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The difference between“Who“y“Whose“
“Who’s“y“whose“they are easy to confuse because they sound identical (that is, they are perfect homonyms). However, their meanings are very different.
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Who’s.“Who“is shorthand for who is or who has.
- Who’s going to the party? ✔️
(Here,“who’s“expands to who is.) - Who’s taken my hat? ✔️
(Here,“who’s“expands to who has.)
Whose.“Whose“tells us about the property. For example:
- I know a man whose dog can say“sausages.“
(“Whose“tells us that the man owns the dog.) - Whose hat is this?
(Here,“whose“asks a question about ownership.)
More about“Who’s“and“Whose“
Who’s
“Who“is a contraction of“Who“o“who has“. It has no other uses.
Example sentences with“who’s“:
- Who’s coming to fix the bed? ✔️
(“who is“) - Who’s eaten the last muffin? ✔️
(“who has“) - I met the inspector who’s delivering tomorrow’s briefing. ✔️
(“who is“)
who’s =“who is“or“who has“
If you cannot replace the“Who“in your prayer with“Who“o“who has“, then it’s wrong!
“Whose“
“Whose“is the possessive form of“who“. Means“belonging to whom“.“Whose“it usually sits before a noun.
- Conscience is a mother-in-law whose visit never ends. ✔️
(“Whose“is before the noun“visit.““Whose“in this example is a relative pronoun.) - Whose bike was expensive? ✔️
(“Whose“is before the noun“bike.““Whose“in this example is an interrogative determiner.) - Carl knows the girl whose phone was stolen. ✔️
(“Whose“is before the noun“phone.““Whose“in this example is a relative pronoun.)
Even More about“Whose“
A lot is going on with“whose“.
In addition to being a relative pronoun,“whose“it is a determiner. You will see it listed with possessive determiners and with interrogative determiners. Here is a table with“whose“is used in each of these grammatical functions.
Examples as a Relative Pronoun
- I met the man whose son won the Judo competition.
- Jack found a coin whose date was 5 BC. How did they know it was BC?
(“Whose“can be used with inanimate things too, not just people.)
Examples as a Possessive and an Interrogative Determiner
- Whose coat is this?
- I want to know whose coat this is.
NB:“Whose“it is unique among determiners because it is two kinds of determiners at the same time.