What vs. Which – English Grammar Exercises for A1
Read the social media posts below. Imagine you are a tech reviewer writing a post to compare two smartphones you have in your hands (the X-Phone and the Y-Phone). You are asking your followers questions to engage them, and then giving your final conclusion. Choose the best word to fill in the blank.
1 Hey guys! Welcome back to my channel. Today I have two amazing phones here. ______ phone should I review first, the X-Phone or the Y-Phone?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) How
(D) Who
2 Before we start the comparison, drop a comment below: ______ is your favorite phone brand of all time?
(A) Which
(B) What
(C) How
(D) Where
3 Let’s look at the displays. I am holding both phones right now. ______ screen is bigger?
(A) What
(B) Who
(C) Which
(D) Whose
4 I want to know about your daily habits. ______ feature do you use the most on your smartphone?
(A) Which
(B) What
(C) How
(D) Why
5 The X-Phone comes in black, and the Y-Phone comes in white. ______ color do you prefer?
(A) What
(B) How
(C) Which
(D) Where
6 I tested the cameras last night. ______ camera takes better dark photos, the X-Phone or the Y-Phone?
(A) Which
(B) What
(C) Who
(D) Whom
7 Before I tell you the cost, ______ do you think about the high prices of new tech devices?
(A) How
(B) Which
(C) Why
(D) What
8 There are two different processors inside these devices. ______ one is faster for gaming?
(A) What
(B) Whose
(C) Which
(D) How
9 If you only have enough money for one device today, ______ phone will you buy?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Where
(D) Who
10 I play a lot of mobile games. ______ kind of games do you usually play on your phone?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) How
(D) Who
11 Let’s check the battery test results on the screen. ______ phone lasts longer, the left one or the right one?
(A) What
(B) How
(C) Which
(D) Where
12 I don’t remember the exact battery capacity of the Y-Phone. ______ is the battery size of this model?
(A) How
(B) Which
(C) What
(D) Why
13 Both phones come with a free protective case in the box. ______ case looks more stylish to you?
(A) What
(B) Who
(C) Which
(D) Whose
14 Everyone has different needs. ______ is the most important thing for you when buying a new smartphone?
(A) Which
(B) How
(C) What
(D) Where
15 You have to make a choice right now. ______ of these two phones is the real winner today?
(A) What
(B) Who
(C) Which
(D) Which of
16 Many followers asked me this question yesterday. ______ does “refresh rate” mean?
(A) How
(B) Which
(C) What
(D) Why
17 I have the 128GB version and the 256GB version on my desk. ______ storage size is better for recording 4K videos?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) How much
(D) Where
18 There are millions of apps in the app store. ______ app do you download first when you get a new phone?
(A) Which
(B) What
(C) How
(D) When
19 Look closely at the buttons on the left side of these two phones. ______ button turns on the silent mode?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Who
(D) Whom
20 To conclude my review, I want to ask you a big question: ______ is the best smartphone in the world this year?
(A) Which
(B) How
(C) Where
(D) What
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The choice is strictly limited to the two phones mentioned in the sentence (the X-Phone or the Y-Phone). When options are restricted, you must use “Which”.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake (used for open, unlimited choices). (C) How is a Structural Error. (D) Who is a Meaning Trap (used for people, not objects).
2 (B) What
- Why it is correct (Key): You are asking about their favorite phone brand out of all the brands in the world. Because there is no limited list provided, this is an open question.
- Error Analysis: (A) Which is a Common Mistake (only used if you gave a list: “Which brand do you like, Apple or Samsung?”). (C) How and (D) Where are Structural/Meaning Errors.
3 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The reviewer is holding exactly two phones. The comparison is physically limited to those two specific screens.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (B) Who and (D) Whose are Meaning Traps (screens belong to phones, not people).
4 (B) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking about a “feature” is a general question because smartphones have hundreds of different features (camera, battery, GPS, etc.).
- Error Analysis: (A) Which is a Common Mistake. (C) How and (D) Why are structurally incorrect in this context.
5 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The speaker provides a limited menu of exactly two options: black or white.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (B) How and (D) Where are Structural Errors.
6 (A) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The choice is restricted to exactly two cameras: the camera on the X-Phone or the camera on the Y-Phone.
- Error Analysis: (B) What is a Common Mistake. (C) Who and (D) Whom are Meaning Traps.
7 (D) What
- Why it is correct (Key): To ask for an opinion, the standard English structure is “What do you think about…”.
- Error Analysis: (A) How is a very Common Mistake for A1 learners who directly translate “How do you think” from their native language. (B) Which is a Structural Error. (C) Why is a Meaning Trap.
8 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): There are exactly two processors inside the two devices. “Which one” asks the listener to select from that specific, limited group.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (B) Whose is a Meaning Trap. (D) How is a Structural Error.
9 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The phrase “one of these two phones” clearly limits the choice to just two specific items.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (C) Where and (D) Who are Meaning Errors.
10 (A) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking about the “kind of games” someone plays is a general, open-ended question with infinite possible answers (puzzle, action, racing, etc.).
- Error Analysis: (B) Which is a Common Mistake. (C) How and (D) Who do not fit the grammatical structure.
11 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The options are explicitly locked to two choices at the end of the sentence: “the left one or the right one”.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake caused by not reading the end of the sentence where the choices are limited. (B) How and (D) Where are Meaning Errors.
12 (C) What
- Why it is correct (Key): When asking for a specific fact or specification (like battery size, price, or name), the fixed structure is “What is the…”.
- Error Analysis: (A) How is a Common Mistake (learners often try to say “How much is the battery size”, which is incorrect). (B) Which is a Structural Error. (D) Why is a Meaning Trap.
13 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): You are looking at two specific cases provided in the boxes. The choice is visibly limited.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (B) Who and (D) Whose are Meaning Traps.
14 (C) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking about the “most important thing” is an open question; the answer could be almost anything (price, camera, brand, battery).
- Error Analysis: (A) Which is a Common Mistake. (B) How and (D) Where are Structural Errors.
15 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The phrase “these two phones” limits the choice. The preposition “of” is already in the sentence, so “Which” fits perfectly (“Which of…”).
- Error Analysis: (D) Which of is a Structural Error (if selected, the sentence would say “Which of of these…”, which is a double preposition). (A) What is a Common Mistake. (B) Who is a Meaning Trap.
16 (C) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking for the definition or meaning of a tech term is an open question. The standard structure is “What does it mean?”.
- Error Analysis: (A) How is a very Common Mistake (“How does it mean” is incorrect in English). (B) Which is a Structural Error. (D) Why is a Meaning Trap.
17 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The choice is strictly restricted to the two versions on the desk: 128GB or 256GB.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (C) How much is a Structural Error (you can ask “How much storage is better?”, but you cannot ask “How much storage size”). (D) Where is a Meaning Error.
18 (B) What
- Why it is correct (Key): “Millions of apps” implies a massive, practically unlimited pool of choices. Therefore, we use “What app”.
- Error Analysis: (A) Which is a Common Mistake (only used if you gave a short list: “Which app do you download first, Instagram or TikTok?”). (C) How and (D) When are Structural Errors.
19 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): You are looking at a small, specific group of buttons on the side of the phones. The options are physically limited and visible.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (C) Who and (D) Whom are Meaning Traps.
20 (D) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking for the “best smartphone in the world” removes all limits. You are asking them to choose out of all phones existing globally.
- Error Analysis: (A) Which is a Common Mistake (would only be correct if comparing a specific list, e.g., “Which is the best smartphone, the X-Phone or the Y-Phone?”). (B) How and (C) Where are Structural Errors.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
When you are reviewing products, writing social media posts, or comparing items, the rule for choosing between What and Which at the A1 level is simple. It depends entirely on the number of choices:
- Use WHAT for the Whole World (Unlimited Choices):
- When you ask a general question and the answer could be almost anything in the world, use What.
- Example: “What is the best phone in the world?” (Out of all phones).
- Example: “What games do you play?” (There are millions of games).
- Use WHICH for the Items in Your Hand (Limited Choices):
- When you are comparing 2 or 3 specific products, or when you give the reader a strict list of options to choose from, you MUST use Which.
- Example: “Which phone is faster, Phone A or Phone B?” (The choice is locked).
- Example: Look at these two screens. “Which one is brighter?”
- Fixed Tech Review Phrases (Never translate word-by-word):
- Asking for an opinion: Always use “What do you think” (Never How do you think).
- Asking for a definition: Always use “What does it mean” (Never How does it mean).
- Asking for specs/names: Always use “What is the battery size / What is the name” (Never How is the battery size).