一、后接名詞時(shí)的區(qū)別
當(dāng)用作定語(yǔ)修飾其后接名詞時(shí),只用which和what,不能用who。which和what的區(qū)別是:前者用于選擇范圍較小或較明確的場(chǎng)合,后者用于選擇范圍較大或不明確的場(chǎng)合。如:
Which color do you like, black or white? 黑色和白色,你喜歡哪種?
Which is bigger, the sun or the earth? 太陽(yáng)和地球哪個(gè)大?
What color is your car? 你的汽車(chē)是什么顏色的?
但是,若指人,即使選擇的范圍不明確,也可用which。如:
Which [What] writers do you like? 你喜歡哪些作家?
二、其后不接名詞時(shí)的區(qū)別
當(dāng)其后不接名詞時(shí),三者均可用,which和what的用法區(qū)別依然是:前者用于選擇范圍較小或較明確的場(chǎng)合,后者用于選擇范圍較大或不明確的場(chǎng)合。如:
Which is in the box, the red one or the black one? 哪一個(gè)在盒子里,是紅色的那個(gè)還是黑色的那一個(gè)?
What is in the box? 盒子里裝的是什么東西?
至于who,它一般只用來(lái)指人,不管選擇范圍大還是小、明確還是不明確均可用。如:
Who won –– Tom or Mike? 誰(shuí)贏了,是湯姆還是邁克?
Who is your favorite poet? 你最喜歡的詩(shī)人是誰(shuí)?
注:當(dāng)選擇范圍比較明確且用作賓語(yǔ)時(shí),who也可以用which或which one代之。如:
Who [Which / Which one] do you like better, your father or your mother? 你更喜歡誰(shuí),父親還是母親?
三、與else以及of短語(yǔ)搭配時(shí)的區(qū)別
1. 正由于what和who的選擇范圍可以很大或不明確,所以其后可以跟 else,但一般不跟表示特定范圍的of短語(yǔ)。如:
What else have you bought? 你還買(mǎi)了些什么?
Who else was at the party? 聚會(huì)上還有誰(shuí)?
在你的老師之中,你最喜歡哪一位?
正:Which of your teachers do you like best?
誤:Who [What] of your teachers do you like best?
我們當(dāng)中誰(shuí)去洗衣服?
正:Which of us is going to do the washing?
誤:Who of us is going to do the washing?
這些詞典當(dāng)中哪一本是你的?
正:Which of these dictionaries is yours?
誤:What of these dictionaries is yours?
2. 而which 的選擇范圍相對(duì)比較小或明確,所以其后一般不接else,但卻常與表特定范圍的of短語(yǔ)連用:
Which of the three girls is the oldest? 這三個(gè)女孩中哪個(gè)年紀(jì)最大?
Which of the boys is the strongest? 這些男孩當(dāng)中,哪一個(gè)力氣最大?
你還要點(diǎn)別的什么嗎?
正:What else would you like?
誤:Which else would you like?
四、口語(yǔ)中的用法區(qū)別
比較以下三組對(duì)話,注意體會(huì)它們的區(qū)別:
A:Who is he? 他是誰(shuí)?
B:He is Mary’s husband. 他是瑪麗的丈夫。
注:Who is he? 的意思是要了解他的一些情況。
A:What is he? 他是干什么的?
B:He is an English teacher. 他是英語(yǔ)教師。
注:What is he? 的意思是詢問(wèn)他的職業(yè)。
A:Which is he? 哪位是他?
B:The one by the window. 窗戶邊的那位。
注:Which is he? 的意思是要在幾個(gè)人中辨別要找的人。