Let’s make this short and sweet because it is. The question is, When do you use Whose vs. Who’s? These two words are homophones, meaning they sound the same, but mean different things.
Simple:
Whose is the possessive of who used as an adjective. To clarify, it means belongs to or is part of.
In a sentence: Whose raincoat did I take?
Who’s is a contraction of two words who is or who has.
In a sentence: Who’s been leaving the car unlocked in the driveway?
Confused?
I bet right now you are all rethinking your usage of these words. Sometimes I talk out loud when typing or writing to see how the words sound. In this case, it may not help, although if you take who’s and substitute who is or who has, it may help you to determine that you needed who’s not whose. Wow, did that make it worse?
Got it?
It’s okay if you didn’t. Many people struggle with this as well as its and it’s. But that’s for another day.
Quick Quiz: (fill in the blanks)
_____ dog was barking at midnight last night?
_____ going to pitch in for pizza for the big game on Sunday?
Still unsure, contact us. We can edit or proofread most documents, essays, and content. No worries.
0 Comments