What is Interrogative Pronoun? Definition, Use and Examples

Interrogative pronouns play a vital role in forming questions in English grammar. These pronouns are used to ask direct or indirect questions and help gather specific information. If you have ever asked who, what, which, or whom, you have already used them. In this blog, we will answer the question: What is interrogative pronoun? We’ll explore its definition and usage in everyday language, as well as provide clear examples to help you understand and use these pronouns effectively.

What is an Interrogative Pronoun?

An interrogative pronoun is a type of pronoun used to ask questions. It replaces a noun when the identity of that noun is unknown. These pronouns usually appear in interrogative (question) sentences to help request specific information.

The most commonly used interrogative pronouns are what, which, who, whom, and whose. Each one refers to a different kind of noun. For example, who is used when asking about a person, while what is used for an object, idea, or thing. These pronouns help identify something that is not yet known or specified.

Example: What is your name?

In this sentence, ‘What’ is the interrogative pronoun used to ask for specific information. Other common interrogative pronouns include who, whom, whose, and which.

Check out: What are Pronouns?

Examples of Interrogative Pronouns

Here are examples of interrogative pronouns based on their types in English Grammar:

Examples of Main Interrogative Pronouns: 

Main interrogative pronouns are the basic question words used to ask about people or things. Here is a list of main interrogative pronouns with example sentences:

Main Interrogative Pronouns	Example Sentences
What	What is your favourite subject?
Which	Which is your school bag?
Who	Who is your best friend?
Whom	Whom did you meet at the wedding?
Whose	Whose mobile phone is this?

Examples of Compound Interrogative Pronouns

Compound pronouns are formed by adding –ever or –soever to the main interrogative pronouns. They are used to ask in a more general or flexible way, often when the answer is unknown or open-ended.

Compound Interrogative Pronouns	Example Sentences
Whatever	Whatever you choose, I will be happy.
Whichever	Whichever way you go, be careful.
Whoever	Whoever wins the match will get the trophy.
Whomever	Whomever you invite, make sure they arrive on time.

Must Read: Emphatic Pronouns: Definition, Functions, Examples

How to Use Interrogative Pronouns?

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask specific questions about people or things. These pronouns help us find out more information by asking who, whom, whose, what, or which. Each one of the pronouns has a different use depending on what or whom you are asking about.

Here are details about how to use interrogative pronoun:

Interrogative Pronoun	Noun It Replaces	Pronoun Case	Example
Who / Whom	Person	Who: Subject Whom: Object	Who won the Padma Shri award this year? Whom did Rohan love the most?
Whose	Person (shows possession)	Possessive	Whose umbrella is lying near the school gate?
What	Thing / Information	Subject or Object	What is your favourite dish from South India? What did you bring from the science exhibition? What is your father’s profession?
Which	One option from a choice	Subject or Object	Which state is famous for its tea gardens? Which colour do you want for your school uniform? Which boy scored the highest in your class?

Check out: What are Possessive Pronouns? 

Interrogative Parts of Speech

So far, we have focused on interrogative pronouns like who, what, which, whom, and whose. But there are other wh–words, such as where, when, why, and how, which also ask questions. 

These words are not interrogative pronouns. 

Instead, they belong to different parts of speech that also play an important role in asking questions.

1. Interrogative Adverbs

Words like where, when, why, and how are called interrogative adverbs. These are used to ask about the time, place, reason, or manner of an action. While pronouns replace nouns, adverbs give us more details about a verb or action.

Examples:

1. When does the train leave for Delhi?

2. Where do you want to go for lunch?

3. Why did you miss the bus this morning?

4. How will you reach the examination centre?

When, where, why and how are the words used when you want to know more about how, when, or where something happens.

2. Interrogative Determiners (also known as Interrogative Adjectives)

Some words, like what, which, and whose, can also act like adjectives. When they describe or point to a noun directly in a question, they are called interrogative determiners. These words always come before a noun and help us identify it more clearly, especially when there are options.

Examples:

1. What colour is your school uniform?

2. Which movie do you want to watch tonight?

3. Whose cricket bat is lying on the ground?

What, which and whose words help specify the noun being discussed, such as colour, movie, or bat.

3. Relative Pronouns

Words like who, whose, whom, what, and which can also be used as relative pronouns. But instead of asking a question, they join two parts of a sentence. A relative pronoun links a dependent clause (a part of a sentence that cannot stand alone) to the main sentence.

Examples:

1. The student who won the quiz is from our class.

2. This is the book which I borrowed from the library.

3. I met a teacher whose lessons are very interesting.

In the above sentences, the words who, which, and whose are used to give more information about the noun. They act like a bridge between the main idea and the extra details.

Must Read: What is Subject Pronoun? Definition, Types and Examples

Difference between an Interrogative Pronouns vs. Relative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns and relative pronouns may look similar because they use many of the same words, such as who, whom, whose, which, and what. However, their purpose and usage in a sentence are quite different.

Feature	Interrogative Pronouns	Relative Pronouns
Purpose	Interrogative Pronouns are to ask questions	Interrogative Pronouns are used to ask questions
Function	Represents the unknown element in a question	Refers back to a noun and adds more information
Common Pronouns Used	Who, Whom, Whose, What, Which	Who, Whom, Whose, Which, That
Position in Sentence	Usually appears at the beginning of a sentence	Appears in the middle, linking clauses
Type of Sentence	Used in interrogative (question) sentences	Used in complex (declarative) sentences
Example	Who is your English teacher?	The girl who is reading a book is my sister.

Must Read: What Are Object Pronouns? Definition, Examples and Exercise

Difference between an Interrogative Pronoun and an Interrogative Adjective

Interrogative Pronouns and Interrogative Adjectives may appear similar because they share words like what, which, and whose. 

However, their roles in a sentence are different. Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions and stand in place of nouns, whereas interrogative adjectives are used to ask questions but always come before a noun to describe it.

Feature	Interrogative Pronoun	Interrogative Adjective
Definition	Replaces a noun and asks a question	Describes or modifies a noun and asks a question
Function	Stands alone and represents the thing or person being asked about	Always comes before a noun and provides more information about it
Used As	Subject or object in a sentence	Always used with a noun
Common Words	Who, Whom, Whose, What, Which	What, Which, Whose
Example 1	Who is coming to the event	Which book did you choose
Example 2	What is making that noise	What time is the meeting scheduled
Example 3	Whose is this pen	Whose bag is on the table

Check out: What are Reflexive Pronouns: Definition, Rules and Examples

Common Mistakes While Using Interrogative Pronouns

Sometimes, we make mistakes out of confusion regarding the use of pronouns. To clear the confusion, let us understand the correct usage of interrogative pronouns from the following examples.

1. Using who instead of whom

Incorrect: Who did you meet at the library?

Correct: Whom did you meet at the library?

Explanation: Whom is used as the object of a verb or preposition. Since the person is being met (not doing the meeting), whom is the right choice.

2. Using whose for non-living things

Incorrect: Whose is this chair in the hotel?

Correct: To whom does this chair belong?

Explanation: Whose usually refers to people. For non-living things like a chair, it is better to rephrase using possession with verbs like belong.

3. Confusing interrogative pronouns with adjectives

Incorrect: Which you want for lunch?

Correct: Which dish do you want for lunch?

Explanation: When which is used before a noun, it becomes an interrogative adjective, not a pronoun. Always follow it with a noun like dish, book, or pen.

4. Using more than one interrogative pronoun in one sentence

Incorrect: What who told you this information?

Correct: Who told you this information?

Explanation: Only one interrogative word should be used to ask a specific question. Multiple pronouns create confusion and are grammatically incorrect.

5. Using what for people instead of who

Incorrect: What is coming to visit you today?

Correct: Who is coming to visit you today?

Explanation: What is used for things and objects. When referring to people, use who to maintain accuracy in the sentence.

6. Overuse of  whom in informal situations

Incorrect: Whom are you talking to right now?

Correct: Who are you talking to right now?

Explanation: While whom is grammatically correct as an object, in spoken or informal English, who is commonly accepted and easier to use.

7. Leaving questions vague or incomplete

Incorrect: What about your project submission?

Correct: What did you decide about your project submission?

Explanation: The incorrect sentence lacks a verb and leaves the question incomplete. Always frame full, clear questions.

8. Incorrect sentence structure or word order

Incorrect: What she told you during the meeting?

Correct: What did she tell you during the meeting?

Explanation: In interrogative sentences, helping verbs like did must be used for proper word order and clarity.

9. Using what instead of which when choices are given

Incorrect: What one do you want, tea or coffee?

Correct: Which one do you want, tea or coffee?

Explanation: Use which when a choice is being made from a known set of options. What is used for open-ended questions.

10. Placing compound interrogative pronouns incorrectly

Incorrect: Whichever dress is yours take it quickly?

Correct: Take whichever dress is yours quickly?

Explanation: Compound interrogative pronouns like whichever must be placed correctly to make the sentence meaningful and grammatically sound.

Also Read: What is the Difference Between Nouns and Pronouns?

Interrogative Pronoun Exercise with Answers

Find the sets of interrogative pronoun questions below to test your understanding of the topic.

Set 1: Fill in the blanks with suitable interrogative pronouns

1. Who is coming with you to the fair?

2. Whose bag is kept near the door?

3. Whom did you meet at the seminar yesterday?

4. What is your favourite subject in school?

5. Which of these pens writes better?

Answers:

1. Who

2. Whose

3. Whom

4. What

5. Which

Set 2: Identify the interrogative pronoun and its type

1. Who made the final announcement at the assembly? — Subject

2. Whom are you planning to invite for the meeting? — Object

3. Whose notebook did the teacher take? — Possessive

4. What made you choose this course? — Subject

5. Which of these dishes would you like to try? — Object

Answers:

1. Who – Subject

2. Whom – Object

3. Whose – Possessive

4. What – Subject

5. Which – Object

Set 3: Match the question to its answer

A – Questions	B – Answers
1. Who is your best friend?	c. Meena is my best friend.
2. Whom did you talk to?	a. I spoke to the Principal.
3. What is your favourite subject?	b. Yes, I love Science.
4. Which dress will you wear today?	d. The blue one looks better.
5. Whose pencil is this on the floor?	e. It belongs to Riya.

Answers:

1 – c

2 – a

3 – b

4 – d

5 – e

Understanding interrogative pronouns is key to forming clear and meaningful questions in English. Interrogative pronouns such as who, whom, whose, what, and which play an important role in everyday conversations and writing by helping us gather information about tangible and intangible things. While they may look similar to relative pronouns or interrogative adjectives, their function in a sentence sets them apart. Thus, learning to use them correctly not only strengthens grammar skills but also builds confidence in communication. 

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