Whose vs Who’s
Whose and who’s are two English words that often confuse learners because they sound the same. However, they have completely different uses, and not knowing how to use them properly can lead to embarrassment. Both words are used to replace the pronouns who and whom. Who is part of the pronoun family that includes I, we, he, she, it, and they. This provides a clue about which of the two words, whose or who’s, should be used in a sentence. Let’s examine these two words more closely.
Key Takeaways
- Whose is an interrogative pronoun that indicates the person being discussed in a sentence and shows possession.
- Who’s is a contraction of who is or who has.
- Whose is a single word, while who’s is a contraction of two words: who and is or has.
Whose
Whose is a word used to indicate the person being discussed in a sentence. When asking, “Whose pen is this?” the aim is to find out who owns the pen. Whose shows the possession of a person and is the possessive form of who. As a result, whose becomes an interrogative pronoun when asking about possession or belonging.
Who’s
Who’s is a shortened version of who is or who has. When asking a friend, “Who’s that girl in the red dress?” the intention is to find out who the girl in the red dress is. This is also true when asking about an actor in a movie. Consider the following examples:
• Who’s the lead actor in the movie?
• Who’s the Prime Minister of this country?
In these sentences, who’s is used as a shortened form of who is. Similarly, who’s is used to ask about possession:
• Who’s got the keys to the apartment?
• Who’s been asked to perform the duty?
In these sentences, who’s is used as a shortened form of who has.
What is the difference between Whose and Who’s?
• Whose is an interrogative pronoun used when asking about possession in a sentence.
• Who’s is a contraction of who is or who has.
• Whose is the possessive form of who.
• Whose is a single word, while who’s is a contraction of two words: who and is or has.