# EN: what / which



## Kyara78

Just a little question of grammar. 

In the interrogative and passive form :

Which or What apple are cultivated ?

Taking into account the meaning I would say Which
Taking into account the grammar I would say What 

I don't find a grammar rule for this case. So I think it's What ...Could someone help me ?

Thanks

*Moderator note:* Multiple threads have been merged to create this one.


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## Gardefeu

Voici une réponse.


> *what  */ *which* - *before nouns*
> 
> Before nouns *what* and *which* can be used interchangeably to ask questions about people or things:
> 
> *What* / *Which* colour trousers would you like? Brown, green, blue, orange or maroon?
> *Which* / *What* writers have made the biggest impression on you?


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## karpov

De quelles fonctionnalités ai-je besoin ? (choix d'un logiciel)

What/which functions do I need ? what ? which ?


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## GEmatt

Both are used.

Personally I'd go for _Which functions do I need_, but I cannot honestly explain why, or if there is any real difference between the two.


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## Cdehaan

I would say both are used


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## the-quality-man-4

Les deux ça marche.Mais pour moi which is the appropriate here because you have a choice to do and when we have a choice we use which but les deux marche ici .Mais je te dit which is more appropriate for a choice.


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## karpov

effectivement aprés refléxion ta remarque est pertinente
What = quelles fonctionnalités  Which = Laquelle de ces fonctionnalités ? c'est çà l'idée ?


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## Dr. Baha'i

Oui, effectivement.


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## claraet

what is the difference between "what pen did you use ? and which pen did you use ?


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## quinoa

"What" refers to nothing in particular.
"Which" refers agroup which has been identified.
"which" suppose que l'on va "prélever", "choisir" un élément parmi un groupe déjà repéré, défini.
"what" ne présuppose rien.


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## claraet

is it correct to say : what pen did you use ?


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## quinoa

Both are correct.
Je suppose que "what pen ..." permet à l'énonciateur qui pose la question de chercher le stylo qui a bien pu servir (qu'a-t-il derrière la tête pour poser cette question?)
Avec "which pen...", l'énonciateur fait référence au choix qui a été fait par l'utilisateur car il avait à sa disposition une "panoplie" de stylos.


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## yael dans l'herbe

in "and then then there were none" by A. Christie the dialogue is
_he's a wrong 'un!
Amstrong said doubtfully:
in what way?_
i would have said 'in which way' . is "in what way" really correct, colloquial and communly used .

the original expression is may be "in what sort of way"   which became with the time
"in what way"


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## Thomas1

Hello,

If I remember correctly you say 'in what way'. Why? Here is a rule I was once taught:
which -- when the selection is limited, for instance, your friend told you that he had bought a car, you see a row of cars you will ask: Which one is yours?
what -- when the selection isn't limited, for instance, What car do you want to buy? might have been a question you could have asked your friend. 

Note: in many situations the distinctions I've just wrote about aren't respected.


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## jann

"In what way?" is perfectly natural here.  "In which way?" would only work if Armstrong and his friend had already discussed (in general) a number of different ways that someone can be "a wrong 'un."

It's not that "which" is more specific than "what."  It's that "which" implies selection from a finite number of possible answers/things.  Unless those possible answers have already been laid out, a question that implies selecting an answer is illogical and unnatural.  

The question "what," on the other hand, has no expectations about the the answer (it gives  Armstrong's friend total freedom to characterize what makes the person a  "wrong 'un").  And for this reason, it is the natural question to ask.  It is not in any way colloquial... and it would certainly be more common than using "which" -- unless, as I said, a number of different ways that someone could be a "wrong 'un" had already been mentioned.


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