What versus Where

Hi, Tony—"What" is the word to use: "What is the meeting venue?"

Hello David,

The word to use is the venue of the meeting? For example: The venue of the meeting will be at my home located at 123 Pitt St LA

Tony, "meeting venue" is a shorter as well as more idiomatic form of saying "venue of the meeting." As the what-question shows, "venue" is a noun, so you don't need to use an adverbial of place to define it. You can say that the meeting venue will be your home located at 123 Pitt St LA. Alternatively, you can say that the meeting will be held at your home located at 123 Pitt St LA.

Thanks Gustavo, so when forming a question to get the answer above. Which of the below sentence should be used.

1. What will be venue of the meeting? or

2. Where will be the venue of the meeting

Should I use "what" or "where"?

You should use "what," as David told you. What you need to understand is that:

1. What will be the venue of the meeting?

is equivalent to what David suggested as more idiomatic:

1a. What will be the meeting venue?

the venue of the meeting = the meeting venue

Thanks for your support, Gustavo. I think the reason I dislike using "Where" instead of "What" here is that a venue, being itself a location, is not located anywhere. The venue is the location, and we answer with a noun phrase.

It is true that I prefer "meeting venue" to "venue of the meeting," but both are OK and equivalent in meaning. I also prefer using the simple present: "What is the meeting venue / venue of the meeting?" Meeting venues are scheduled.

Tony, if you must use "What will be the venue of the meeting?" instead of "What is the meeting venue?," please be aware that, normally, only one verb moves to the front in question formation: "What will the venue of the meeting be?"

• What will it be?
• Where will it be?
• What will be it?
• Where will be it?

@David, Moderator posted:

I think the reason I dislike using "Where" instead of "What" here is that a venue, being itself a location, is not located anywhere. The venue is the location, and we answer with a noun phrase.

A similar noun is, I think, "address": What is your address? / My address is 123 Pitt St LA.

@David, Moderator posted:

Tony, if you must use "What will be the venue of the meeting?" instead of "What is the meeting venue?," please be aware that, normally, only one verb moves to the front in question formation: "What will the venue of the meeting be?"

• What will it be?
• Where will it be?
• What will be it?
• Where will be it?

Sorry about that. I guess what led me to think "will be" could remain together was the possibility of "what" being the subject, as in:

The LA Hotel will be the venue of the meeting.