The difference between whose and who's (grammar lesson)


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Who's is short for who is or who has. (This is a 100% rule - it has no other uses.) Whose sits before a noun to state (or ask) to whom it belongs (e.g., A king whose crown is too big. Whose crown is this?)

The terms whose and who's sound identical, but they perform very different roles in English.

Whose

Whose is the possessive form of who. It means 'belonging to whom'. Whose usually sits before a noun.

Conscience is a mother-in-law whose visit never ends.

("Whose" sits before the noun "visit". "Whose" in this example is a relative pronoun.)

Whose bike was expensive?

("Whose" sits before the noun "bike". "Whose" in this example is an interrogative pronoun.)

Carl knows the girl whose phone was stolen.

("Whose" sits before the noun "phone". "Whose" in this example is a relative pronoun.)

Who's is a contraction of either who is or who has. It has no other uses.

Who's coming to fix the bed?

(who is)

Who's eaten the last muffin?

(who has)

I met the inspector who's delivering tomorrow's briefing.

(who is)

Select the correct version:

WHO'S = WHO IS OR WHO HAS

If you cannot substitute the who's in your sentence with either who is or who has, then it is wrong.

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