Word
whose
US/ˈhuz/
UK/hˈuːz/
Definitions
01asking about ownership
A2 · Elementary
det. you use this to ask which person owns or is connected to something.
det. used as an interrogative determiner to inquire about the possessor of a following noun.
“Whose phone is ringing on the kitchen table?”
“Whose signature is required on these legal documents before they can be officially filed with the court?”
Usage
Always followed by a noun in this interrogative sense.
Pitfall
Whose going to the party tonight?
Who's going to the party tonight?
Do not confuse 'whose' (possession) with 'who's' (the contraction of 'who is' or 'who has').
02relative possession (people)
A2 · Elementary
det. used to give more information about a person by mentioning what they own or have.
det. a relative determiner introducing a clause that identifies a person by their possessions or attributes.
“I have a friend whose brother is a famous actor.”
“The candidate, whose background in renewable energy is well-known, addressed the assembly regarding the new environmental policy.”
Usage
Functions as the possessive form of 'who'.
03relative possession (things)
B1 · Intermediate
det. used to talk about a part or a quality of an object or place.
det. a relative determiner used to indicate a possessive relationship where the antecedent is an inanimate object or an abstract concept.
“It was a tall building whose windows were all broken.”
“The committee rejected the proposal, whose primary flaw was a lack of clear financial oversight.”
Usage
Often used as a more concise alternative to 'of which'.
04the one belonging to whom
B2 · Upper Intermediate
pron. used to ask who owns something without naming the object again.
pron. an interrogative or relative pronoun representing the person to whom something belongs, standing alone without a following noun.
“I found a jacket in the hall; do you know whose it is?”
“Several coats were left in the cloakroom, but the attendant was unsure whose was whose after the labels fell off.”
Confusables
Whose shows possession, while who's is a contraction for who is or who has.
RememberWho's = Who is. If you can't swap it, use whose.
Etymology
From Middle English whos, from Old English hwæs, from Proto-Germanic hwes, genitive case of hwaz (“who”) *hwat (“what”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
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