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Old 01-Oct-2005, 15:06
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Default Need advice on using Interrogatives, thanks teachers!

Hello teachers,

Would teachers here advise on which interrogative I should use in the following questions? Thanks sooooo much, Help Wanted

1.Which or What festival do you like best?
2. Which or What bus goes to Central?
3. Which or What colour do you like best?
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Old 01-Oct-2005, 18:19
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Default Re: Need advice on using Interrogatives, thanks teachers!

what expresses, in general, and which, specific.

You and your friend are talking about specific festivals that both of you went to this year:

EX: "Which festivals did/do you like the best (specifically)?"
(which two or three or four etc. of the festivals did you like the best?)

If only two festivals, then use a singular noun,

EX: "Which festival did/do you like the best (specifically)?"
(which one of the two did you like the best?)

You and your friend are talking about festivals in general:

EX: What festivals did/do you like the best (in general)?
EX: What festival did/do you like the best (in general)?

Quote:
Which is generally used with more specific reference than what. If we're taking a quiz and I ask "Which questions give you the most trouble?", I am referring to specific questions on that quiz. If I ask "What questions give you most trouble"? I could be asking what kind of questions on that quiz (or what kind of question, generically, in general) gives you trouble.

Source: http://ccc.webster.commnet.edu/grammar/
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Old 02-Oct-2005, 04:13
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Default Re: Need advice on using Interrogatives, thanks teachers!

Thank you, teacher Casiopea! In that case, both 'Which' and 'What' can be applied in the question depending on what I want to ask in terms of general or specific. Am I right? Therefore, this concept applies to the other 2 questions:

Which or What bus goes to Central?
and
Which or What colour do you like best?

Please tell me if I am on the right track. Thanks sooooo much again, Help Wanted
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Old 02-Oct-2005, 06:46
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Default Re: Need advice on using Interrogatives, thanks teachers!

You've got it.
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