Interrogative Pronouns, Types of Pronouns, English Grammar

What are Interrogative Pronouns?

Interrogative Pronouns, Types of Pronouns, English Grammar

Interrogative pronouns are a type of pronoun used to ask questions. They are used when the speaker or writer wants to obtain information about a particular person, place, thing, or idea. Interrogative pronouns are often used to begin questions, and they help to clarify what information the speaker or writer is seeking.

Here are the five most common interrogative pronouns:

"Who"

"Who" is used to ask about people.

Example:

• Who is coming to the party?
• Who won the game?

"Whom"

"Whom" is also used to ask about people, but it is more formal and is often used in writing.

Example:

• To whom did you give the book?
• Whom did you invite to the meeting?

"What"

"What" is used to ask about things, ideas, or actions.

Example:

• What time is the meeting?
• What is the capital of France?

"Which"

"Which" is used to ask about a choice between two or more things.

Example:

• Which shirt do you like better?
• Which team do you think will win?

"Whose"

"Whose" is used to ask about possession.

Example:

• Whose car is parked outside?
• Whose idea was it to start the project?

Interrogative pronouns can be used to form direct questions, but they can also be used within indirect questions or embedded questions.

Example:

• Can you tell me who won the game? (indirect question)
• I don't know which book to choose. (embedded question)

In summary, interrogative pronouns are a type of pronoun used to ask questions about people, places, things, or ideas. They are used to obtain information and clarify what the speaker or writer is seeking. By using interrogative pronouns, speakers and writers can ask direct questions or form indirect or embedded questions to obtain the information they need.