Who vs. Whose — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Who and Whose
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Compare with Definitions
Who
What or which person or people
I wonder who that letter was from
Who is that woman?
Whose
Belonging to or associated with which person
A Mini was parked at the kerb and Juliet wondered whose it was
Whose round is it?
Who
Used to introduce a clause giving further information about a person or people previously mentioned
Joan Fontaine plays the mouse who married the playboy
Whose
Of whom or which (used to indicate that the following noun belongs to or is associated with the person or thing mentioned in the previous clause)
A willow tree whose branches reached right to the ground
He's a man whose opinion I respect
Who
(interrogative) What person or people; which person or people; asks for the identity of someone; used in a direct or indirect question.
Who is that? (direct question)
I don't know who it is. (indirect question)
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Whose
Belonging to or associated with which person
A Mini was parked at the kerb and Juliet wondered whose it was
Whose round is it?
Who
(relative) Introduces a relative clause having a human antecedent.
Whose
Of whom or which (used to indicate that the following noun belongs to or is associated with the person or thing mentioned in the previous clause)
He's a man whose opinion I respect
A willow tree whose branches reached right to the ground
Who
With antecedent as subject.
That's the man who works at the newsagent. (defining)
My sister, who works in the accounts department, just got promoted to manager. (non-defining)
Whose
The possessive form of who.
Who
(non-formal) With antecedent as object: whom.
Whose
The possessive form of which.
Who
Whoever, he who, they who.
Who insults my mother insults me.
Whose
(interrogative) Of whom, belonging to whom; which person's or people's.
Whose wallet is this?
Who
A person under discussion; a question of which person.
Whose
(relative) Of whom, belonging to whom.
Venus, whose sister Serena is, won the latest championship.
Who
Whose
Who phone just rang?
Whose
(relative) Of which, belonging to which.
Who
One; any; one.
As who should say, it were a very dangerous matter if a man in any point should be found wiser than his forefathers were.
Whose
(interrogative) That or those of whom or belonging to whom.
Several people have lost their suitcases. Whose have you found?
Who
A United Nations agency to coordinate international health activities and to help governments improve health services
Whose
(relative) That or those of whom or belonging to whom.
This car is blocking the way, but Mr Smith, whose it is, will be here shortly.
Whose
The possessive case of who or which. See Who, and Which.
Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee.
The question whose solution I require.
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