what

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'what' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to ask a question or indicate that you are asking for more information. For example: What did you mean by that?.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

What is going on here?

The New York Times

What could possibly go wrong?

The New York Times - Arts

What a waste.

The New York Times

But what are they?

The New York Times

"How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork.

The New York Times

What explains this?

The New York Times

"That's what we need.

The New York Times - Sports

But what about others?

The Economist

What is it?

The New York Times

What was the point?

The New York Times - Magazine

What does he stand for?

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "what" to introduce questions, express surprise, or refer to something unspecified. Ensure the context clarifies the intended meaning.

Common error

Avoid using "what" directly within indirect questions without proper subordination. Instead of "I don't know what do", use "I don't know what to do."

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "what" is to act as an interrogative pronoun, relative pronoun, determiner, or interjection. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's versatile in forming questions, introducing clauses, or expressing surprise. Its role varies depending on sentence structure.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

15%

Science

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Reference

0.1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

"What" is a versatile word serving as an interrogative pronoun, relative pronoun, determiner, and interjection. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability across various contexts. Its frequent use in news, formal business, and scientific sources underscores its widespread applicability. While predominantly neutral in register, its function can shift to express surprise or seek clarification. Common errors involve incorrect usage in indirect questions. To enhance writing, ensure clarity and precision when using "what" to avoid ambiguity. Semantically related alternatives include "which thing" and "tell me". Remember to avoid misusing it in indirect questions and ensure clarity in its application.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

what's that

More specific inquiry, emphasizing the object or information being sought and used for cases where direct objects need clarifying.

which thing

Specifies the need to identify a particular item or entity, similar to asking "what" but with a slightly more formal tone.

which one

Used to inquire about a specific choice from a set of options, closely related to asking "what" in a selection context.

tell me

Requests information directly, replacing "what" when seeking an explanation or details.

can you repeat that

Used to ask for a clarification or repetition of something not clearly understood, functioning as an alternative to "what" in situations where information is unclear.

pardon

A polite way to ask someone to repeat something, similar to using "what" when you didn't hear or understand.

excuse me

Another polite way to ask someone to repeat or clarify something, akin to using "what" in a questioning manner.

how so

Inquires about the reason or manner of something, offering a more specific alternative to the general inquiry of "what".

by what means

Asks about the method or instrument used, providing a formal alternative to "what" when seeking to understand how something was done.

that's surprising

Expresses surprise or disbelief, acting as an interjection similar to using "what" in response to unexpected information.

FAQs

How can I use "what" in a sentence?

"What" can be used as an interrogative pronoun (e.g., "What is your name?"), a relative pronoun (e.g., "I know "what you did""), or an interjection (e.g., "What! That's incredible!").

What are some alternatives to using "what" in questions?

Depending on the context, you can use "which", "how", "why", or "tell me" instead of "what". For example, instead of "What happened?", you could ask "How did it happen?".

Is it correct to say "what for" at the end of a sentence?

While "what for" can be used informally at the end of a sentence to ask about the reason for something, it's generally more appropriate to use "why" or rephrase the sentence for clarity. For example, instead of "I need this, what for?", say "Why do you need this?".

When should I use "that" instead of "what"?

"That" is typically used to introduce restrictive clauses that are essential to the meaning of the sentence, while "what" is used when referring to something unspecified or the thing that. For example, "The book that I read was interesting" uses "that" to specify which book, while "I know what you mean" uses "what" to refer to the thing that you mean.