TOEIC® Interrogative Pronouns: who, whom, what, which, whose (Complete Guide + Common Traps)
Flow Exam team
Interrogative pronouns (who, what, which, whose, whom) are used to ask questions and request specific information.
They appear mainly in Parts 5 and 6, where you must choose the correct pronoun based on what you are looking for: a person, an object, a limited choice, or a possession.
- Who asks about the project manager?
- Who manages the project?
The classic pitfall: confusing who (subject) and whom (object), or using what instead of which when there is a restricted choice.
Which Pronoun For Which Information?
Each interrogative pronoun targets a different type of information.
Who
Who identifies a person in the subject position. You use it when this person performs the action.
- Who sent the quarterly report?
Whom
Whom identifies a person in the object position (the one receiving the action). In spoken English, whom is rare, but it is frequent in formal TOEIC® contexts.
- To whom should I address this complaint?
What
What asks for open-ended information about a thing, an action, or an idea. There is no limit to the possible answers.
- What did the manager announce during the meeting?
Which
Which implies a limited choice among several options that are already known or mentioned.
- Which department handles customer refunds?
Whose
Whose asks about ownership or belonging.
Whose responsibility is it to update the database?
| Pronoun | Function | TOEIC® Example |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Subject (person) | Who approved the budget? |
| Whom | Object (person) | Whom did they select? |
| What | Open Information (thing) | What caused the delay? |
| Which | Limited Choice | Which option costs less? |
| Whose | Possession | Whose laptop is this? |
Common Traps in Part 5
Among our candidates, three errors come up repeatedly.
Trap 1: Who vs Whom
The rule on paper: who = subject, whom = object. But under pressure, many choose who by habit.
- Incorrect : Who did you send the invoice to?
- Correct : Whom did you send the invoice to?
Tip: Mentally replace it with he/him. If "him" works, use whom.
Trap 2: What vs Which
What = open-ended, which = limited choice.
The TOEIC® loves to present a sentence where the context suggests a limited choice, but you miss the clue.
- Incorrect : What of the three proposals did the board approve
- Correct : Which of the three proposals did the board approve?
Key clues: "of the three," "between A and B," "from the list" → which.
Trap 3: Whose vs Who's
Whose = possession. Who's = who is (contraction). This is not an interrogative pronoun trap but a frequently recurring spelling confusion.
- Incorrect : Who's desk is next to the window?
- Correct : Whose desk is next to the window?
On Flow Exam, you can practice directly on the Pronouns topic in Part 5, with thousands of questions matching the format of the official TOEIC®. So if you struggle with this topic, you'll never make the same mistakes again.
Clues in the Sentence: How to Choose in 10 Seconds
In the TOEIC®, you don't have time to think for long. Here is a quick checklist.Step 1: Person or thing?
- Person → who, whom, whose
- Thing → what, which
Step 2: Subject or object?
- Subject (performs the action) → who
- Object (receives the action, after a preposition) → whom
Step 3: Limited or open choice?
- Limited choice (clues: "of the," "between," number) → which
- Open-ended → what
Step 4: Possession?
- Yes → whose
| Clue in the sentence | Pronoun to choose |
|---|---|
| After a preposition (to, for, with) | Whom |
| "Of the," "between," "from the list" | Which |
| "Responsibility," "idea," "fault" | Whose |
| Verb immediately after the pronoun | Who |
| No limit mentioned | What |
Practical Cases: Analysis of Typical TOEIC® Sentences
Even among candidates who already use a platform through their school, the confusion between what and which comes up very often in Part 5.
This is where many get caught out. The reason: these tools emphasize the rule, but rarely the reflex needed under pressure.
Example 1:
- _____ is responsible for scheduling the conference room?
(A) Who (B) Whom (C) Whose (D) Which
Answer: (A) Who.
Explanation: The pronoun is the subject of the verb "is responsible." Whose might be tempting, but it requires a noun following it (Whose responsibility...).
Example 2:
- To _____ should we forward the complaint?
(A) who (B) whom (C) which (D) what
Answer: (B) whom.
Explanation: After the preposition "to," we use whom (person, object).
Example 3:
- _____ of the two suppliers offers the best warranty?
(A) What (B) Who (C) Which (D) Whom
Answer: (C) Which.
Explanation: "Of the two" indicates a limited choice between two options.
Example 4:
- _____ laptop was left in the meeting room?
(A) Who (B) Whom (C) Whose (D) Which
Answer: (C) Whose.
Explanation: The pronoun asks about the ownership of the laptop.
Mistakes to Absolutely Avoid
| Frequent Error | Why it's wrong | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Who did you meet? (informal usage accepted but a TOEIC® trap) | In formal TOEIC English, whom is expected after a direct transitive verb | Whom did you meet? |
| What of these reports is urgent? | "Of these" limits the choice | Which of these reports is urgent? |
| Whose the manager? | Whose = possession, not contraction | Who's the manager? |
| Which did they discuss? (without context of choice) | No limited choice mentioned | What did they discuss? |
What we often see with our students: they know the difference between who and whom in theory, but they lose it as soon as a preposition is moved to the end of the sentence. Example: "Who are you working with?" sounds natural when speaking, but in the TOEIC®, the formal version "With whom are you working?" is expected in the answer choices.
Strategy for Part 5 and 6
In Part 5, questions about interrogative pronouns account for 2 to 4 questions per test. That's not many, but they are easy points if you master the reflexes.
- Reflex 1: Immediately identify the structure after the blank. Verb → who. Noun → whose or which.
- Reflex 2: Look for limited choice clues (numbers, "of," "between"). If present → which.
- Reflex 3: Preposition before the blank? → whom (if a person).
- Reflex 4: No particular clues and the question is about a thing? → what.
In Part 6, interrogative pronouns appear in sentences to be inserted. You must choose a question that is consistent with the context of the text (email, notice, policy). Read the sentence following the blank: it often contains the answer, which helps you identify the correct pronoun.
The candidates who progress fastest have one thing in common: they turn rules into automatic responses. No need to recite the definition of whom every time.
- You see "to ___", you think whom if it's a person.
- You see "of the two", you think which. It is this kind of reflex that saves time and points.
Ready to Practice?
Interrogative pronouns are a theoretically simple grammar point, but the TOEIC® traps are formidable if you haven't encountered them before.
The difference between a candidate who hesitates and one who passes in 5 seconds? Targeted practice using real question formats.
On Flow Exam, you can practice directly on the Pronouns topic in Part 5, with thousands of questions matching the format of the official TOEIC®. So if you struggle with this topic, you'll never make the same mistakes again.
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