Ana,

The questions differ pragmatically.  "Whose wallet is this" presupposes that we all know it's a wallet but the speaker doesn't know the owner.  The typical response would be "It's mine" or "Mine."  "Whose is this" would elicit similar responses.  Specifying the wallet in the first variant is a way of foregrounding wallet perhaps so that the question gets more attention.  "Whose is this wallet" would also likely get the same sort of response, but it makes "wallet" new information.  A speaker might do this if it's not obvious that the object is a wallet.  

It's always possible to provide a variety of contextual rationales for variations like these, beyond the obvious ones I've suggested, but the point is that the differences are dependent on discourse context, that is, on what the speaker knows and assumes that the hearers know.

Herb

-----Original Message-----
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ana Cervantes
Sent: 2009-06-24 18:14
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: question

Dear all,

This is the first time I write, but I've been following your insightful
discussions and debates for a while. I need your help with the following
questions:

"Whose wallet is this?"

"Whose is this wallet?"

"Whose is this?" (wallet)


Are all three options right?

Most importantly; Why?

Thank you very much for your help

Ana M. Cervantes
Peru

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