What will you have to drink?

There's gin, whisky and sherry: which will you have?

What does it cost to get to Scotland? — It depends on how you go. ~ Which (way) is the cheapest or Which is the cheapest (way)?

I've seen the play and the film. ~ What did you think of them? Which (of them) did you like best?

Examples of which and who used for people;

Who do you want to speak to? ~ I want to speak to Mr Smith. ~ We have two Smiths here. Which (a/them) do you want?

Which (pronoun) of people is not used alone as subject of a verb:

Which of you knows the formula? ('of you' is essential.)

Who knows the formula? would also be possible.

which (adjective) can be used of people when there is only a very slight idea of restriction:

Which poet (of all the poets) do you like best?

what would be possible here and would be more logical, but what (adjective) for people is normally avoided.

60 Interrogative adverbs: why, when, where, how

A why? means 'for what reason?':

Why was he late? ~ He missed the bus.

Bwhen? means 'at what time?':

When do you get up? ~ 7 a.m.

Cwhere? means 'in what place?':

Where do you live? ~ In London.

D how? means 'in what way?':

How did you come? ~ I came by plane.

How do you start the engine? ~ You press this button. how can also be used:

1 With adjectives (see 25 C):

How strong are you? How important is this letter? (For how + old/high etc., see 58 E.) 2 With much and many:

How much (money) do you want? How many (pictures) did you buy?

Note that How is she? is an enquiry about her health, but What is she like? is a request for a description. (See 58 C.)

Do not confuse How are you? with How do you do? When two people are introduced each says How do you do? This is a greeting rather than a question. (See 126.)

61 ever placed after who, what, where, why, when, how

Where ever have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere! Who ever told you I'd lend you the money? I've no money at all!

ever here is not necessary in the sentence but is added to emphasise the speaker's surprise/astonishment/anger/irritation/dismay. It has the same meaning as on earth/in the world.

Such sentences are always spoken emphatically and the intonation will convey the speaker's emotion:

Why ever did you wash it in boiling water? (dismay)

Who ever are you? (The other person is presumably an intruder.) Who ever left the door open? (What stupid person left it open?)

Where ever have you put my briefcase? (I can't find it anywhere.) What ever are you doing in my car? (astonishment/annoyance)

When ever did you leave home? (You must have left very early.)

How ever did he escape unhurt? (The car was a complete wreck.) Note also why ever not? and what ever for?:

You mustn't wear anything green. — Why ever not? (I can't understand the reason for this prohibition.)

Bring a knife to class tomorrow. ~ What ever for? (I can't understand what I need a knife for.)

(For whoever, whatever etc. written as one word, see 85.)

7Possessives, personal and reflexive pronouns: my, mine, I, myself etc.

one's is the possessive adjective of the pronoun one.

63 Agreement and use of possessive adjectives

APossessive adjectives in English refer to the possessor and not to the thing possessed. Everything that a man or boy possesses is his thing;

everything that a woman or girl possesses is her thing:

Tom's father is his father but Mary's father is her father.

Everything that an animal or thing possesses is its thing:

A tree drops its leaves in autumn. A happy dog wags its tail.

But if the sex of the animal is known, his/her would often be used. If there is more than one possessor, their is used:

The girls are with their brother. Trees drop their leaves in autumn.

Note that the possessive adjective remains the same whether the thing possessed is singular or plural:

64 Possessive pronouns replacing possessive adjectives + nouns

AThis is our room or This (room) is ours. This is their car. That car is theirs too. You've got my pen.

You're using mine. Where's your's?

BThe expression of mine etc. means 'one of my' etc.:

a friend of mine = one of my friends a sister of hers = one of her sisters

65 Personal pronouns

A Form

B Use of subject and object forms

1 you and it present no difficulty as they have the same form for subject and object:

Did you see the snake? - Yes, I saw it and it saw me. ~ Did if frighten you?

2First and third person forms (other than it)

(a)I, he, she. we, they can be subjects of a verb:

I see it. He knows you. They live here. or complements of the verb to be: It is I. Normally, however, we use the object forms here:

Who is it? ~ It's me.

Where's Tom? ~ That's him over there.

But if the pronoun is followed by a clause, we use the subject forms:

Blame Bill! It was he who chose this colour.

b) me. him, her, us, them can be direct objects of a verb:

66 The position of pronoun objects

A An indirect object comes before a direct object:

I made Ann/her a cake. I sent Bill the photos.

However, if the direct object is a personal pronoun it is more usual to place it directly after the

The position rule does not apply to one, some, any, none etc.:

He bought one for Ann or He bought Ann one.

He gave something to Jack or He gave Jack something.

BPronoun objects of phrasal verbs

With many phrasal verbs a noun object can be either in the middle or at the end:

Hand your papers in/Hand in your papers.

Hang your coat up/Hang up your coat. Take your shoes off/Take off your shoes.

A pronoun object, however, roust be placed in the middle: hand them in hang it up take them off

(See chapter 38.)

67 Uses of it

A it is normally used of a thing or an animal whose sex we don't know, and sometimes of a baby or small child:

Where's my map? I left it on the table.

Look at that bird. It always comes to my window.

Her new baby is tiny. It only weighs 2 kilos.

B it can be used of people in sentences such as:

ANN (on phone): Who is that/Who is it?

BILL: It's me.