What/which

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Chariot  #254300  Thu, 10 Aug 06 10:35 AM

What/Which part of Brazil are you from?

Which wh- word is the correct one in this sentence? Thanks a lot.

  
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Inchoateknowledge  #254310  Thu, 10 Aug 06 11:07 AM
Both, but I like which more.
  
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Beep! Beep! :)
MichalS  #254316  Thu, 10 Aug 06 11:13 AM
"which" generally suggests a limited choice of options. For example, you say, "My hand is beginning to hurt" and your friend asks you "which hand" (because you have only 2 of them).
  
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Chariot  #254649  Fri, 11 Aug 06 06:29 AM
My textbook says 'what part of Brazil are you from?' I thought "which' was a better choice.
  
MichalS  #254895  Fri, 11 Aug 06 08:38 PM
Brazil is a huge country. Although I don't know its administrative division I think that 'what' is a better choice. Again, 'which' implies a quite limited choice, like between 2, 3 things, or slightly more, perhaps.

  
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