Interrogative Adjectives

Interrogative adjectives are question words that come before nouns. They help you ask about a thing, a choice, or an owner. In this module, the main words are what, which, and whose.

What comes before a noun when you ask about identity, type, or category. It often gives an open question, and the answer is not limited to a small known set. Speakers sometimes use what where other speakers may use which, especially in everyday speech.

Which comes before a noun when you ask the listener to choose from a limited set. The set may be named, seen, or understood from the situation. In some contexts, which sounds more specific than what, but speakers do not always make a strict difference.

Whose comes before a noun to ask about possession or ownership. It asks who something belongs to. It can sound more formal to some speakers, but it is normal and correct in everyday English.

Interrogative adjectives come directly before nouns in questions. The noun stays with the question word as one group, such as what book, which bus, or whose bag. This group is part of the question pattern.

You can now identify and use interrogative adjectives before nouns. You can use what for open questions, which for selection from limited options, and whose for possession. You also know that natural English can be flexible, so what and which may sometimes overlap.