❓'What' and 'which' - Improve your English with Learners' Questions

Hi guys! Dan for BBC Learning English here with this week's Learner Question. Find out

what it is after this.

OK! This week's learner question comes from Cristina Gutiérrez. And she says: First of

all, congratulations on your splendid programmes at BBCLearningEnglish -Thank you so much - They

are both entertaining and useful - Good, that’s what we want them to be - I'd like to know

what's the exact difference in usage between 'what' and 'which' at the beginning of direct

questions. Well, Cristina, as you command, so we obey.

Now both are often possible with very little difference. For example:

‘What or which is your favourite food?’ Or

‘Which or What is the best programme on TV at the moment?’

When we feel we have a limited number of choices, we prefer which.

So with a menu: ‘Which dessert shall we have?’

Or when looking at a multiple choice test: ‘Which one is the answer?’

On the other hand, what is used when we feel we have an unlimited number of choices.

So for example: ‘What shall we have for dinner?’

Or ‘What’s the answer to this question?’

Both can be used as determiners in direct questions when talking about people or things.

They are always followed by nouns though. So:

when looking at a line of cars I might say: ‘Which car is yours?’

But, in general, I might ask: ‘What car do you drive?’

In talking about people we can use which to ask about identity and what to ask about job.

For example: There’s a group of people over there. Which

is your friend? Or: ‘Tim’s a lawyer. What’s James?’

I hope that answers your question Cristina. Thank you very much for contacting us. If

anybody else out there has a question about English they’d like answered, you can email

us on: [email protected]. Please remember to include Learners’ Questions

in the subject line and your name and your country. You can also go to our website: bbclearningenglish.com.

I’ve been Dan and I’ll see you next time on Learners’ Questions.