What are Interrogative Pronouns: Definition, Examples, Usage and Exercises

Are you preparing for your board exams, looking to sharpen your written English, or simply someone curious about grammar? Understanding interrogative pronouns is an important step. These small but powerful words appear in almost every question we ask and every piece of writing we create. This guide explains what interrogative pronouns are and how to use them correctly, with examples and exercises. 

Table of Contents

• What is an Interrogative Pronoun?
• List of Interrogative Pronouns
• How to Use Interrogative Pronouns
• Position of Interrogative Pronouns in Sentences
• Interrogative Pronouns Examples
• Compound Interrogative Pronouns
• Difference Between Interrogative Pronouns and Interrogative Adjectives
• Practice Worksheet on Interrogative Pronouns

What is an Interrogative Pronoun?

An interrogative pronoun is a type of pronoun that is used to ask questions about an unknown person, thing, or possession. It is used to ask questions. They replace nouns in a sentence when we want to gather information about people, things, or ideas. The five primary interrogative pronouns in English are ‘what’, ‘which’, ‘who’, ‘whom’, and ‘whose’.
To understand this better, consider the following contrast:

• Regular pronoun: “She called me.” (She replaces a known person, e.g., Priya.)

• Interrogative pronoun: “Who called me?” (Who replaces an unknown person whose identity is being sought)
  
  

List of Interrogative Pronouns

The main interrogative pronouns in English are:

How to Use Interrogative Pronouns

When writing a sentence, choosing the right interrogative pronoun depends on two things: the type of unknown noun (person, thing, or possession) and its grammatical role in the sentence (subject, object, or possessive).

When to Use What

Use ‘what’ when the unknown is a thing, an idea, or a piece of information. It can be both the subject and the object of a sentence.

• Subject use: “What is causing this delay?”

• Object use: “What did she say?”

When to Use Which

Use ‘which’ when you are selecting from a defined or known set of options. It implies that the choices are already somewhat clear.

• Which is the shortest route to the station?

• Which of these three shirts looks better?

When to Use Who

Use ‘who’ when the unknown is a person and that person is the subject performing the action of the verb.

• Who wrote this email?

• Who is attending the conference?

When to Use Whom

Use ‘whom’ when the unknown is a person and that person is the object of the verb or of a preposition. 

• Whom did the manager appoint? 

• For whom is this gift?

When to Use Whose

Use ‘whose’ to ask about ownership. It replaces a possessive noun or pronoun.

• Whose notebook is this?

• Whose responsibility is it to manage this?
  
  

Position of Interrogative Pronounṣ in Sentences

When writing a sentence, the position of interrogative pronouns depends on whether they are the subject, object, or part of a prepositional phrase.

• At the beginning of the sentence: When an interrogative pronoun acts as the subject or introduces a direct question, it typically comes first.

• Who spilled the water?

• What caused the accident?

• Whose pen is this?

• After a preposition: When the interrogative pronoun is the object of a preposition, both formal and informal constructions are acceptable.

• Formal: “To whom are you writing?”

• Informal: “Who are you writing to?”

• Formal: “For whom did you buy this?”

• Informal: “Who did you buy this for?”

• After the verb as the object: Interrogative pronouns are also used in indirect questions. In this case, the sentence follows a standard subject-verb order rather than question order.

• Direct: “Who is your mentor?”

• Indirect: “I would like to know who your mentor is.”

• Direct: “Whom did she meet?”
  
  

Interrogative Pronouns Examples

Here are some examples of how interrogative pronouns are used in sentences. 

1. What is the name of your school?

2. What happened at the office today?

3. Can you tell me what time the train arrives?

4. What did the teacher say about the assignment?

5. Which is your favourite colour, red or blue?

6. I have two pens. Which do you want?

7. Which of these solutions is correct?

8. She could not decide which to pick.

9. Who called you last night?

10. Who is in charge of the project?

11. Do you know who designed this building?

12. Who gave you permission to leave early?

13. Whom did you invite to the party?

14. To whom should I address this letter?

15. Whom are you waiting for?

16. He did not know whom to trust.

17. Whose bag is lying on the floor?

18. Whose turn is it to present?

19. She asked whose idea it was.

20. Whose car is parked outside the gate?
    
    

Compound Interrogative Pronouns

Compound interrogative pronouns are formed by adding the suffix –ever to the standard interrogative pronouns. There are four common compound forms: whatever, whichever, whoever, and whomever.

These compound forms serve two main purposes:

• To add emphasis, expressing that the unknown is a complete mystery or of little concern

• To indicate an open-ended choice or outcome, regardless of what it may be

 

Difference Between Interrogative Pronouns and Interrogative Adjectives

Interrogative pronouns and interrogative adjectives are often confusing topics in English. Here are the key differences between interrogative pronouns and interrogative adjectives.

Practice Worksheet on Interrogative Pronouns

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blank

Choose the correct interrogative pronoun from the box: (what / which / who / whom / whose)

1. __________ is your favourite subject at school?

2. __________ did the principal address in today’s assembly?

3. There are two routes to the airport. __________ is shorter?

4. __________ notebook is lying on the classroom floor?

5. To __________ should I submit the application form?

6. __________ sent you this parcel?

7. __________ kind of music do you enjoy listening to?

8. I have blue and black pens. __________ do you prefer?

9. __________ do you think will win the cricket match tonight?

10. __________ was your grandmother’s greatest achievement?

Answers: 

1. What

2. Whom

3. Which

4. Whose

5. Whom

6. Who

7. What

8. Which

9. Who

10. What

Exercise B: Identify the Pronoun Type

State whether the underlined word is an Interrogative Pronoun or an Interrogative Adjective.

1. What time does the exam begin?

2. What is your date of birth?

3. Whose is this umbrella? 

4. Whose umbrella is this?

5. Which did she finally choose?

Answers: 

1. Interrogative Adjective

2. Interrogative Pronoun

3. Interrogative Pronoun

4. Interrogative Adjective

5. Interrogative Pronoun

Exercise C: Correct the Error

Each sentence contains a mistake. Rewrite the sentence correctly.

1. What did you meet at the conference?

2. Who’s book is this on the table?

3. Whom is coming to the meeting tomorrow?

4. Who did you give the invitation to?

5. Whose going to lead the presentation today?

Answers: 

1. Who did you meet at the conference?

2. Whose book is this on the table?

3. Who is coming to the meeting tomorrow?

4. To whom did you give the invitation?

5. Who’s going to lead the presentation today?