Interrogative Pronoun Definition and Examples

Table of Contents

Interrogative Pronoun

Who is your best friend? What is your preferred cuisine? Which of the rainbow’s colours is your favourite? One last query: What exactly is a pronoun? If you are an expert in grammar, you already know that we use pronouns in place of nouns. Many of our sentences, including queries, contain pronouns. An interrogative pronoun is a sort of pronoun that is always seeking responses. You only need to continue reading if any of these queries leave you wondering what an interrogative pronoun is.
Read: Personal Pronoun Definition and Examples

What is an Interrogative Pronoun?

A pronoun used to ask a question is called an interrogative pronoun. Who are you, for instance, uses the pronoun who as an interrogative. Interrogative pronouns take the place of nouns in sentences like most other pronouns do. Interrogative pronouns usually take the place of whatever or whoever the response to the query is. For instance:

What is a pineapple? A pineapple is a fruit.
Who built this shed? Carl built this shed.

An interrogative pronoun is typically the first word in a phrase that ends with a question mark. A sentence cannot conclude with a question mark if it uses an interrogative pronoun to pose an indirect query:

I wonder who will come tomorrow.
She asked us what we wanted for lunch.

Read: Relative Pronoun Definition and Examples

Interrogative Pronoun Definition

Although the term “interrogative” is not specifically defined, the Cambridge Dictionary describes it as “a phrase or sentence used when asking a question.” The word “interrogative” is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “a word (such as who, what, or which) used in asking questions.” A pronoun that is used to replace a person or an object when asking a question is known as an interrogative pronoun.

Read: Reflexive Pronoun Definition and Examples

Interrogative Pronoun Examples

What – Used to ask questions about people or objects. Examples:

What do you want for dinner?
I wonder what we’re doing tomorrow.
What is your friend’s name?
What animal has horns?

Who – Used to ask questions about people. Examples:

Who is that?
Who was driving the car?
I’m wondering who will be at the party.
Who is going to take out the trash?

Whose – Used to ask questions about people or objects, always related to possession. Examples:

Whose sweater is this?
Whose parents are those?
I wonder whose dog knocked our garbage can over.
Whose phone is that?

Which – Used to ask questions about people or objects. Examples:

Which color do you prefer?
Which of these ladies is your mother?
She asked which train to take.
Which seat would you like?

Whom – This interrogative pronoun is rarely seen these days, but when it shows up, it is used to ask questions about people. Examples:

Whom did you speak to?
Whom do you prefer to vote for?
You should ask whom to call.
Whom do you live with?

Read: Possessive Pronoun Definition and Examples

Class 10 students can now join the board exam preparation batch by Adda247 and ace their board exam.

Interrogative Pronoun: How To Use?

Interrogative pronouns are frequently the first word in questions:

Who was that?
What is her favorite color?

Later in a sentence, though, it is possible to use an interrogative pronoun:

You gave the money to whom?
Excuse me? You used what to make this ice cream?

Although an interrogative pronoun may be used in either the singular or the plural, its look will not alter. When used in a sentence, it must still adhere to subject-verb agreement, though

What is your phone number?
What are the missing letters?

To determine whether you need a singular or plural verb in an interrogative question, it can be useful to turn the sentence around:

Who (is/are) these guys? These guys (is/are) who?

Interrogative Pronoun: Key Points

Interrogative pronouns are pronouns that are used to ask about an unidentified noun.

The five pronouns used in interrogative sentences are Who, Whom, Which, What, and Whose.

Interrogative pronouns and interrogative adjectives should not be confused.

These interrogative adverbs are when, why, where, and how.

Found this article helpful?

Let’s connect via chat or call our senior expert counsellor at +91-9625869989 to learn more about the different streams and options available.

We would love it if we could add some of your insights. If you have a definite goal of scoring the highest marks, then you can resolve your doubts via our app/quizzes and youtube class assistance (https://youtube.com/c/Adda247Class9and10)

Interrogative Pronoun Definition and Examples- QNAs

Ques 1. How can you tell whether a pronoun is interrogative?

Ans. An interrogative pronoun is typically the first word in a phrase that ends with a question mark.

Ques 2. How are interrogative pronouns used?

Ans. When we ask a question, we utilise interrogative pronouns. The interrogative pronoun denotes that which we are unsure of (what we are asking the question about).

Ques 3. What should you say first when using an interrogative sentence?

Ans. The verb typically comes before the subject in a question.

Ques 4. How may interrogative direct speech be modified?

Ans. In direct speaking, a question mark should always be used at the conclusion of an interrogative statement.

Ques 5. Can subjects be interrogative pronouns?

Ans. An interrogative pronoun can be used as the subject or the object of a phrase, respectively.

Ques 6. There are how many different kinds of interrogative pronouns?

Ans. The pronouns what, which, who, whom, and whose are the five interrogative pronouns.