Whose vs Who's at a glance
- whose
/huːz/ · determiner or pronoun
Used to ask or say who something belongs to.
- Whose jacket is this?
- That's the man whose dog bit me.
- who's
/huːz/ · contraction of who is or who has
A short form of "who is" or "who has".
- Who's coming to the party?
- Who's seen my keys?
How to remember it
Replace the word with "who is" or "who has". If the sentence still makes sense, write who's.
Common mistakes
Wrong: Who's car is parked outside?
Right: Whose car is parked outside?
Wrong: Whose ready to order?
Right: Who's ready to order?
Quick quiz
1. turn is it to wash the dishes?
2. the new teacher?
3.I met a girl brother plays for Chelsea.
Pick the right word for each gap.
Often confused too
- whovswhomWho is the subject (who called?) and whom is the object (whom did you call?). In everyday English, who is fine for both.
- itsvsit'sUse its for possession (the cat licked its paw) and it's only as a short form of "it is" or "it has".
- yourvsyou'reUse your to show something belongs to you (your bag) and you're only as a short form of "you are".