What Is an Interrogative? | Definition & Examples

The term interrogative is used to refer to words that help form questions (e.g., “who,” “what,” “when”). It is also used to describe sentences that ask questions, whether they use an interrogative word (e.g., “Who is that?”) or not (e.g., “Are you tired?”).

Interrogative words

Interrogative words are words that are used to form questions. They are often called “wh-words” because they almost all begin with “wh.” The most common interrogative words are:

• Who
• What
• Where
• When
• Why
• How
• Which
• Whose
• Whom

These words can also have other functions, such as relative pronouns (“who,” “which,” “whom,” “whose,” and “what”) and relative adverbs (“where,” “when,” and “why”). However, when used to phrase questions, they belong to the category of interrogatives.

There are three types of interrogative words in English:

• Interrogative determiners
• Interrogative pronouns
• Interrogative adverbs

Interrogative determiners

Interrogative determiners (sometimes called interrogative adjectives) modify nouns or pronouns to ask a question. The three interrogative determiners are “what,” “which,” and “whose.” The answer to a question formed with an interrogative determiner will be a noun, noun phrase, or noun clause.

Interrogative pronouns

Interrogative pronouns, like all pronouns, stand on their own to replace a noun. The most common interrogative pronouns are “what,” “which,” “who,” “whom,” and “whose.”

Unlike interrogative adjectives, interrogative pronouns are not followed by a noun. Typically, they are followed by an auxiliary verb (e.g., “is,” “do”) or modal verb (e.g., “can,” “will”). The answer to a question that begins with an interrogative pronoun will be a noun, noun phrase, or noun clause.

The suffix “-ever” can be added to all of the interrogative pronouns (except “whose”) to form additional interrogative pronouns (e.g., “Whatever will we do?”), though their use is infrequent.

Interrogative adverbs

The interrogative adverbs are “when,” “where,” “why,” and “how.” They are used to ask questions about location, time, reason, or manner. The answer to these questions will be an adverb, adverbial phrase, or adverbial clause.

Interrogative sentences

The term “interrogative” is also frequently used to refer to sentences that ask questions. In English, sentences are often classified as declarative (statements), interrogative (questions), imperative (commands), or exclamatory (exclamations).

There are several ways to form interrogative sentences in English. Only one uses interrogative words; the others rely on linking or modal verbs, word order, and intonation to communicate their questioning intent.

Rhetorical questions

People often ask questions that are not meant to be answered. This can be done to make a point, for dramatic effect, or to communicate an internal monologue. These rhetorical questions are still considered interrogative sentences, even though they have a different purpose than other questions.

Frequently asked questions about interrogatives

What is an indirect question?

Indirect questions are questions that are embedded in a statement (e.g., “I wonder who will win this year;” “She asked Max where he was”).

Indirect questions often begin with an interrogative word (e.g., “where,” “when”), but they can also begin with “if” or “whether” (e.g., “My mom asked whether you want to stay for dinner”).

An indirect question is a special type of noun clause, often referred to as an interrogative clause. It is typically embedded within a declarative sentence, so it is not followed by a question mark. Additionally, the word order is the same as a declarative sentence (i.e., subject followed by verb).

What is an interrogative adjective?

Interrogative adjectives (also called interrogative determiners) are words that modify a noun or pronoun to form a question (e.g., “Which shirt do you like?”). The three interrogative adjectives are “which,” “what,” and “whose.”

Interrogative adjectives belong to a larger class of words, sometimes referred to as “interrogatives.” When “which,” “what,” and “whose” are used to stand in for a noun, rather than modifying it (e.g., “Which do you like?”), they are known as interrogative pronouns.

How do I use “whose” in a sentence?

“Whose” is an interrogative word that is used to indicate possession. It can be used in questions as an interrogative pronoun (e.g., “Whose is this?”) or interrogative determiner (e.g., “Whose phone has a blue case?”).

It is also used as a relative pronoun in adjective clauses (e.g., “My neighbors, whose dog is always escaping, are building a fence”).

Sometimes, people get confused about the difference between “whose” and “who’s.” The words sound the same but have different meanings. “Who’s” is the contraction of “who is” or “who has” (e.g., “Who’s your favorite singer?”).

What is an interrogative adverb?

The interrogative adverbs are “when,” “where,” “why,” and “how.” They are used to ask questions about time, location, reason, or manner (e.g., “Where do you want to go for dinner?”).

These words are known as interrogative adverbs because the answers they prompt are adverbs, adverb phrases, or adverb clauses.

Interrogative adverbs are part of a larger group of words referred to as “interrogatives.” These words (typically starting with “wh-”) are used to form questions.

What is the difference between “which” and “what”?

When used as an interrogative to form a question, “what” refers to an (essentially) unlimited set of options, while “which” refers to a narrower or limited set. For example:

• What are you wearing to the concert?
  
• Which shirt will you wear: the blue or the green?
  
• What is your favorite song?
  
• Which song should I play for the recital?

The choice of “what” or “which” often depends on the context of the sentence.