouns appear in indirect (embedded) questions, the word order returns to normal statement order. There is no subject-auxiliary inversion.
Direct: What does she want?
Indirect: I wonder what she wants. (NOT "what does she want")
Direct: Who is that man?
Indirect: Do you know who that man is?
Direct: Which did he choose?
Indirect: I don't know which he chose.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Confusing Whose and Who's
❌ Who's bag is this?
✅ Whose bag is this?
Mistake 2: Using What Instead of Which
❌ There are two options. What do you prefer?
✅ There are two options. Which do you prefer?
Mistake 3: Inverted Word Order in Indirect Questions
❌ Can you tell me what is his name?
✅ Can you tell me what his name is?
Mistake 4: Using Who for Things
❌ Who is your favorite book?
✅ What is your favorite book?
Practice Exercises
Choose the correct interrogative pronoun.
1. _______ is knocking at the door?
Answer: Who
2. _______ did you buy at the store?
Answer: What
3. _______ of the two shirts do you prefer?
Answer: Which
4. _______ phone is ringing?
Answer: Whose
5. _______ did you give the present to?
Answer: Whom / Who
6. _______ is the capital of Brazil?
Answer: What
7. _______ of these paintings is the original?
Answer: Which
8. _______ taught you to cook?
Answer: Who
Interrogative pronouns are the building blocks of questions in English. By understanding the distinctions between who/whom, what/which, and whose, and by mastering the word order rules for direct and indirect questions, you will ask clear, grammatically correct questions in any situation.
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