Tázací zájmena – anglicky

Interrogative pronouns are suitable named. An interrogative pronoun is a pronoun used in order to ask a question,  so we can find them in questions. It helps to ask about something. They basically stand in for the answer to the question being asked.

Often it has no antecedent because the antecedent is unknown. That is why the question is being asked. In modern English there are five interrogative pronouns: „what„, „which„, „who„, „whom“ and „whose„. Whereas, when „who,“ „whom,“ or „which“ are not acting as interrogative pronouns, they may act as relative pronouns and it depends on their function in the sentence and either „which“ or „what“ can also be used as an interrogative adjective. There is a difference among a relative and an iterrogative pronouns: a relative pronoun may be found in a question and an interrogative pronoun is found only in a question.

 

List of interrogative words in English:

• interrogative determiner
  • which, what
  • whose (interrogative possessive determiner)

 

• interrogative pro-form
  • interrogative pronoun
    • who, whom (human)
    • what, which (nonhuman)

These pronouns can be personal or non-personal. We can find „who“, „whom“ and occasionally „which“ used to refer to people and „which“ and „what“ used to refer to things and to animals.

An interrogative pronoun may look like an interrogative adjective, but it is used differently in a sentence: it acts as a pronoun, taking the place of a noun.

In addition, these pronouns may be in the compounds formed with the suffixes „-ever“ or „-soever“ and it is because of an emphasis of these words:

1. „-ever„: „whoever“, „whomever“, „whichever“ and „whatever“
2. „-soever„: „whosoever“

„Who“ acts as the subject of a verb, while „whom“ acts as the object of a verb, preposition or a verbal.

Who is the subject and whom is the object.

 

In connection with an interrogative pronoun is a preposition placed at the end or at the begining of the sentence:

Who did you speak about?

About whom did you speak?

What town do you live in?

In what town do you live?

 

Examples of interrogative pronouns in which the interrogative pronoun stands in for the answer to the question:

Which wants to see the dentist first?

What was his most impressive example of presidential leadership?

“ „Which“ and „what“ are the subjects of the sentences.

 

 

Who wrote the novel Rockbound?

Who said that?

Who saw the future clearly?

Who embraced it?

Whose are you going to choose for the exhibit?

Who has been sitting in my chair?

“ Similarly „who“ and „whose“ are the subjects of the sentences.

 

Whom do you think we should invite?

Whom did she choose from the Carter White House?

Which would you prefer from your president?

Which chair are you talking about?What do you want?For whom will you vote?

“ In this sentence, „whom“, „which“ and „what“ are the objects.

 

To whom do you wish to speak?

“ Here the interrogative pronoun „whom “ is the object of the preposition „to.“

 

Who will meet the delegates at the train station?

“ In this sentence, the interrogative pronoun „who“ is the subject of the compound verb „will meet“.

 

To whom did you give the paper?

“ In this example the interrogative pronoun „whom“ is the object of the preposition „to.“

 

What did you say?

“ Here the interrogative pronoun „what“ is the direct object of the verb „say.“

In these examples, the same words are relative pronoun:

The man whom she chose will do a wonderful job.

The Grand Canyon, which is remarkable, is Eldon’s favorite place to visit.

Our guy next door, who is on trial, never did fit into the neighborhood.

 

In these examples, the same words are personal pronoun:

You will need to decide which is the best product.

Frank will decide whom the animals will work with.

We all decided who will lead the parade.

 

 

Literature:

Souhrn anglické gramatiky, Holman, Praha 2003

Internet resources:

http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/writcent/hypergrammar/pronouns.html

http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000342.htm

http://grammar.uoregon.edu/pronouns/interrogative.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrogative_word

http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/eduweb/grammar/course/speech/1_2f.htm

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0885483.html