Microsoft Word Theoretical Course of English Grammar

Nino Kirvalidze
92
Wh-words 
However, 
wh
-words do not form an independent word class. Instead, they are members of 
word classes already mentioned, especially, determiners, pronouns and adverbs. 
Wh
-words are 
represented by the following words:
who, whom, which, what, whose, where, when, why. 
They are used in four main ways: at the beginning of an interrogative clause, at the beginning 
of a relative (attributive) clause, at the beginning of complement (i.e. nominal) clauses, and at 
the beginning of adverbial clauses. Accordingly, wh-words can be identified in four ways: 

At the beginning of interrogative sentences (i.e. in questions), 
wh
-words are identified 
as interrogative pronouns and adverbs, and they can perform corresponding syntactic 
functions. Consider the following examples:
Who speaks English well?
(interrogative pronoun, subject) 
Whose uncle lives in London?
(interrogative pronoun, attribute) 
Where is he? (interrogative adverb, adv. modifier of place) 

At the beginning of a relative (i.e. attributive) clause, 
wh
-words are identified as rela-
tive pronouns and adverbs, and they can perform corresponding syntactic functions. 
For instance:
It’s a small place [where everyone knows everyone else]. 
(relative adverb, adv. mod. of place). 
I saw the man [whom I had known long before]
. (relative pronoun, object) 

At the beginning of complement (i.e. subject and object) clauses, 
wh
-words are identi-
fied as pronominal and adverbial complementizers, that can perform syntactic func-
tions: 
I don’t know [whose car it is].
(adverbial complementizer, attribute) 
I don’t know [what I would have done without her].
(pronominal complementizer, object)

At the beginning of adverbial clauses, 
wh
-words are subordinating conjunctions with-
out any syntactic functions:
I’m always glad [when he comes to see us].
(subordinating conjunction) 

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Theoretical Course of English Grammar 
Script by prof. 
Nino Kirvalidze
93
Particles 
Particles unite the functional words of specifying and limiting meaning. To this series, 
alongside of other specifying words (such as 
only
, 
also
, 
too
, etc.), should be referred negative