When do we use the word whose

Asked by: Dr. Micaela Bergstrom DVM

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(25 votes)

Whose is a possessive pronoun. Use it when you’re asking (or telling) to whom something belongs. For example: whose sandwich is this?

WHEN TO USE whose vs Who’s?

Whose is the possessive form of the pronoun who, while who’s is a contraction of the words who is or who has. However, many people still find whose and who’s particularly confusing because, in English, an apostrophe followed by an s usually indicates the possessive form of a word.

How do you use Whose in a sentence?

We use whose to introduce a relative clause indicating possession by people, animals and things:

Whose and who’s sentence examples?

Chicago, a city (who’s, whose) architecture is admired all over the world, has a population of over 2 million residents. (Who’s, Whose) yellow car is parked in front of your house? William Faulkner, (who’s, whose) books I read in high school, remains one of my favorite authors.

Can we use Whose for things?

Which and that, the relative pronouns for animals and objects do not have an equivalent so «whose» can be used here as well, such as in «the movie, whose name I can’t remember.» Whose is appropriate for inanimate objects in all cases except the interrogative case, where «whose» is in the beginning of a sentence.

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«Whose» and «who’s» are two completely different words that have the same pronunciation, whichever way you pronounce them. And that «identicalness» is a big reason why the two are confusing. So, what’s «whose» and «who’s», and how are they different from each other?

«Whose» is a possessive pronoun that denotes «belonging to». «Who’s» is essentially a contraction of «who, is» or «who, has». The two are rooted in «who», but they cannot be used interchangeably. To help you understand better, the «Knock knock. Who’s there?» joke cannot use «whose» instead of «who’s».

Read on to learn more about «whose» and «who’s», how they get used in sentences, how to differentiate between the two so you do not use them incorrectly in your texts, and lots more.

«Whose» – Definition

«Whose» is a possessive variant of «who», the pronoun. The word is a pronoun/determiner that denotes «ownership» or «belonging to». The term is used in questions enquiring «who has or owns something». «Whose», in simpler terms, denotes «possession».

Generally, a «possessive» noun or term has an apostrophe in it. «Whose», however, doesn’t have one. But do not let that make you assume «whose» is not the possessive variant of «who».

«Who’s» – Definition

If a word has an apostrophe (‘) followed by «s», it’s typically the term’s possessive variation, as mentioned above. With «who’s», however, it’s an entirely different story.

The word «who»s» is the contraction of the terms «who» and «has» or «who» and «is». In other words, the apostrophe is used in place of a missing letter(s). Since «who’s» categorically and unapologetically brings together two words, it cannot mean or represent anything else.

With «whose», there may be room for interpretation, however.

«Who» – Definition

Before learning how to use «whose» and «who’s» in texts, it’s important to get briefly introduced to «who», which is the base word for the terms discussed above.

«Who» is a pronoun – like «she», «he», «I», «they», or «we» – used to denote animate subjects. It’s used to ask questions concerning «which individual did what», «who is that person», etc.

«Whose», «whom», «who’s», etc., are the pronoun’s derived forms.

Using «Who» in Texts

«Who» can be used in both statements and question sentences. It helps to frame questions, such as:

• Who did that?
• Who did she meet that night?
• Who did they speak to?

An interrogative pronoun that’s similar to «who» is «which». It refers to either non-humans or humans.

Besides being «interrogative», «who» is also a relative pronoun, which helps you frame statements such as:

• These are the students who will be joining today for a two-month internship.
• This is Mary, who I believe you already know.
• The guy, who cuts my hair, won the lottery.

Now that you have a brief understanding of «who», read on to learn more about its «derivative» terms.

Using «Whose» in Texts

The term «whose» is used in texts as an adjective. It invariably clarifies or describes a pronoun or noun. A couple of sentences «whose» is typically used in:

• Whose pen is this?
• Until I find out whose pen is this, I shall keep it with me.

If considering using «whose» in your text, make sure it’s not used in place of two separate words.

Once that’s taken care of, ensure the word denotes «a sense of belonging». In other words, the term should be used to describe «who owns something».

For example, if you find a pair of abandoned dumbbells in the hostel, you should ask, «Whose dumbbells are these?».

Here are a few more sentences illustrating how «whose» is employed in texts:

• John, whose dad works at the local watch store, is planning to set up his own watch shop sometime next year.
• Whose socks are those?
• I do not care whose mistake it was. I just don’t want it to be repeated.

In all of the sentences above, «whose» is not substituting «who, is» or «who, was». It’s, therefore, used correctly.

Traditional Usage of «Whose»

«Whose» was traditionally used to describe people. For example:

• Jake, whose got the biggest biceps in the gym, will be training us from tomorrow.

Over a period, it became grammatically acceptable or correct to employ «whose» in texts to describe things that were places or inanimate objects. For example:

• Paris is a city whose fashion is always trendy and avant-garde.

The Connection Between «Whose» and «Whom»

An object pronoun, «whom» is a term used as a verb or a preposition’s object. It is quite similar to «her», «him», or «them» in that regard.

Though «whose» is etched in «who», it’s a lot more comparable in meaning and application to «whom». For example:

• Whose dog is that?
• To whom does that dog belong?

If you’re thinking about the possible link between «who» and «whom», that exists too. But it’s a bit more complicated topic and certainly not the scope of this article.

Using «Who’s» in Writings

«Who’s» is a contraction, as mentioned above. Here are pairs of sentences illustrating that point:

• Who is coming with me to the mall?
• Who’s coming with me to the mall?
• Who has got an idea that beats her suggestion?
• Who’s got an idea that beats her suggestion?

If you are not sure about using «who’s» in a sentence, just replace it with the words it contracts. In the above sentences, «who’s» replaces «who, is» or «who, has».

Why are Contractions Not Preferred in Business/Formal Writing?

A contraction is like an abbreviation, bringing two words together, like «don’t», «isn’t», and «who’s». It helps save time and get thoughts or the intended message out or across quicker.

Contractions, however, have a bad rap going for them in the literary world for various reasons, which include:

• They do not look pretty in texts.
• They come in the way of the reading experience.
• They could be challenging for people who speak English as their second language to comprehend the text.
• Contractions, thanks to the apostrophe, could be misinterpreted as a «possessive» word when not (like with «who’s»).

Usage of contractions in formal works – such as resumes, essays, scholarly works, publications, etc. – are looked down upon as they’re believed to weaken a sentence or give the writing a more «casual» vibe.

However, proponents of contractions believe the truncated words are handy and have their place in all forms of texts.

The Origin of Contractions

Contractions, such as «who’s», are commonly used in speeches or conversations. That has been the case for centuries – since the 16th century, to be specific.

The shortened words were introduced to texts around a century later, during the 17th century, primarily because printers back then placed limitations on the number of vowels to be used per page. Apostrophes, as a result, ended up replacing the vowels.

By the 18th century, contractions fell out of favor in formal texts. In a speech, however, contractions have been going strong, even in formal lectures or interactions.

When is It Okay to Use Contractions?

Determining whether to use or not use contractions in formal texts depends on the given format and its rules/expectations. Your preference for them also counts.

For scholarly writings, cover letters, etc., a more formal writing approach is usually mandated. The tone of personal essays or blog posts, however, can be a bit relaxed or loose.

In formal writing, «contractions» can help with readability, but writer discretion is advised. The following are scenarios in which «contractions» are acceptable in formal texts:

• When using individual quotes directly.
• When using idioms that contain contractions already (taking the contraction out could hurt the idiom’s essence or simplistic charm).
• When writing footnotes (where it’s okay to deviate from «formality»).
• When trying to showcase a personal writing style and voice.
• When discussing «contractions» themselves.

The following are circumstances in which it’s not advisable to use «contractions» in formal texts:

• When drafting professional reports, formal essays, and other pieces of scholarly writing.
• Whenever it’s possible to replace a contraction with the words that it replaced.

Professional compositions and scholarly articles, and even texts from classic to modern literature have their fair share of contractions. And contrary to what the sceptics may believe, the usage of contractions has not affected the «formal» tone or «professionalism» of the classic writing pieces.

Writers who support the use of contractions in texts posit the theory that condensed terms are used in the real world, and not including them in any form of writing could make the particular text come across as «forced» and «inauthentic». Texts without contractions may not feel as if the writer or author is directly talking to the reader.

It all boils down to the tone and voice you want to convey through your writing. If contraction help or you fancy them, go ahead.

But irrespective of how «natural» and «flowy» you want your texts to seem or read like, specific contractions can be a bit too casual for inclusion in formal texts, which include:

• Ain’t: Extremely informal and also not considered to be proper grammar.
• Could’ve/ should/ve/ would’ve: Makes for awkward writing.

The ideal approach is to sprinkle a few contractions here and there in your texts. Do not use too many, too often, for the text to come across as way too relaxed or not a serious piece of writing.

The Confusion Between «Who’s» and «Whose»

The fact that a lot of people get confused between «who’s» and «whose» is an understatement. If there ever was an award for the most confusing set of words in English, «who’s» and «whose» may take the cake. Even native speakers or well-versed writers find it hard to differentiate between the two terms at times.

«Whose» and «who’s» are homophones, or they sound the same, as in «hoos», which rhymes with «shoes». This, as a result, can make it difficult to ascertain which word to use of the two in texts. For example:

• Who’s shoes are these?
• Whose shoes are these?

One of the above sentences is grammatically correct. But to people less proficient in English, ascertaining which one’s fitting can be challenging.

As mentioned above, an apostrophe before «s» is usually placed in a word to denote «belonging to something». For example, «The car belongs to Jim» is or can be written as «Jim’s car». It can also be framed into the question, «Whose car is this?».

Not to mention, both «who’s» and «whose» are used in question sentences. For example:

• Whose house party is it?
• Who’s hosting the party?

Both are also used quite commonly in non-question constructs.

Also, «who’s» relatively close to «whose» – in its meaning and how it gets used in sentences.

For instance, here are a couple of sentences that are quite similar or do not change much in their meanings despite using «who’s» and «whose», respectively:

• Mr. Jacobs, who’s known for his oratory skills, will be conducting a workshop on campus next week.
• Mr. Jacobs, whose oratory skills are top-notch, will be conducting a workshop on campus next week.

And this closeness could be confusing since the contexts or the sentence structure for «who’s» and «whose» can be quite similar. For example:

• Tim, who’s in Miami for two weeks, will be missing the weekend party.
• Michael, whose known for his vagabond lifestyle, will not be making it to the party this time as well.

The sentences above are not similar in their contexts, but their structure or the use of parenthetical commas is quite identical. This could confuse some writers.

Remembering the Difference Between «Who’s» and «Whose»

Despite the similarities that make it difficult to differentiate «who’s» from «whose» or the other way around, being aware of some of the basics can help to delineate them and use them correctly in sentences.

The major and perhaps the only tenet to be familiar with is «who’s» is contracted and «whose» is not. Also, remember «who’s» is not «possessive», while «whose» is.

Since «who’s» is a merging of two terms, remembering that rule alone should suffice to use the contraction correctly in texts. Read out the sentence in your head or aloud if no one’s around. If «who is» can be used in the text, «who’s» is the right word. If not, use «whose» instead.

As mentioned above, «whose» is possessive, which means «whose» usually has a noun right next to it. If there’s a noun after «who’s» or «whose», use «whose». Use «who’s» if there’s no article or noun after the word.

Example Sentences with the Term «Whose»

The following is a list of sentences employing «whose»:

• Whose book is this?
• Whose cat spilled all the milk?
• Whose battalion is that?
• John Steinbeck, whose books I got introduced to during college, has profoundly impacted my career.
• Whose car alarm has gone off?
• Do you know whose takeout box is this?
• Whose idea was this movie?
• I know a lady whose kids take dance classes there.
• Whose house is she going to?
• Whose red car is parked right in front of my house?
• Whose pizza is this?
• Tony carried a torch, whose light stream glanced on the gravel road and wet steps.
• Whose rules apply here, yours or mine?
• A little girl whose name was Charlotte lived with her parents in the house a couple of years ago.
• I buy milk directly from the farmer whose cows roam free.

Example Sentences with «Who’s»

The following are sentences with «who’s» in them. To confirm, «who’s» is correctly used in the sentences, replace «who’s» with «who, is» or «who, has».

A tip: The majority of the «who’s» used below are replacing «who» and «is».

• Tom told me who’s visiting us tomorrow.
• Who’s excited to see the movie?
• Kenny, who’s traveling to Las Vegas next month, loves casinos.
• Tony feels safe when he is with Judith, who’s taken several self-defense classes.
• John compiled a list of who’s attending the class tomorrow.
• Anyone who’s experienced in graphic design and animation is welcome to lend me a helping hand with this project.
• Who’s hungry? I am going to make some pasta.
• Who’s scared of wolves?
• Does she know who’s speaking next?
• Who’s your family doctor?
• Who’s that?
• Who’s eaten their food already?
• Who’s been to this place before?
• Who’s watched all seasons of the show?

Conclusion

To conclude, both «whose» and «who’s» are variants of «who», the pronoun. The trouble people have with the two terms is their identical sounds when pronounced and the relationship between an apostrophe and a «possessive» variant of a word. When these two rules are juxtaposed, things become confusing.

«Whose» is a «possessive» form of «who», unlike «who’s». But because it doesn’t use punctuation, it confuses people who were taught in school that an apostrophe should mark a «possession». Not to mention, «who’s» uses an apostrophe but it’s not a «possessive variant of «who».

By the way, «who’s» and «whose» aren’t the only two related terms to spin heads. «It’s» and «its» is another pair of words that could cause similar confusion in people’s minds. But since «its» is not as difficult to comprehend as «whose» is, «it’s» and «its» are relatively easy to work with or incorporate correctly in texts.

Переведи-ка на английский язык: «Это дом, который построил Джек».
Каким словом ты переведешь «который»? Which? Или that? А может who?!

Запутаться в этих словах с непривычки – легко. Разобраться с ними – еще легче. 🙂 В помощь наша статья.

Who, which, that – это местоимения. Когда они соединяют две части сложного предложения, на русский язык все три слова переводятся словом «который».

– Here are some cells which have been affected. (Вот некоторые ячейки, которые были повреждены).

– This is a man who takes his responsibilities seriously. (Это человек, который серьезно относится к своим обязанностям).

– They’re the people that want to buy our house. (Это люди, которые хотят купить наш дом).

В этом и сложность для нас – мы можем не увидеть разницы. Итак, начнем с противопоставления who и which.

Правило Who-Which, или Смотри не перепутай!

⠀Who	⠀Which
Когда говорим о людях: I know someone who can help you. (Я знаю кое-кого, кто может вам помочь).⠀	Когда говорим о вещах: Where is the cellphone which was on the table? (Где телефон, который лежал на столе?)

Вот и вся разница. 🙂 Также which используется, когда придаточное относится не к какому-то конкретному слову, а ко всему предложению:

We’re starting to sell electric cars, which is great. (Мы начинаем продавать электромобили, что здорово).

Но это, разумеется, не конец статьи. Что насчет that?
В неформальной речи that может заменять как who, так и which. Но опять же все не так просто.

That и which: употребление

В одних предложениях ты можешь использовать оба местоимения:

– The movie that/which I saw last weekend was great. (Кино, которое я посмотрел на прошлых выходных, было классным)

– The table that/which I bought from ikea was cheap. (Стол, который я купил в Икее, был дешевым).

Сюда же относится и наш пример с Джеком:

– This is the house that Jack built (в оригинале that, но можно использовать which).

Теперь сравни:

– Harry Potter, which I finished last week, was an excellent book. (Гарри Поттер, которого я дочитал на прошлой неделе, – прекрасная книга).

– Toronto, which is heavily populated, is a multicultural city. (Торонто, который густо населен, является мультикультурным городом).

Обрати внимание: в этих примерах мы уже не можем использовать that и обособляем придаточное запятыми. В чем разница?

Первые 2 примера называются Defining relative clauses. В этих предложениях мы не могли «выкинуть» без потери смысла часть, присоединенную which/that:

The movie that/which i saw last weekend was great. (А какое кино? Извольте уточнить!)

The table which/that i bought from ikea was cheap. (А какой именно стол? Тоже хочу дешевый стол!)

Вторые предложения называются Non-defining relative clauses. Если мы выкинем придаточную часть с which, предложение все равно будет иметь смысл:

Toronto, which is heavily populated, is a multicultural city.

Harry Potter, which I finished last week, was an excellent book.

В таких предложениях нельзя использовать that и нужны запятые. Об этом же правиле ты можешь посмотреть крутое видео от engvid (заодно потренировать аудирование).

А подробнее о пунктуации тут: Запятые в английском, или Как не съесть бабушку на ужин.

Употребление that и who

В неформальной речи ты можешь использовать that вместо who, хотя экзаменаторы это не оценят. В качестве иллюстрации разговорной речи возьмем песенные примеры:

Aerosmith: «I’m the one that jaded you».

Katy Perry: «I don’t have to say you were the one that got away».

Но и здесь повторяется история с Non-defining relative clauses.

Сравни с примерами из песен эти предложения:

– Alice, who has worked in Brussels ever since leaving Edinburgh, will be starting a teaching course in the autumn. (Элис, которая работала в Брюсселе с тех пор, как покинула Эдинбург, начнет курс обучения осенью).

– Clare, who I work with, is doing the London marathon this year. (Клэр, с которой я работаю, организует Лондонский марафон в этом году).

Такое же правило: если мы можем выкинуть часть предложения – она несет лишь дополнительную информацию, без нее предложение не потеряет смысл – то мы не используем that и выделяем придаточное запятыми.

Who / whose, whom – правило

Whom – это объектный падеж для who. Переводится как наше «которого, которому, которым, о котором». То есть все, кроме именительного падежа – «который».

Whom используется, когда придаточное предложение относится НЕ к подлежащему (=кто выполняет действие):

– That’s the guy whom she married. (Это парень, за которого она вышла замуж)

Whom относится к слову guy (парень), но подлежащее в придаточном – she (она). Именно она вышла замуж – выполнила действие. Еще больше примеров в видео от engvid.

Whom – книжный вариант, в устной речи обычно заменяется на who или that, или просто опускается.

– He was talking to a man (whom, who, that) I have never seen before. (Он разговаривал с человеком, которого я никогда раньше не видел.)

Вот как реагируют на тех, кто пытается использовать whom 🙂

Whose – переводится, как наше «чей, чья, чье».

– She’s now playing a woman whose son was killed in the First World War. (Сейчас она играет женщину, чей сын был убит в Первой мировой войне).

Когда можно опустить?

Как мы сказали выше, whom можно опустить. То же самое относится к which, that и who. Когда это можно сделать? Объяснить будет трудновато, но я постараюсь.

Сравни:

⠀Можно опустить	⠀Нельзя опустить
Come and look at this photo which Carina sent me.⠀	He ordered coffee which was promptly brought.⠀

Видишь разницу? Если нет, то давай разбираться. Возьмем лишь придаточные предложения и рассмотрим их отдельно:

…which Carina sent me (которую Карина скинула мне).
…which was promptly brought (который был принесен сразу).

– В первом случае подлежащее (=действующее лицо) – Carina. Which – дополнение. В таком случае which можно опустить.

– Во втором случае подлежащее – само местоимение which (именно оно было принесено). Подлежащее слишком важно. Его опускать нельзя.

А когда подлежащим является who, его не только нельзя опускать, но и заменять на that:

This is the man who wants to see you. (Это человек, который хочет встретиться с тобой).

Да и в целом осторожнее заменяй who на that. Когда речь идет о людях, лучше использовать who. Тогда точно не ошибешься.

Еще один шаг к пятерке!

Оказалось, все не так сложно, правда? Предлагаем тебе разобраться и с другими темами грамматики с помощью онлайн-курса на Lingualeo и грамматических тренажеров (бесплатные тренировки, доступны после регистрации).

What Is the Difference Between Whose and Who’s?

Whose vs. who’s is one of the easiest mix-ups in English. Even though both words contain «who,» they have different meanings and are different parts of speech. This difference means that the two words can’t be used interchangeably.

In short, the difference can be summed up like this:

• Whose is a possessive pronoun indicating who owns something
• Who’s is a contraction that is short for «who is» or «who has.»

Keep reading to learn more about the difference between whose and who’s.

What Does Whose Mean?

Whose is used to indicate that something belongs to or is associated with a person or thing that has previously been mentioned.

• The dog, whose paw prints were all over the carpet, looked guilty.

Here, whose means that the dog is associated with the paw prints—he left them on the carpet.

Because whose doesn’t give us enough information on its own to work out who someone is talking about, it is used after you have already mentioned a specific thing or person, or in a question when you don’t know who you are talking about.

This gets easier with examples:

• The man, whose hair was bright orange, stood out from the crowd.

In this sentence, whose shows that the hair being talked about belongs to the man. Without referencing the man first, we wouldn’t know what subject whose was referring to.

But if we want to know who something belongs to, we can use whose in a question, like this:

• Whose paw prints are these?

What Kind of Word Is Whose?

Okay, now we’re going to get a bit more grammatical.

Whose is technically always a possessive pronoun. That means that it shows possession or ownership. For example, in the question «Whose phone is this?» you’re asking who owns the phone.

However, whose is also often used as a possessive adjective. What does this mean? It takes a few steps to explain.

A pronoun (like he, she, it) is a word that replaces a noun (a thing, person, or idea), especially a proper noun (a name).

Whose is a possessive pronoun, which means it shows possession or ownership. It replaces the person or thing to whom something belongs in a sentence.

Look at the following example.

• The girl whose eyes shine like diamonds

In this example, whose is showing that the eyes belong to the girl. But it’s also doing something else. At the same time, it is telling us which girl we are talking about by describing her.

Because of this dual function, this possessive pronoun is also functioning like a possessive adjective. It’s a stand-in for the girl, like a pronoun, but it is describing ownership of the eyes, like an adjective.

When whose comes before a noun in this way, it functions like a possessive adjective. When there is no following noun, it functions solely as a possessive pronoun.

An example of this would be asking:

• Whose is it?

Whose is replacing a specific noun, and we would need more context to know what object is being referenced.

Whew. That’s a lot of definitions.

In short, whose is a possessive pronoun that indicates ownership or belonging.

How Do You Use Whose in a Sentence?

Let’s look at some examples of how to use whose in your writing.

• Do you know whose birthday is is?
• I had no idea whose dog it was.
• Don’t get caught up in whose fault it was.
• «Whose are these?» Mom asked, holding up a pair of socks.
• Whose cell phone has signal here?
• Let me know whose proposal you choose.
• Whose idea was the best?
• Can you tell me whose project was better?

Notice that each of these sentences references a noun or pronoun in the possessive form. It’s talking about possession, which is why we are using whose.

What Does Who’s Mean?

Who’s, on the other hand, is a contraction. Who’s can mean both «who is» or «who has.»

A contraction is a way to combine and shorten words, usually two words or more. We speak in contractions often, so it’s important to use them in informal or conversational writing.

Who’s is a combination of «who» plus the verb «is» or «has.»

Who is also pronoun but it isn’t the possessive form like whose. Instead, it is a questioning or interrogative pronoun (which means it is used to ask a question).

The apostrophe in who’s replaces part of the verbs is or has in the phrases who is and who has.

To determine whether the contraction means who is or who has, the context of the rest of the sentence or conversation is crucial.

When who’s means who is, it’s dealing with the present tense. The word «who» is followed by either a verb, adverb, or adjective, like in the examples below.

• Who’s going? / Who is going?
• Who’s here? / Who is here?
• Who’s knowledgeable about computers? / Who is knowledgeable about computers?

When who’s means who has, it can have two functions: the third-person singular form of the present perfect tense or the third-person singular form of the present perfect progressive tense.

Present perfect is a tense that references something that occurred in the past at an unspecified time or began in the past. When this is the function of who’s, it precedes a verb.

• Who’s written a novel before? = Who has written a novel before?
• Who’s visited Spain? = Who has visited Spain?

Who’s as present perfect can go one step further and be part of present perfect progressive. Don’t worry too much about these terms—present perfect progressive just means something that started in the past and continues in the present. In this case, who’s will precede «been.»

For example, «Who’s been a writer for more than five years?» We know this sentence contains the contraction for «who has» because it’s asking about someone who started being a writer in the past and is now still a writer in the present.

How Do I Use Who’s in a Sentence?

Now let’s look at some examples of how to use who’s in a sentence. Since who’s can be a contraction for two words—»is» and «has»—we need examples of both.

We’ll divide these up between «who is» and «who has» to really help you understand how who’s is used.

Here are some examples where who’s is a contraction of «who is.»

• Who’s a good dog?
• Have you heard who’s speaking at the convention?
• Sally told me who’s going to the beach this summer.
• Who’s hungry for pizza?
• Do you know who’s behind all the murders?
• Who’s your professor for political science?
• We need to know who’s attending the wedding by June 4th.
• Everyone who’s anyone is at this party tonight.

If you read all of the examples above and replace who’s with «who is,» they’ll still make sense. But what about the other use of who’s?

If a sentence uses the present perfect or present perfect progressive tense, who’s is a contraction for «who has.» Here are a few examples.

• Who’s attended Comic-Con before?
• She wants to know who’s been at the company the longest.
• Who’s got a calculator?
• Ask who’s seen all the Marvel movies.
• Who’s been to this restaurant before?
• Who’s received their tax return?
• I wonder who’s gotten their college acceptance letters.
• Who’s been your biggest influence in your career?

While replacing who’s with «who is» doesn’t make sense, «who has» does. That’s how we know to use_ who’s_ in each of these sentences.

How Can I Remember the Difference Between Whose vs Who’s?

Those were some pretty technical definitions of whose and who’s. When you’re in the flow of writing, you might not think about the intricacies of grammar, like parts of speech and verb tenses.

So what’s an easier way to remember the difference between whose vs. who’s_ in the moment?

If you’re looking at your writing and can’t decide whether to use whose or who’s, read the sentence out loud and replace the word in question with «who is» and «who has.»

If it makes sense with one of those, you’ll use who’s. If it doesn’t make sense, use whose.

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Whose vs. Who’s Test

Are you ready to test your knowledge in the great battle between whose vs. who’s? Take a look at these example sentences and decide whether to use who’s or whose.

1. Whose/Who’s going to be at the party?
2. Whose/Who’s fingerprints are those?
3. We don’t know whose/who’s involved in the scandal.
4. Ask them whose/who’s been married the longest.
5. Everyone loves a person whose/who’s smile lights up a room.

ANSWERS:

• 1,3, and 4: «who’s»
• 2 and 5: «whose»

How did you do?

That’s everything you need to know about these tricky homophones. We hope you have a greater understanding of the difference between whose vs. who’s.

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How to Use ‘Who’s’

Much like it’s and its, who’s and whose are two words that are confused very frequently. Let’s start by breaking it down simply:

Who’s is a contraction of who is or who has. It can be found at the beginning of a question:

Who’s [=who is] at the door?

Who’s [=who has] got the remote?

as well as with who functioning as a relative pronoun

a teacher who’s [=who is] admired by everyone

a teacher who’s [=who has] inspired thousands of students.

How to Use ‘Whose’

Whose is a possessive adjective meaning “of or relating to whom or which.” Grammatically speaking, we use the term possessive to refer to relationships beyond simple ownership. As with other words of possession, it can also be used to express association, agency, or the receiving of an action:

Whose sunglasses are these?

Jake, whose sister is an archeologist, is considering studying the subject as well.

The firefighter, whose brave actions saved dozens, was presented with a medal.

They live in a port city whose economy relies heavily on fishing.

a novel whose publication paved the way for a burgeoning genre

I ran into Mark, whose house I painted last year.

a building whose demolition had been in the works for years

The most well-known demonstration of possessive whose might be in the title of the comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Whose can also function as a pronoun meaning “that which belongs to whom”:

I found a hat, but I didn’t know whose it was.

We all submitted great ideas, but whose was the best?

Tricks for Keeping Them Separate

The confusion between whose and who’s is very similar to the confusion that occurs between it’s and its, where it’s serves as a contraction of it is and its as the possessive form of it. That is mainly due to the fact that we are inclined to interpret automatically any word ending in apostrophe-s as possessive. Instead of saying, “I really like the paintings of Bob,” you’re more likely to say, “I really like Bob’s paintings.”

So when we need a possessive form for who, it’s natural for one to gravitate toward the possessive-s form, so “an artist whose essays I really like” becomes “an artist who’s essays I really like.” But that would not be correct.

One thing to remember is that possessive adjectives usually don’t contain an apostrophe: my, your, his, her, its, our, their. Remembering that whose falls into the same category might help to steer you away from the apostrophe.