What vs. Which – English Grammar Exercises for A1
Read the conversation snippets below. Imagine you are shopping for clothes with a friend. You are asking for their general opinions on fashion and asking them to help you choose between specific items you are holding. Choose the best word to fill in the blank.
1 I want to buy a new t-shirt. ______ color do you like the most?
(A) How
(B) What
(C) Which
(D) Who
2 I am holding a red shirt and a blue shirt. ______ shirt should I buy?
(A) What
(B) Who
(C) Where
(D) Which
3 This shopping mall is huge! ______ is the name of your favorite clothing store here?
(A) How
(B) Which
(C) What
(D) Who
4 Look at the display window. There is a long dress and a short dress. ______ one do you prefer?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Whose
(D) How
5 I want to buy a gift for my sister, but I don’t know her body type. ______ size does she usually wear?
(A) Which
(B) How
(C) What
(D) When
6 We have the black shoes and the brown shoes in your size. ______ shoes look better on me?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Who
(D) Why
7 I love trying on new winter clothes. ______ do you think about this heavy jacket?
(A) How
(B) Which
(C) Why
(D) What
8 There are hundreds of clothing brands in the world. ______ brand is your absolute favorite?
(A) Which
(B) What
(C) Where
(D) How many
9 Look at these three hats on the shelf. ______ hat matches my summer outfit?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Whose
(D) Where
10 I need new clothes for the office. ______ kind of clothes do you usually wear to work?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) How
(D) Who
11 I want to pay for these jeans. ______ is the price of this item?
(A) How
(B) Which
(C) What
(D) How much
12 There are two empty changing rooms over there. ______ room do you want to use?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Who
(D) Where
13 I don’t understand the washing label on this sweater. ______ does “Dry Clean Only” mean?
(A) How
(B) Which
(C) What
(D) Why
14 I have a silk tie and a cotton tie. ______ tie goes best with this grey suit?
(A) What
(B) Who
(C) Whose
(D) Which
15 ______ of these two winter coats is warmer?
(A) What
(B) Who
(C) Which
(D) Which of
16 We need to hurry. ______ time does the clothing store close today?
(A) When
(B) What
(C) Which
(D) How
17 I want to buy a scarf, but there are so many patterns! ______ pattern is the most popular this year?
(A) Which
(B) How
(C) What
(D) Why
18 I like both the red sweater and the green sweater. ______ do you want to buy for your brother?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Who
(D) Whom
19 Look at the two men in the poster. ______ model is wearing the new summer collection?
(A) What
(B) Who
(C) Which
(D) Whose
20 ______ outfit should I wear to the job interview tomorrow, the black suit or the navy dress?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) How
(D) Where
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking about “color” generally is an open question because there are infinite colors in the world. We use “What”.
- Error Analysis: (C) Which is a Common Mistake (only used when giving a limited list, like “Which color do you like, red or blue?”). (A) How is a Structural Error. (D) Who is a Meaning Trap (colors are not people).
2 (D) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): You are physically holding two specific items (a red shirt and a blue shirt). Because the choice is strictly limited and visible, you must use “Which”.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (B) Who and (C) Where are Meaning Traps.
3 (C) What
- Why it is correct (Key): When asking for the name of a store, person, or 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. (D) Who is a Meaning Trap.
4 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The choice is limited to the two dresses in the display window. “Which one” is the standard phrase for picking from a small, visible group.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (C) Whose is a Meaning Trap (asks “who owns it”). (D) How is a Structural Error.
5 (C) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking about clothing sizes without providing a list of options (like S, M, or L) makes it a general, open-ended question.
- Error Analysis: (A) Which is a Common Mistake. (B) How and (D) When are Structural/Meaning Errors.
6 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The speaker gives exactly two options: the black shoes and the brown shoes.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake (you would only use “What” if you asked “What shoes should I buy?” without giving any specific options). (C) Who and (D) Why are Structural Errors.
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 classic Common Mistake for A1 learners who directly translate “How do you think”. (B) Which and (C) Why are Structural Errors.
8 (B) What
- Why it is correct (Key): The context states there are “hundreds of clothing brands,” representing a massive, practically unlimited pool of choices.
- Error Analysis: (A) Which is a Common Mistake. (C) Where and (D) How many are Structural/Meaning Errors here.
9 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): You are pointing at a small, specific group of items on the shelf (three hats).
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (C) Whose is a Meaning Trap. (D) Where is a Structural Error.
10 (A) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking about the “kind of clothes” someone wears is a general, open question with endless possibilities.
- Error Analysis: (B) Which is a Common Mistake. (C) How and (D) Who are structurally incorrect in this sentence.
11 (C) What
- Why it is correct (Key): When asking for a specific piece of information like a price, the structure is “What is the price”.
- Error Analysis: (D) How much is a very strong Common Mistake (you can ask “How much is this?”, but you cannot say “How much is the price”). (A) How and (B) Which are Structural Errors.
12 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): There are exactly two empty changing rooms available. The choice is physically limited.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (C) Who and (D) Where are Meaning Traps.
13 (C) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking for the definition or meaning of a label is an open question. The correct structure is “What does it mean?”.
- Error Analysis: (A) How is a Common Mistake (“How does it mean” is incorrect English). (B) Which is a Structural Error.
14 (D) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The choice is strictly limited to the two ties you have: a silk tie or a cotton tie.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (B) Who and (C) Whose are Meaning Traps.
15 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): You are choosing between two specific coats. The word “of” is already in the sentence, so “Which” is correct.
- Error Analysis: (D) Which of is a Structural Error (if you chose this, 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 (B) What
- Why it is correct (Key): When asking for a specific hour on the clock, the fixed English phrase is always “What time”.
- Error Analysis: (A) When is a Meaning Trap (“When does it close” is correct, but “When time” is incorrect). (C) Which and (D) How are Structural Errors.
17 (C) What
- Why it is correct (Key): The speaker mentions “there are so many patterns,” making this a general question about an unlimited category.
- Error Analysis: (A) Which is a Common Mistake. (B) How and (D) Why are Structural Errors.
18 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): Even without saying “which sweater”, “Which” acts as a pronoun asking the listener to choose between the two previously mentioned items (the red one or the green one).
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (C) Who and (D) Whom are Meaning Traps.
19 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): Even though you are asking about people (models), you are giving a strict choice between two specific men in the poster. Therefore, you must use “Which model”.
- Error Analysis: (B) Who is a Meaning Trap (you can say “Who is wearing it?”, but you cannot combine “Who” directly with a noun: “Who model”). (A) What is a Common Mistake.
20 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The speaker gives exactly two specific clothing options at the end of the sentence: the black suit or the navy dress.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake caused by not reading the end of the sentence where the choices are limited. (C) How and (D) Where are grammatically incorrect here.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
When you are shopping and asking for advice, your brain needs to switch between What and Which based entirely on the number of choices you are looking at:
- Use WHAT for Open Categories (Unlimited Choices):
- When you are walking into a store and asking a general question, use What.
- Example: “What color do you like?” (There are infinite colors).
- Example: “What brand is this?” (There are thousands of brands).
- Use WHICH for Physical/Specific Choices (Limited Choices):
- When you are holding two shirts in your hands, or pointing at a rack of three hats, you MUST use Which.
- Example: “Which shirt should I buy, the red one or the blue one?”
- Example: Look at these shoes. “Which one is your size?”
- Fixed Shopping Phrases (Never translate word-by-word):
- Asking about price: Always use “What is the price” or “How much is it”. (Never How much is the price).
- Asking for an opinion: Always use “What do you think” (Never How do you think).
- Asking for store hours: Always use “What time” (Never When time).