What was it vs What was that

Quand utiliser chacun en anglais, avec le sens, le registre et des exemples.

What was it

Top 2000 (courant)

What was that

Top 2000 (courant)
 What was itWhat was that
Prononciation🇬🇧 //wɒt wəz ɪt//🇺🇸 //wɑt wəz ɪt//🇬🇧 //wɒt wəz ðæt//🇺🇸 //wɑt wəz ðæt//
SensUne question pour demander des infos sur un truc dit avant.A question asking for information about something mentioned earlier.A question asking for clarification about something that happened.
ExempleI heard a loud noise. What was it?Did you hear that? What was that?
RegistreNeutreNeutre
FréquenceTop 2000 (courant)Top 2000 (courant)
CollocationsWhat was it about, What was it like, What was it forwhat was that noise, what was that sound, what was that about
Antonymes-I understand, That is clear
Erreurs fréquentesOmitting context can lead to confusion., Confusing with 'What is it' which asks for current information., Using it improperly in formal contexts.Confused with 'what is that?' which asks about something present., Used in formal situations where clarity is important., Overused in conversations, when direct questions could suffice.
Notes d'usageUtilisé dans les conversations informelles pour s'enquérir d'un sujet précédent. Peut être flou s'il manque de contexte.Used in casual conversations to inquire about a previous topic. Can be unclear if not enough context is provided.Use when you need to clarify something you didn't hear or understand. Avoid in formal presentations.

Vois-le dans de vrais extraits

What was it
What was that

Questions fréquentes : What was it vs What was that

Quelle est la différence entre What was it et What was that ?

What was it: A question asking for information about something mentioned earlier. What was that: A question asking for clarification about something that happened.

Peux-tu montrer un exemple de chacun ?

What was it: I heard a loud noise. What was it? What was that: Did you hear that? What was that?

Puis-je utiliser What was it et What was that de façon interchangeable ?

Pas toujours. What was it et What was that sont proches et se recoupent parfois, mais elles diffèrent par le registre, la fréquence et l'usage, donc remplacer l'une par l'autre peut changer le sens ou le ton. Regarde les différences ci-dessus avant de substituer.

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