If you are here trying to figure out when to use who’s and whose, this is the right article for you. We all know how complicated Grammar can be sometimes. But we got you.
People sometimes do get confused a lot with these two words that may sound alike but have different thoughts and functions in the sentence. It is essential to have an understanding and familiarity with who’s vs whose primarily for the writers, students, job applicants, etc. As a failure to do so might be an awful mistake.
Same as the other basic writing errors like its and it’s, more can be considered confuse with who’s vs whose a socially distinctive marker in your writing ability. For example, if your writing contains this mistake often, you may be accused of sloppy writing or—even worse—sloppy thinking.
But, no need to worry now. As 501 Words will show you the difference between who’s vs whose. It is incredibly easy, and once you knew what separates with these two words, you don’t have trouble anymore.
Who’s vs Whose
Who’s and whose are both come from the pronoun “who.” Here’s a more precise explanation.
Who’s is a contraction that means two words are shortened and combined. The formula is who + is, or who + has = who’s.
- Example: Who’s ready?
Whose is a possessive form of “who.” You use this word when you are asking or telling of some things with whom it belongs.
- Example: Whose bag is this?
How To Avoid The Who’S Vs Whose Error
The use of who’s vs whose is an error that many people make. It is important to know the differences between these two words and how to avoid this mistake.
Who’s is a contraction of the words who is or who has. It is used to indicate a possessive relationship. For example, Who’s got the book? or Who’s seen the movie?
Whose, on the other hand, is a possessive pronoun. It is used to show ownership or possession. For example, Whose book is this? or Whose car is that?
To avoid making the who’s vs whose error, it is important to keep in mind that who’s is a contraction of who is or who has and whose is a possessive pronoun.
When trying to decide which word to use, it is helpful to think about who or what is possessing something. If it is a person, use whose. If it is not a person, use who’s. For example, Whose book is this? or Who’s seen the movie?
Another way to avoid the who’s vs whose error is to use the complete phrase instead of the contraction. For example, instead of saying Who’s book is this, you could say Who is the owner of this book? or Who has this book?
It is also important to watch out for sentences that may sound similar but have different meanings. For example, Who’s book is this? and Whose book is this? have very different meanings. The first sentence is asking who has the book, while the second sentence is asking who owns the book.
Finally, another way to avoid the who’s vs whose mistake is to read the sentence out loud. This will help you to hear which word should be used.
By keeping these tips in mind, you should be able to avoid the who’s vs whose error. Knowing the differences between these two words and how to use them correctly will help to improve your writing skills.
When to use Who’s vs Whose
Let’s learn the difference between who’s vs whose. Let’s see when to use this in a sentence.
Who’s
Who’s used as a contraction of who is. It usually followed by a present participle, noun, adjective, or pronoun. Here are the examples.
- Who’s coming to the party tonight?
- Who’s watching TV?
- Who’s this?
- Do you know who’s going to speak?
- Who’s ready to go?
- Who’s in the kitchen?
- Who’s your doctor?
Frequently, who’s is used as a contraction of who has. Here are the examples.
- Who’s already eaten?
- Who’s been watching that show?
- Who’s been here before?
- Who’s been to New York?
Whose
Whose defines as a possessive of who. It also describes as belonging to or associating with which person. When using whose in a sentence, it always appears before a noun.
- Whose bag is this?
- Whose book is this?
- Do you know whose key this is?
- I know a woman whose kids study there.
- Whose side are you on?
Check out other related articles on 501 words. You can also learn the difference of ‘to vs too‘, ‘lie vs lay‘, and led vs lead.
FAQ’s
Who’s and whose are both come from who. Who’s is a contraction for who is or who has. While whose defines as a possessive form of who.
Who’s usually followed by a present participle, noun, adjective, or pronoun. While whose appears before a noun.
Who’s and whose are both come from who. Who’s is a contraction for who is or who has. Whose defines as a possessive form of who. While whom is an object pronoun as same as her, him, and us. Whom is used to ask which person will receive action.
Conclusion
Who’s vs whose? Well, it always depends on the context of your sentence. Whose is the possessive form of pronoun who and sometimes which. While Who’s is a contraction for either who is or who has.
Ask about proper Noun, singular Noun, possessive nouns, types Of Nouns, correct form, interrogative pronoun or anything from the article in the comment box.
I hope that it’s clearer now. In case you still have confusion, let me know by leaving a comment below.