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Whose vs who’s
How do you know when to use whose or who’s when writing?
Whose is the the possessive form of the pronoun who, while who’s is a contraction of the words who is or who has.
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. (For example, a car belonging to a man is “the man’s car.”) The word who’s is different.
If you can substitute the words who is, or who has, into your sentence use who’s. If either substitution works: who’s is your word.
● Who’s = A contraction of ‘who is’ or ‘who has’.
Example when correctly used
● “Who’s been cleaning my dorm room?” It can also be understood as “who has” been cleaning my dorm room?”
● Who’s that actor who always plays himself in films?
● Anyone who’s had experience in graphic design can help me with my project.
Whose
The word whose is possessive form of who or which and it is often used as an interrogative adjective, which is a word that describes or clarifies a noun or a pronoun.
Whose is a possessive pronoun. Use it when you’re asking (or telling) whom something belongs to. When used in a sentence, it usually (but not always) appears before a noun. For example:
Whose turn is it to move?
Whose appears before the noun turn.
Whose pen is this?
Whose appears before the noun pen.
Whose is a pronoun used in questions to ask who owns something or has something. In other words, whose is about possession.
Example when use correctly:
● Whose birthday is it today?
● Whose car is that?
● Whose pizza is this?
● Whose bag is this?
● I found this takeout box in the fridge at work. Do you know whose it is?
We use whose in indirect questions e.g., –
She isn’t sure whose car that is.
Who’s and Whose are homophones. Homophones are words that have the same pronunciation but different spellings and different meanings. Please review dfoww Basic Rules of Grammar – Homonyms, Homophones, and Homographs for more information.
Who
Who is a subject pronoun: e.g.,- he, she, I or they.
Use it to ask a question about which person did something or is someone.
Who put the garbage out?
Who said that?
Who is that?
Whom” is an Object Pronoun
“Whom” is an object pronoun like “him,” “her” and “us.” We use “whom” to ask which person receives an action e.g.,-
Whom are you going to invite?
Whom did he blame for the accident?
If you have any questions about today’s online workshop, please feel free to email us at:
dfoww@comcast.net