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What is Who?
Grade Level:
Pre-School
Literacy, NLP, AI, Law, Social Science
Definition
What is it?
"Who" is a question word we use to ask about people. It helps us find out the identity of a person or people involved in an action or situation. We use "who" when we want to know *which person* did something, is doing something, or is related to something.
Simple Example
Quick Example
Imagine your cricket bat is missing. You might ask, "Who took my cricket bat?" Here, "who" is asking about the person who has your bat. You want to know their name or identity.
Worked Example
Step-by-Step
Let's say your friend, Rohan, tells you, "Someone finished all the ladoos!" You want to know *which person* ate them.
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Step 1: Rohan says, "Someone finished all the ladoos!"
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Step 2: Your goal is to identify the person.
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Step 3: You use the question word "who" to ask about the person.
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Step 4: You ask, "Who finished all the ladoos?"
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Step 5: Rohan might reply, "Oh, it was my little brother, Amit!"
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Answer: By asking "Who?", you found out Amit was the person who finished the ladoos.
Why It Matters
Understanding "who" is key for clear communication and asking good questions, which is useful in every subject! It's important in Law for identifying suspects, in Social Science for studying groups of people, and even in AI for training systems to understand human language and identify entities. Journalists, lawyers, and even doctors use 'who' all the time to gather information.
Common Mistakes
MISTAKE: Using "what" instead of "who" for people (e.g., "What is your father?") | CORRECTION: Use "who" for people (e.g., "Who is your father?"). "What" is for things or general information.
MISTAKE: Using "who" to ask about an object or animal (e.g., "Who is that dog?") | CORRECTION: Use "what" for objects and animals (e.g., "What is that dog's name?") or "which" if choosing from a group.
MISTAKE: Confusing "who" with "whom" in simple questions (e.g., "Whom is knocking?") | CORRECTION: For simple questions about the subject of a sentence, always use "who" (e.g., "Who is knocking?"). "Whom" is used in more formal writing when the person is the object of the verb or preposition.
Practice Questions
Try It Yourself
QUESTION: Fill in the blank: _____ made this delicious biryani? | ANSWER: Who
QUESTION: Your friend says, "I saw a famous cricketer today!" What question would you ask using "who" to find out which cricketer? | ANSWER: Who did you see?
QUESTION: Your teacher is asking about the student who submitted their project first. Formulate a question using 'who' to help the teacher find out. | ANSWER: Who submitted their project first?
MCQ
Quick Quiz
Which sentence correctly uses the word "who"?
What is your favourite actor?
Who is your favourite actor?
Who is that book on the table?
What ate my lunch?
The Correct Answer Is:
B
Option B correctly uses "who" to ask about a person (an actor). Options A and D use "what" incorrectly for a person or an unknown entity, and Option C uses "who" incorrectly for an object (book).
Real World Connection
In the Real World
When you use apps like Zomato or Swiggy, and your food delivery is late, you might contact customer support and ask, "Who is my delivery rider?" or "Who should I contact about my order?" Similarly, in a news report, a journalist always asks "who" was involved in an event to give complete information.
Key Vocabulary
Key Terms
QUESTION WORD: A word used to ask questions, like who, what, where, when, why, how. | IDENTITY: Who a person is; their name or unique characteristics. | PERSON: A human being. | SUBJECT: The person or thing performing the action in a sentence. | OBJECT: The person or thing receiving the action in a sentence.
What's Next
What to Learn Next
Great job understanding "who"! Next, you should learn about "What is What?". This will help you understand how to ask questions about things and ideas, building on your ability to ask about people.
