Differences between “who’s” and “whose”
Who’s | Whose |
---|---|
It is a contraction | It is a possessive pronoun. |
Used to ask questions or make statements about someone’s identity or actions. | Indicates possession or ownership. |
Used in indirect questions or embedded clauses. | Used to refer to possession. |
Followed by a verb or part of a subject-verb construction. | Followed by a noun. |
Used to inquire about someone’s identity or actions. | Used to inquire about possession or ownership. |
The apostrophe in “who’s” indicates the omission of letters. | “whose” does not contain an apostrophe. |
Used in spoken language and informal writing. | Used in both formal and informal contexts. |
Refer to people, animals, or things. | Used primarily for people and animals. |
Used as a subject or part of a subject-verb construction. | Used as a possessive pronoun. |
More commonly used in interrogative sentences. | Used in both interrogative and declarative sentences. |
Used when asking about a person’s identity or a specific action | Used to ask about the owner or possessor of something. |
Contraction of two words (who is/who has). | Standalone word functioning as a possessive pronoun. |
Used as a subject or object in a sentence | Modifies a noun or pronoun |
How to Use who’s and whose
The English language can be complex, especially when it comes to similar-sounding words that have different meanings. One such pair is “who’s” and “whose.” While they may appear similar, they have distinct definitions and usages. “Who’s” is a contraction of “who is” or “who has,” while “whose” is a possessive pronoun indicating ownership or possession.