what
asking for information
You use what when you are asking for information about something. You can use what as a pronoun or a determiner.
When you use what as a pronoun, it can be the subject, object, or complement of a verb. It can also be the object of a preposition.
What happened to the crew?
What is your name?
When what is the object of a verb, it is followed by an auxiliary verb, the subject, and then the main verb. When what is the object of a preposition, the preposition usually goes at the end of the question.
What did she say then?
What did he die of?
used as a determiner
When you use what as a determiner, it usually forms part of the object of a verb.
What books can I read on the subject?
What car do you drive?
Be careful
Don't use ‘what’ when your question involves a choice from a limited number of people or things. For example, if someone has hurt their finger, don't ask ‘What finger have you hurt?’ Say ‘Which finger have you hurt?’
Don't use ‘what’ when your question involves a choice from a limited number of people or things. For example, if someone has hurt their finger, don't ask ‘What finger have you hurt?’ Say ‘Which finger have you hurt?’
When you get your daily paper, which page do you read first?
Which department do you want?
You use what when you are asking about the time.
What time is it?
What time does their flight get in?
used in reported clauses
What is often used in reported clauses.
I asked her what had happened.
I find it difficult to understand what people are saying.
‘what...for’
You use what with for when you are asking about the purpose of something. You put what at the beginning of the question and for at the end of it. For example, ‘What is this tool for?’ means ‘What is the purpose of this tool?’
What are those lights for?
In conversation, you can also use what with for to ask about the reason for something. You can say, for example, ‘What are you looking at me for?’ This means ‘Why are you looking at me?’
What are you asking him for?
‘what if’
You use what if to ask what should be done if a particular difficulty occurs. For example, ‘What if the bus doesn’t come?' means ‘What shall we do if the bus doesn’t come?'
What if it's really bad weather?
What if this doesn't work out?
‘what about’
You use what about to remind someone of something, or to draw their attention to something. What about is followed by a noun phrase.
What about the other names on the list?
What about your breakfast?
Be careful
When you ask someone a question beginning with what about you are often expecting them to do something, rather than answer your question.
When you ask someone a question beginning with what about you are often expecting them to do something, rather than answer your question.
What about this bag – aren't you taking it?
used in relative clauses
What is sometimes used at the beginning of a special kind of relative clause called a nominal relative clause. This kind of clause functions like a noun phrase; it can be the subject, object, or complement of a verb, or the object of a preposition. In a nominal relative clause, what means ‘the thing which’ or ‘the things which’.
What he said was perfectly true.
They did not like what he wrote.
I am what is known as a light sleeper.
That is a very good account of what happened.
People often use a nominal relative clause in front of is or was to focus attention on the thing they are about to mention.
What I need is a lawyer.
What impressed me most was their sincerity.
A similar type of clause consists of what followed by the subject and do. After a clause like this, you use be and an infinitive structure with or without to. For example, instead of saying ‘I wrote to George immediately’, you can say ‘What I did was to write to George immediately’.
What Stefan did was to interview a lot of people.
What you need to do is choose five companies to invest in.
Be careful
Don't use ‘what’ in defining or non-defining relative clauses. Don't say, for example, ‘The man what you met is my brother’ or ‘The book what you lent me is very good’. Use who, which, or that, or don't use a relative pronoun at all. For example, say ‘The man who you met is my brother’ or ‘The man you met is my brother’.
Don't use ‘what’ in defining or non-defining relative clauses. Don't say, for example, ‘The man what you met is my brother’ or ‘The book what you lent me is very good’. Use who, which, or that, or don't use a relative pronoun at all. For example, say ‘The man who you met is my brother’ or ‘The man you met is my brother’.
used to mean ‘whatever’
What can be used with the same meaning as ‘whatever’, both as a pronoun and a determiner.
Do what you like.
They shared what food they had.
➜ See whatever
used in exclamations
What is often used in exclamations.
What a great idea!
What nonsense!