# whose

/ˈhuz/ (US) · /hˈuːz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/whose
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. asking about ownership

determiner · CEFR A2

you use this to ask which person owns or is connected to something.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. relative possession (people)

determiner · CEFR A2

used to give more information about a person by mentioning what they own or have.

For teachers: 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'.

### 3. relative possession (things)

determiner · CEFR B1

used to talk about a part or a quality of an object or place.

For teachers: 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'.

### 4. the one belonging to whom

pronoun · CEFR B2

used to ask who owns something without naming the object again.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- Whose bag is this on the floor?
- The teacher asked whose book was left on the desk after the final bell rang.
- The architect, whose previous designs had won several international awards, was commissioned to create the city's new central library.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.