What vs. Which – English Grammar Exercises for A1
Read the conversation snippets below. Imagine you are sitting at a restaurant with a friend, holding the menu, and trying to decide what to order for dinner. Choose the best word to fill in the blank.
1 Looking at this menu, ______ starter do you want to order?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Who
(D) How
2 I don’t know this word. ______ is the name of the head chef?
(A) Which
(B) How
(C) What
(D) Who
3 There are two soups today: tomato or chicken. ______ soup is hotter?
(A) Which
(B) What
(C) Where
(D) How
4 I am so hungry! ______ do you usually eat for dinner on a Friday?
(A) How
(B) Which
(C) Why
(D) What
5 We can share a pizza or a pasta. ______ one do you prefer?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Whose
(D) The which
6 ______ do you think about ordering a big seafood platter for us?
(A) How
(B) Which
(C) What
(D) Why
7 Look at the drinks menu. ______ juice should we order, apple or orange?
(A) What
(B) How
(C) Which
(D) Who
8 I can’t read Italian. ______ does “Quattro Formaggi” mean?
(A) How
(B) What
(C) Which
(D) Why
9 The waiter brought red wine and white wine. ______ bottle do you want to open?
(A) Which
(B) What
(C) Whose
(D) Who
10 I love sweet things. ______ is your absolute favorite dessert in the world?
(A) Which
(B) Where
(C) How
(D) What
11 I have two menus here. ______ menu has the vegetarian options?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Who
(D) How
12 There are five pizzas on this page. ______ pizza looks the most delicious to you?
(A) What
(B) Who
(C) Which
(D) How much
13 We are eating very late. ______ time does the restaurant kitchen close?
(A) When
(B) Which
(C) How
(D) What
14 I want a healthy salad. ______ salad on this list has no cheese?
(A) Which
(B) What
(C) How
(D) Who
15 ______ of these three side dishes comes free with the steak?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Who
(D) Which of
16 I forgot my reading glasses. ______ are the ingredients in the Chef’s Special?
(A) Which
(B) How
(C) What
(D) Who
17 The waiter recommended the grilled fish or the roast lamb. ______ dish will you choose?
(A) What
(B) Which
(C) Who
(D) Whom
18 I want to order the steak. ______ is the difference between the small size and the large size?
(A) How
(B) Which
(C) What
(D) Why
19 ______ flavor of ice cream do they have on the dessert menu today, vanilla or chocolate?
(A) Which
(B) What
(C) How
(D) Where
20 We have to choose a table first. ______ table is better, the one by the window or the one near the door?
(A) What
(B) Who
(C) Which
(D) Where
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): A menu is a printed list. Even if there are 20 starters, the choice is physically limited to what is on the paper. Therefore, we use “Which”.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake (used for open, unlimited choices). (C) Who and (D) How are Structural/Meaning Errors.
2 (C) What
- Why it is correct (Key): When asking for the name of a person or a thing, the fixed English structure is always “What is the name…”.
- Error Analysis: (B) How is a classic Common Mistake (direct translation error from “How is the name”). (A) Which is a Structural Error. (D) Who is a Meaning Trap (you can ask “Who is the chef?”, but not “Who is the name”).
3 (A) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The options are strictly limited to two specific soups (tomato or chicken). When choices are restricted, you must use “Which”.
- Error Analysis: (B) What is a Common Mistake. (C) Where and (D) How are Meaning Errors.
4 (D) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking about what someone “usually eats” is a general, open-ended question with infinite possible answers.
- Error Analysis: (B) Which is a Common Mistake. (A) How and (C) Why do not fit the grammatical structure of the sentence.
5 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The speaker provides exactly two options: pizza or pasta. “Which one” is the standard phrase for making a choice from a specific group.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (C) Whose is a Meaning Trap. (D) The which is a Structural Error.
6 (C) 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 Common Mistake for A1 learners who directly translate “How do you think”. (B) Which and (D) Why are Structural Errors here.
7 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): You are looking at a drinks menu and limiting the choice to two specific options: apple or orange.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (B) How and (D) Who are structurally incorrect.
8 (B) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking for the definition or meaning of a word on the menu 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). (C) Which is a Structural Error.
9 (A) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): There are exactly two bottles of wine on the table (red and white). The choice is visibly limited.
- Error Analysis: (B) What is a Common Mistake. (C) Whose and (D) Who are Meaning Traps.
10 (D) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking for the “absolute favorite dessert in the world” removes all limits. Because the options are infinite, we use “What”.
- Error Analysis: (A) Which is a Common Mistake. (B) Where and (C) How are Structural Errors.
11 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): You are physically holding two specific menus. You want the listener to identify one from that small, visible group.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (C) Who and (D) How are Meaning Errors.
12 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): “This page” acts as a boundary. The choice is limited to the five pizzas printed on that specific page.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake (many learners think 5 is a big number so they use “What”, but because they are listed on the page, it must be “Which”). (B) Who and (D) How much are Structural Errors.
13 (D) What
- Why it is correct (Key): To ask for a specific hour on the clock, the correct English phrase is always “What time”.
- Error Analysis: (A) When is a Meaning Trap (“When does the kitchen close” is correct, but “When time” is incorrect). (B) Which and (C) How are Structural Errors.
14 (A) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): “On this list” tells us that the choices are limited and pre-defined by the menu.
- Error Analysis: (B) What is a Common Mistake. (C) How and (D) Who are Structural Errors.
15 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The choice is limited to “these three side dishes”. The word “of” is already in the sentence, making “Which” the perfect fit (“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. (C) Who is a Meaning Trap.
16 (C) What
- Why it is correct (Key): Asking for the ingredients of a dish is asking for general information out of thousands of possible ingredients.
- Error Analysis: (A) Which is a Common Mistake. (B) How and (D) Who are Structural Errors.
17 (B) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The choice is restricted to exactly two recommendations: the grilled fish or the roast lamb.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (C) Who and (D) Whom are Meaning Traps.
18 (C) What
- Why it is correct (Key): When asking for an explanation or a difference, it is an open-ended question. The standard structure is “What is the difference”.
- Error Analysis: (A) How is a Common Mistake. (B) Which is a Structural Error. (D) Why is a Meaning Trap.
19 (A) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): Even though “flavor” could be a broad category, the end of the sentence clearly limits the options to just two: vanilla or chocolate.
- Error Analysis: (B) What is a Common Mistake caused by not reading to the end of the sentence. (C) How and (D) Where are Meaning Errors.
20 (C) Which
- Why it is correct (Key): The options are locked to two specific physical locations: the table by the window or the table near the door.
- Error Analysis: (A) What is a Common Mistake. (B) Who and (D) Where are Meaning Traps.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
When you are sitting in a restaurant and looking at a menu, you are experiencing the most perfect real-world example of the What vs. Which rule:
- The “Menu” Rule (Use WHICH):
- A menu is a piece of paper with a limited, listed number of choices. Even if there are 100 dishes on the menu, the options are locked to that paper.
- Rule: When choosing from a menu, a catalog, or items placed on a table in front of you, ALWAYS use Which.
- Example: “Which pizza do you want?” (Meaning: Which of the pizzas on this page).
- The “Whole World” Rule (Use WHAT):
- If you put the menu down and ask a general question about all the food in the world, the choices are unlimited.
- Rule: When asking a general question with no visible list or limits, use What.
- Example: “What is your favorite food?” (Meaning: Out of all the food on Earth).
- Fixed Restaurant Phrases (Never translate word-by-word):
- Asking for a definition: Always use “What does it mean” (Never How does it mean).
- Asking for an opinion: Always use “What do you think” (Never How do you think).
- Asking about opening/closing hours: Always use “What time” (Never When time).