Writing Tip : Using "who's" and "whose" correctly

Using "who's" and "whose" correctly

Summary

This article provides a simple way to choose between who's and whose.

When should you use who's instead of whose?

 

Well, who's is always short for who is. For example:

• Who's that guy in the red tie?
• Who's the actress in Out of Africa?

The easiest way to explain whose is to say that you use it whenever it would be wrong to say who is. For example:

• Is he the guy whose tie was red?
• Was it Streep whose career peaked with Out of Africa?
• Whose PC is this?

The different uses of these words is illustrated by the following pair of sentences:

• Bob, who's normally prompt, was late today.
• Bob, whose record is exemplary, was late today.

In summary, use who's when you mean who is and whose otherwise.