Editing Interrogative word (section)

==In English==
{{Main|English interrogative words}}
Interrogative words in English can serve as interrogative determiners, interrogative pronouns, or interrogative adverbs. Certain [[pronominal adverb]]s may also be used as interrogative words, such as ''whereby'' or ''wherefore''.

=== Interrogative determiner ===
The interrogative words ''which'', ''what'' and ''whose'' are [[Determiner#Interrogative determiners|interrogative determiners]] when specifying a [[noun]] or [[noun phrase|nominal phrase]]: The question ''<u>Which</u> farm is the county’s largest?'' specifies the noun ''farm'' as [[Definiteness|definite]], while ''<u>What</u> farm?'' is indefinite. In the question ''<u>Whose</u> gorgeous, pink painting is that?'', ''whose'' is the [[Determiner#Interrogative determiners|interrogative]], [[Personal pronoun|personal]], [[possessive determiner]] prompting a specification for the possessor of the noun phrase ''gorgeous pink painting''.

=== Interrogative pronoun ===
The interrogative words ''who'', ''whom'', ''whose'', ''what'' and ''which'' are interrogative pronouns when used in the place of a [[noun]] or [[noun phrase]]. In the question ''<u>Who</u> is the leader?'', the interrogative word ''who'' is a interrogative [[pronoun]] because it stands in the place of the noun or noun phrase the question prompts (e.g. ''the king'' or ''the woman with the crown''). Similarly, in the question ''<u>Which</u> leads to the city center?'' the interrogative word ''which'' is an interrogative pronoun because it stands in the place of a noun or noun phrase (e.g. ''the road to the north'' or ''the river to your east''). Note, ''which'' is an interrogative [[pronoun]], not an interrogative [[determiner]], because there is no noun or noun phrase present to serve as a [[determiner]] for. Consequently, in the question ''Which leads to the city center?'' the word ''which'' is an interrogative pronoun; when in the question ''Which road leads to the city center?'' the word ''which'' is an interrogative determiner for the noun ''road''.

=== Interrogative adverb ===
The interrogative words ''where, when, how, why, whether, whatsoever'', and the more archaic ''[[whither]]'' and ''[[whence]]'' are interrogative [[Adverb|adverbs]] when they modify a verb. In the question ''<u>How</u> did you announce the deal?'' the interrogative word ''how'' is an interrogative adverb because it modifies the verb ''did'' (past tense of ''to do''). In the question ''<u>Why</u> should I read that book?'' the interrogative word ''why'' is an interrogative adverb because it describes the verb ''should''.

Note, in direct questions, interrogative adverbs always describe [[Auxiliary verb|auxiliary verbs]] such as ''did'', ''do'', ''should'', ''will'', ''must'', or ''might''.

===Yes–no questions===
A yes–no question can begin with an interrogative subject-verb inversion involving an auxiliary verb (or negative contraction), sometimes even if it is not performing the auxiliary function:
* A finite inflection of [[wikt:be#Conjugation|be]] (e.g. Are you hungry?, Are you working from home today?)
* A finite inflection of have (e.g. Have you any soup? Hasn’t she eaten lunch?)
* A conjugation of [[wikt:do#Conjugation|do]] (e.g. Do you want fries?) - see {{section link|Do-support|In questions}}
* A conjugation of a [[wiktionary:Category:English modal verbs|modal verb]] (e.g. Can't you move any faster?)

English questions can also be formed without an interrogative word as the first word, by changing the intonation or punctuation of a statement. For example: "You're done eating?"

===Forms with ''-ever''===
Most English interrogative words can take the [[suffix]] ''-ever'', to form words such as ''whatever'' and ''wherever''. (Older forms of the suffix are ''-so'' and ''-soever'', as in ''whoso'' and ''whomsoever''.) These words have the following main meanings:
*As more emphatic interrogative words, often expressing disbelief or puzzlement in mainly [[rhetorical question]]s: ''Whoever could have done such a thing? Wherever has he gone?''
*To form [[free relative clause]]s, as in ''I'll do whatever you do'', ''Whoever challenges us shall be punished'', ''Go to wherever they go''. In this use, the nominal ''-ever'' words (''who(m)ever'', ''whatever'', ''whichever'') can be regarded as [[indefinite pronoun]]s or as [[English relative clauses|relative pronouns]].  
*To form [[adverbial clause]]s with the meaning "no matter where/who/etc.": ''Wherever they hide, I will find them.''

Some of these words have also developed independent meanings, such as ''however'' as an [[adverb]] meaning "nonetheless"; ''whatsoever'' as an emphatic adverb used with ''no'', ''none'', ''any'', ''nothing'', etc. (''I did nothing wrong whatsoever''); and ''[[whatever (slang)|whatever]]'' in its slang usage.