Interrogative Determiner Placement Quiz

1. Which sentence uses the interrogative determiner correctly?

What is size your shoe?

What shoe size is yours?

Shoe what size is yours?

What is your shoe size?

The interrogative determiner 'What' must immediately precede the noun phrase it modifies, 'shoe size.' Option B uses the correct word order: Determiner + Noun Phrase.

Explanation

The interrogative determiner 'What' must immediately precede the noun phrase it modifies, 'shoe size.' Option B uses the correct word order: Determiner + Noun Phrase.

2. An interrogative determiner's role is to modify a noun, so it must be placed directly _______ that noun.

The syntactic rule for determiners (including interrogative determiners like which and whose) is that they precede the noun they specify.

Explanation

The syntactic rule for determiners (including interrogative determiners like which and whose) is that they precede the noun they specify.

Submit

3. The sentence 'Whose is that book?' correctly uses 'Whose' as a determiner.

True

False

This is false. 'Whose' is followed by a verb ('is'), meaning it is used as an interrogative pronoun, not a determiner (which must be followed by a noun).

Explanation

This is false. 'Whose' is followed by a verb ('is'), meaning it is used as an interrogative pronoun, not a determiner (which must be followed by a noun).

4. Which sentence is grammatically correct?

Which the path should we take?

Path which should we take?

Which path should we take?

Should we take which path?

The correct placement is Determiner ('Which') + Noun ('path'). Option C follows this correct syntax.

Explanation

The correct placement is Determiner ('Which') + Noun ('path'). Option C follows this correct syntax.

5. Which sentences place the interrogative determiner correctly? (Select all that apply)

Whose pencil did you borrow?

Which is movie your favorite?

What is the capital city?

Whose keys are these?

In A, 'Whose' is correctly placed before the noun 'pencil.' In D, 'Whose' is correctly placed before the noun 'keys.' C uses 'What' as a pronoun.

Explanation

In A, 'Whose' is correctly placed before the noun 'pencil.' In D, 'Whose' is correctly placed before the noun 'keys.' C uses 'What' as a pronoun.

Submit

6. In the sentence 'What kind of car do you drive?', the word 'kind' is the _______ that the determiner 'What' modifies.

The entire phrase is 'kind of car,' but the core noun modified by 'What' is 'kind.' The determiner must be placed immediately before it.

Explanation

The entire phrase is 'kind of car,' but the core noun modified by 'What' is 'kind.' The determiner must be placed immediately before it.

Submit

7. Which sentence has the correct word order for the interrogative determiner?

The color which is your favorite?

Which is the color your favorite?

Which color is your favorite?

Is which color your favorite?

Which' is correctly placed right before the noun it modifies, 'color.'

Explanation

Which' is correctly placed right before the noun it modifies, 'color.'

8. In the question 'What is your favorite food?', 'What' is correctly placed as a determiner.

True

False

This is false. 'What' is followed by the verb 'is,' meaning it is acting as an interrogative pronoun (the subject), not a determiner.

Explanation

This is false. 'What' is followed by the verb 'is,' meaning it is acting as an interrogative pronoun (the subject), not a determiner.

9. Which sentence demonstrates a common error in determiner placement?

Whose turn is it to go first?

Whose is the paper on the floor?

Which store sells this item?

What time is the meeting?

Whose' is followed by a verb ('is'), meaning it is used incorrectly as a determiner. It should be 'Whose paper is on the floor?' if used as a determiner.

Explanation

Whose' is followed by a verb ('is'), meaning it is used incorrectly as a determiner. It should be 'Whose paper is on the floor?' if used as a determiner.

10. In which positions can the interrogative determiner not be placed? (Select all that apply)

Directly before the subject noun.

At the end of the sentence.

Directly before a verb.

After the noun it modifies.

Interrogative determiners must be at the beginning of the question (not at the end) and must precede the noun, never a verb or coming after the noun.

Explanation

Interrogative determiners must be at the beginning of the question (not at the end) and must precede the noun, never a verb or coming after the noun.

Submit

11. To correct the sentence 'Is jacket which yours?', the determiner 'Which' must be moved to the _______ of the sentence.

Interrogative determiners always introduce the question and must be placed at the very start of the sentence before the noun they modify.

Explanation

Interrogative determiners always introduce the question and must be placed at the very start of the sentence before the noun they modify.

Submit

12. Which sentence is correctly structured?

Whose is the locker?

Whose locker is this?

Locker whose is this?

Is whose locker this?

Whose' must be placed before the noun it modifies ('locker'). Option B uses the correct structure: Determiner + Noun + Verb.

Explanation

Whose' must be placed before the noun it modifies ('locker'). Option B uses the correct structure: Determiner + Noun + Verb.

13. The sentence 'What movie did you watch?' is a grammatically correct question.

True

False

This is true. 'What' is correctly placed immediately before the noun 'movie' it modifies, functioning as an interrogative determiner.

Explanation

This is true. 'What' is correctly placed immediately before the noun 'movie' it modifies, functioning as an interrogative determiner.

14. If you want to use 'Which' as a determiner, it must be followed by:

A noun

A verb

An adverb

An adjective

An interrogative determiner's role is to modify a noun, so it must be immediately followed by the noun it specifies (e.g., Which item, Which person).

Explanation

An interrogative determiner's role is to modify a noun, so it must be immediately followed by the noun it specifies (e.g., Which item, Which person).

15. Which sentence follows the correct syntax for the interrogative determiner? (Select all that apply)

Whose shoes are muddy?

What is the kind of music you like?

Which kind of music do you like?

What answer is the correct one?

A correctly uses 'Whose' before the noun 'shoes.' C correctly uses 'Which' before the noun 'kind.' B and D use the wrong word order/wrong part of speech.

Explanation

A correctly uses 'Whose' before the noun 'shoes.' C correctly uses 'Which' before the noun 'kind.' B and D use the wrong word order/wrong part of speech.

Submit

16. The correct word order for a question starting with an interrogative determiner is: Determiner + _______ + Verb + Rest of Sentence.

The determiner and its noun must form a cohesive unit at the start of the question before the auxiliary verb or main verb begins.

Explanation

The determiner and its noun must form a cohesive unit at the start of the question before the auxiliary verb or main verb begins.

Submit

17. Which word order is correct?

Your address is what?

What is your address?

What address is your?

Is your what address?

What' is used here as a pronoun, standing in for the specific information. If used as a determiner, the phrase would be 'What address is yours?'

Explanation

What' is used here as a pronoun, standing in for the specific information. If used as a determiner, the phrase would be 'What address is yours?'

18. The correct position for the determiner is always at the beginning of the clause.

True

False

This is true. The interrogative determiner and the noun it modifies must start the question clause (e.g., Whose book is this?).

Explanation

This is true. The interrogative determiner and the noun it modifies must start the question clause (e.g., Whose book is this?).

19. Which of these is a grammatically correct question?

Whose is this umbrella?

This umbrella is whose?

Whose umbrella is this?

Umbrella is whose this?

Whose' is correctly placed as the interrogative determiner immediately before the noun 'umbrella.'

Explanation

Whose' is correctly placed as the interrogative determiner immediately before the noun 'umbrella.'

20. To fix the sentence 'Color what do you want?', you must: (Select all that apply)

Remove the word 'what.'

Move 'what' to the beginning.

Move 'color' to follow 'what.'

Change 'what' to 'which.'

The error is the separation of the determiner from its noun. You must move the noun ('color') so it immediately follows the determiner ('What'), creating the correct phrase: 'What color'.

Explanation

The error is the separation of the determiner from its noun. You must move the noun ('color') so it immediately follows the determiner ('What'), creating the correct phrase: 'What color'.

Sentence Structure: Analyzing the Placement of Interrogative Determiners Quiz