|
ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > What or which?
What or which?
|
anuska8
|
What or which?
|
|
Hi everybody! I �m preparing a craft for very young students where they have to choose different daily routines like:
- What day is it today?
- Which month is it?
- Which season is it?
But I don �t know exactly the difference between WHAT month is it and WHICH month is it. Is it correct to use both? What option is better?
Moreover, if you know more ideas about typical questions to do the craft you can tell me.
Thanks in advance!
Ana. |
27 Sep 2012
|
|
|
|
annete
|
We use which and not what, this can also relate to seasons and days.
eg Which day would you like to meet?
Which season do you like best?
Which day are you free?
what is used for time,
eg What time would you like to meet?
I am british ....the Americans I think would use both terms what and which.
Regards Anne
|
27 Sep 2012
|
|
|
mirkariver
|
|
You can spot the difference in this examples:
What is your favourite day?
Which day is your favourite - Sunday or Saturday?
As you see, in combinations which/what + noun we can use both variants, it depends on the situation. WHICH - we are asking about a fixed or limited number of things or people,
WHAT - we are speaking about unlimited options.
Some more examples:
Which shoes should I wear with this dress � my blue ones or my black ones?
Which parent is more important in the first year of life? (everybody knows that our choice is limited - we can have only two parents)
What movie did you go to see?
What colour are her eyes?
|
27 Sep 2012
|
|
|
anuska8
|
Thank you so much for your help, Anne.
Then , Is it correct the expression "What day is it today" or not? I haven �t understood that.
Anyway, I �d prefer british grammar than american.
Ana.
|
27 Sep 2012
|
|
|
zailda
|
|
What day is today? Which day is today: Monday or Tuesday?
I learned that we use:
what - unlimited number of options: What is your favorite color? (the person can choose any) which: limited number of options: Which is your favorite color: black or blue? (the person can choose only between the mentioned or implied options.
Hugs
|
27 Sep 2012
|
|
|
anuska8
|
Thank you!! I �ll put your advices into practice.
Hugs, Ana. |
27 Sep 2012
|
|
|
H7english
|
|
What day is today?
Which day is today: Monday or Tuesday?
All the answes above are correct. However to add a little bit to it...
What day is today? It may be your birth day, It may be a national festival day or it could be any thing? Hence the options are unlimited.
Which day is today? It particularly concentrates on the 7 days of the week. Hence the options are limited.
|
28 Sep 2012
|
|
|
Zora
|
|
To tell you the true, both are correct. Native speakers use both forms. Grammatically though, �which � is used when there is a choice between answers.
|
28 Sep 2012
|
|
|
