What vs. Which – English Grammar Exercises for A1
Read the conversation snippets below. Imagine you are a new employee in an office, trying to use the equipment (like printers, computers, and phones) and asking your colleagues for help. Choose the best word to fill in the blank.
1 I need to print a document, but I see two printers here. ______ printer should I use?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) How
(D) Who
2 This office has so much new technology! ______ is the name of this big scanning machine?
(A) How
(B) Which
(C) Who
(D) What
3 Look at these three office phones on the desk. ______ one is broken?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Whose
(D) Where
4 I want to buy a new laptop for work. ______ kind of computer do you prefer?
(A) Which
(B) What
(C) How
(D) Who
5 I need to sign this paper. Here is a blue pen and a black pen. ______ pen do you need me to use?
(A) What
(B) When
(C) Which
(D) How
6 My computer is not turning on. ______ do you usually do when this happens?
(A) How
(B) Which
(C) What
(D) Why
7 There are two empty desks in this room. ______ desk is for the new employee?
(A) What
(B) Who
(C) Which
(D) Whose
8 I want to connect my phone to the network. ______ is the password for the office Wi-Fi?
(A) How
(B) Which
(C) What
(D) Who
9 I see two coffee machines in the break room. ______ machine makes espresso?
(A) What
(B) Where
(C) Which
(D) How
10 I have a meeting with the boss. ______ time does he usually come to the office?
(A) When
(B) What
(C) Which
(D) How
11 I don’t know how to use this copy machine. ______ does this big red button do?
(A) How
(B) Which
(C) Why
(D) What
12 I see two HDMI cables on the table. ______ cable connects to the projector?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Where
(D) Who
13 Our company uses a lot of different computer programs. ______ software do we use to send emails?
(A) Which
(B) How many
(C) Where
(D) What
14 We have a meeting in Room A and a meeting in Room B. ______ room are we going to?
(A) What
(B) Who
(C) Which
(D) Whose
15 We need to order more office supplies. ______ brand of office chairs does our company usually buy?
(A) Which
(B) What
(C) How
(D) Where
16 ______ drawer has the printer paper, the top one or the bottom one?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Where
(D) Whose
17 Please be careful with the cables. ______ happens if I accidentally turn off the main server?
(A) How
(B) Which
(C) What
(D) Why
18 Look at the two monitors on your desk. ______ monitor is the main screen?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Who
(D) Whom
19 You have been working here for a week now. ______ is your favorite thing about your new office?
(A) Which
(B) How
(C) Why
(D) What
20 We can use the stairs or the elevator to go to the second floor. ______ way is faster?
(A) What
(B) Who
(C) Which
(D) How
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): There are exactly two printers right in front of you (“two printers here”). The choice is visibly limited, so you must use “Which”.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake (only used for general, unlimited questions). (C) How and (D) Who are structural and meaning errors.
2 (D) What
- Why it is correct (Key): When asking for the name of a device or a thing, the fixed English structure is “What is the name…”.
- Error Analysis: (A) How is a classic Common Mistake (direct translation error from “How is the name”). (B) Which is a Structural Error. (C) Who is a Meaning Trap (machines are not people).
3 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): You are pointing at three specific phones on the desk (“these three office phones”). The number of choices is limited and visible, so the correct phrase is “Which one”.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (C) Whose is a Meaning Trap (asks “who owns it”, not “which object it is”).
4 (B) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking about the “kind of computer” you prefer is a completely open question, without any limited menu of options provided.
- Error Analysis: (A) Which is a Common Mistake. (C) How and (D) Who are completely incorrect grammatically in this structure.
5 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The choice is strictly locked to two specific pens: a blue pen or a black pen.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake (ignoring the limited context). (B) When and (D) How are Meaning Errors.
6 (C) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking about a general action (“what do you usually do”) is an open question with infinite possible answers.
- Error Analysis: (A) How is a word-for-word translation error (“How do you do” is a formal greeting, not a way to ask about an action). (B) Which is a Structural Error.
7 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The room only has exactly two empty desks. The choice is already limited by the environment.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (B) Who and (D) Whose are Meaning Traps.
8 (C) What
- Why it is correct (Key): To ask for a password, you are asking for general information out of millions of possibilities. The structure is always “What is the password”.
- Error Analysis: (A) How is a translation error. (B) Which is a Structural Error.
9 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): There are exactly two coffee machines. You are asking the other person to point out 1 of those 2 specific machines.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (B) Where is a Meaning Error.
10 (B) What
- Why it is correct (Key): To ask for a specific hour on the clock, English always uses the fixed phrase “What time”.
- Error Analysis: (A) When is a Meaning Trap (“When does he come” is correct, but “When time” is incorrect). (C) Which is a Structural Error.
11 (D) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking about the function of a button (“what does this button do”) is an open question.
- Error Analysis: (A) How is a translation error (“How does it work” is correct, but not “How does it do”). (B) Which is a Structural Error.
12 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): There are two HDMI cables right on the table, so you must use “Which” to identify one specific cable from that limited group.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake.
13 (D) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking about “software” in general at a company is an open question, without providing a limited list of 2 or 3 specific programs.
- Error Analysis: (A) Which is a Common Mistake. (B) How many is wrong because software is an uncountable noun.
14 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): There are only 2 choices available: Room A or Room B.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (B) Who and (D) Whose are Meaning Errors.
15 (B) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking about a “brand” is an open question because there are hundreds of different brands in the world.
- Error Analysis: (A) Which is a Common Mistake. (C) How is a Structural Error.
16 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The options are clearly provided in the sentence: the top one or the bottom one.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake.
17 (C) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking about general consequences (“what happens”) is a completely open-ended question.
- Error Analysis: (A) How is a word-for-word translation error. (B) Which is a Structural Error.
18 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): There are exactly two monitors on the desk. The choice is limited.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (C) Who is a Meaning Error.
19 (D) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking about your “favorite thing” is an open question; the answer could be almost anything.
- Error Analysis: (A) Which is a Common Mistake.
20 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The choice is restricted to exactly 2 options: the stairs or the elevator.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake caused by ignoring the 2 options provided in the previous sentence.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
When you are in the office and need to ask about equipment or machines, the core rule for choosing between What and Which at the A1 level is to look at the number of choices:
- Use WHAT for Open Questions (Unlimited Choices):
- When you ask a general question, give no options, and the answer could be anything, use What.
- Example: What software do you use? (There are hundreds of programs: Word, Excel, Photoshop…).
- Example: What is the password?
- Use WHICH for Specific Choices (Limited Choices):
- When you point to objects right in front of you, or provide a short list (usually 2 or 3 options), you MUST use Which.
- Example: Which printer should I use, the black one or the white one? (There are only 2 printers in the room to choose from).
- Example: Which one is broken? (Pointing at 3 phones on the desk).
- Fixed Office Phrases NEVER to translate word-by-word:
- Asking for meeting times: Always use “What time” (Never When time).
- Asking for equipment/people’s names: Always use “What is the name” (Never How is the name).
- Asking how something operates: Always use “What does it do” (Never How does it do).