what

Adverb

Adverb

×

A word that modifies a verb, adjective, another adverb, or a clause.

1. 1.In what way; to what extent.

   • It must be, what, twenty-five years since we first met.

2. 2.Used before a prepositional phrase to emphasise that something is taken into consideration as a cause or reason; usually used in combination with 'with' (see what with), and much less commonly with other prepositions.

   • What has brought you here so early?
   • You should've let Tom do what he wanted to do.
   • What did the experimental set-up look like? What was connected to what and how?

Det

Determiner

×

A word placed before a noun to show which person or thing is meant, or how much or how many.

1. 1.Which, especially which of an open-ended set of possibilities.

   • What colour are you going to use?
   • Did you buy the groceries?, With what money? We barely have any left.
   • Everyone always asks what my advice is, and my advice is don’t overintellectualize your art.

2. 2.Which.

   • I know what colour I am going to use.
   • I wonder what colour he is going to use.
   • That depends on what answer is received.

3. 3.Any .. that; all .. that; whatever.

   • What money I earn is soon spent.
   • He seems to have lost what sense he had.
   • He crammed what little food was left, into the breast of his grey jacket.

4. 4.Emphasises that something is noteworthy or remarkable in quality or degree, in either a good or bad way; may be used in combination with certain other determiners, especially 'a', less often 'some'.

   • I found out what a liar he is.
   • You know what nonsense she talks.
   • This shows what beauty there is in nature.

Pron

Pronoun

×

A word that replaces or refers to a noun or noun phrase.

1. 1.Which thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used in asking for the specification of an identity, quantity, quality, etc.

   • What d’you say that made him so angry?
   • My kids set the neighbor's cat on fire. , They did what?
   • Hammer in that nail , What with? I didn't bring my set of tools.

2. 2.That which; those that; the thing(s) that.

   • What is amazing is his boundless energy.
   • He knows what he wants and what to do to get it.
   • And, what's even worse, I have to work on Sunday too.

Overall

Very common· #28

By learning goal

Everyday conversation

Very common

General reading & writing

Common

Academic

Rare

Literature

Uncommon

Word family

• whatever