Whose
A1 BeginnerUse 'whose' to ask which person owns or is responsible for an object. It is an interrogative determiner used at the start of a question.
Overview
Whose is a question word used to ask about possession. It helps you find out the owner of a specific item or items.
- It can be used with singular nouns: Whose phone is this?
- It can be used with plural nouns: Whose keys are these?
Form
Whose + noun + is/are + pronoun?
In most questions, whose is followed immediately by the noun being discussed. The verb to be then follows the noun.
Examples
Whose vs. Who's
These two words sound exactly the same but have different meanings. Always check if you mean 'who is' before writing.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Whose | Possession (Who owns it?) | Whose coat is this? |
| Who's | Contraction of 'Who is' | Who's that man? |
Common mistakes
Who's book is this?
Whose book is this?
Use 'whose' for possession. 'Who's' means 'who is'.
Whose is this pen?
Whose pen is this?
While the 'wrong' version is sometimes used in casual speech, the standard A1 pattern places the noun immediately after 'whose'.
Practice
___ glasses are these on the table?
Show answer
Whose
Answer:Whose
Why:We use 'whose' to ask about the owner of the glasses.
Whose cat ___ that in the garden?
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is
Answer:is
Why:Because 'cat' is a singular noun, we use the singular verb 'is'.
Whose children ___ they?
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are
Answer:are
Why:Because 'children' is a plural noun, we use the plural verb 'are'.