In my dialect, I can't say "Whose is this wallet?" (or "To whom belongs this
wallet?") although I probably could say, "This wallet is whose?" and even
"This wallet belongs to whom?"

Dick Veit

On Wed, Jun 24, 2009 at 9:28 PM, Brett Reynolds <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> On 24-Jun-09, at 6:13 PM, Ana M. Cervantes wrote:
>
>  "Whose wallet is this?"
>>
>> "Whose is this wallet?"
>>
>> "Whose is this?" (wallet)
>>
>>
>> Are all three options right?
>>
>
> Yes, they are all correct.
>
>  Most importantly; Why?
>>
>
> In the first sentence, the noun phrase (NP) 'whose wallet' functions as the
> complement of the verb. In that NP, 'whose' is a dependent possessive
> pronoun functioning as a determiner and 'wallet' is a noun functioning as
> the head. The NP, in which the determinative 'this' is functioning as a
> fused head (i.e., 'this wallet'), functions as the subject. The subject is
> in the final position because the complement, being the target of the
> question has been fronted and subject verb inversion applies. The typical
> answer would be "it's his wallet."
>
> In the second sentence, the NP 'whose' functions as the complement. 'Whose'
> is an independent possessive pronoun functioning as the head of the NP. The
> NP 'this wallet' is the subject. The determinative 'this' is functioning as
> the determiner of the NP and the noun 'wallet' is its head. Again, the
> subject is in the final position because the complement, being the target of
> the question has been fronted and subject verb inversion applies.
>
> In the third sentence, as in the second, the NP 'whose' functions as the
> complement. Again, 'whose' is an independent possessive pronoun functioning
> as the head of the NP. As in the first sentence, the determinative 'this' is
> functioning as a fused head of the NP which functions as the subject.
>
> Best,
> Brett
>
> -----------------------
> Brett Reynolds
> English Language Centre
> Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
> Toronto, Ontario, Canada
> [log in to unmask]
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface
> at:
>    http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>

To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"

Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/