Which One Do You Want?
Explore questions with “what” and “which,” from open questions to choices between things.
Preview
Questions with solutions-
1. Choose the correct answer.
You meet someone for the first time. What do they want to know?
What is your name?
- Your name.
- A name you like.
Show solution
- Your name.
“What” can ask for new information, such as a person's name.
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2. Choose the correct answer.
What drinks can you have here?
We only have tea and coffee. Which do you want?
- Any drink.
- Tea or coffee.
Show solution
- Tea or coffee.
The speaker names two drinks. “Which” asks about a choice between them.
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3. Choose the correct answer.
No foods are listed. What can the person name?
What is your favorite food?
- Any food they like best.
- Only a food from a list.
Does the question give a group of foods?
Show solution
- Any food they like best.
This question with “what” leaves the answer open. The person can name their favorite food.
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4. Fill in the blank.
___ of these three hats is yours?
- What
- Which
Look at the words “of these three hats.”
Show solution
Which of these three hats is yours?
Use “which of” to ask about something in a known group.
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5. Choose the correct answer.
What does “Which one do you want?” mean?
Here is a big bag and a small bag. Which one do you want?
- Do you want both bags?
- Which bag do you want?
The speaker is talking about bags.
Show solution
- Which bag do you want?
You can say “which one” instead of “which bag” when it is already clear that you are talking about bags.
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6. Choose the correct answer.
No pets are shown or listed. What is this question about?
What kind of pet do you want?
- A kind of pet, like a cat or a dog.
- One pet from a group in front of you.
Think about the words “kind of.”
Show solution
- A kind of pet, like a cat or a dog.
“What kind of” asks about pets like cats or dogs, not one pet in a group.
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7. Choose the correct answer.
Which two colors can the shopper choose?
These shirts come in red, blue, and green only. Which two colors do you want?
- Blue and yellow.
- Red and blue.
Both colors must be in the list.
Show solution
- Red and blue.
“Which two” asks for two choices from the colors given.
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8. Choose the correct answer.
What does the short question mean?
A: I like one of these pictures.
B: Which one?- Which picture do you like?
- Do you like all these pictures?
The first person likes one picture.
Show solution
- Which picture do you like?
“Which one?” can be a complete short question when both people know the group.
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9. Choose the correct answer.
The answer is about food. What question is the person answering?
A sandwich, please.
- Which drink do you want: milk or water?
- What do you want?
A sandwich is not a drink.
Show solution
- What do you want?
“What do you want?” does not limit the answer to a group, such as drinks.
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10. Choose the correct answer.
The speaker needs to find the right bus. What should the speaker ask?
I need the bus to the park. There are two buses here.
- Which of these buses goes to the park?
- What places can I visit by bus?
The place is already known. The bus is not.
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- Which of these buses goes to the park?
The two buses make a clear group, so the speaker uses “which.”
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11. Choose the correct answer.
What is the last question about?
A: What do you want to buy?
B: A shirt.
A: We have a blue shirt and a white shirt. Which one do you want?- Anything in the store.
- The blue shirt or the white shirt.
Two shirts are named before the last question.
Show solution
- The blue shirt or the white shirt.
First, “what” asks about a thing to buy. Then, “which” asks about the two shirts.
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12. Choose the correct answer.
Sam has no menu and asks an open question about dinner. Mia asks about three meals on a menu.
- Sam: What do you want for dinner? Mia: Which of these meals do you want?
- Sam: Which of these meals do you want? Mia: What do you want for dinner?
Who has a clear group of meals?
Show solution
- Sam: What do you want for dinner? Mia: Which of these meals do you want?
“What” leaves the answer to Sam's question open. “Which of these” points to the meals on Mia's menu.