Whose or who’s?
The short answer
“Who’s” is short for “who is” or “who has”. “Whose” asks or tells who something belongs to.
What each one means
- “whose”
- belonging to whom
- Example: Whose bag is this?
- “who’s”
- who is, or who has
- Example: Who’s coming tonight? Who’s seen my keys?
Common mistakes
| Not this | This |
|---|---|
| Who’s going to the party? | |
| Who’s been here before? | |
| Whose turn is it? |
An easy way to remember
Say “who is” or “who has” in its place. If it works, write “who’s”. If not, write “whose”.
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