Yesterday I was going through my son's books and at one place it was written
I have a long neck, I have spots on my body — what am I?
I thought it should have been
I have a long neck, I have spots on my body — who am I?
Can somebody please clarify which one is correct?
If who is used, the scope of the answer gets reduces to a specific person in particular. Otherwise it has wider scope. So what will be the proper answer.
The question presupposes a context in which animals are anthropomorphised. Whether one will use who or what depends on how far that anthropomorphising is supposed to go. If one takes it to go all the way, and puts oneself in a fictional world in which animals think and speak like human beings and so ask such questions about themselves, one may want to use who. One the other hand, if the anthropomorphising is no more than a stylistic device for posing questions that test children’s knowledge about animals, then what is appropriate. The authors of the book in question probably intended the latter, i.e. they wanted to pose the question ‘What species of animals is characterised by a long neck and spots?’ in manner that they hoped would be lively.
(This is intended to answer the specific question posed by the OP. The other answers on this page seem to be directed at the much more general question posed in the heading.)
I think there are actually a few reasons who is not the better choice:
Who could work in your example, but I think what is the better word choice.
If the question is asking for a specific individual, usually someone or something that can be named, then "who" is appropriate. It often implies a human specific individual, but named animals could also suffice.
If the question is asking for a more general answer, what is more appropriate.
Example: Who ate the pie? Megan did. Spot the dog did. That elephant over there did it!
Example: What ate the pie? A person. A dog. Probably some elephant.
In English, the pronoun who is normally reserved for people.
Who is your boss?
Who do you think you are?
Who am I?
Can I condemn this man to slavery?
Pretend I do not feel his agony
This innocent who bears my face
Who goes to judgement in my place
…
Who am I?
Who am I?
I am Jean Valjean!
In the children's guessing game, "What am I?", the answer could be the name of an animal, food, country, building or any inanimate object.
What am I?
I am multi-coloured.
I appear after a storm.
People always point at me.
Everyone takes my picture.
Legend says there is gold at the bottom of me.
