Here, “whose” shows possession, meaning you are asking whose birthday it is (i.e., to whom the birthday belongs).
Key takeaways:
Who’s is a contraction of “who is” or “who has” (e.g., "Who’s coming to the meeting?").
Whose is a possessive pronoun used to ask about ownership (e.g., "Whose book is this?").
Part of the series Grammar Debugged—English for Devs
The words whose and who's sound similar but have different meanings and uses. Whose is a possessive pronoun that shows ownership, while who's is a contraction of "who is" or "who has."
The word who’s is a contraction of who is or who has and is commonly used in informal writing and speech. It is often used to ask or state information about a person. Additionally, who’s can replace who has when referring to experiences or completed actions.
"Who’s responsible for this project?"
"Who’s been to Paris before?"
Can we use contractions like who's in formal writing?
Generally, contractions (like who's, you're, etc.) are avoided in formal writing. It's more professional to write out the full form, like "who is" instead of who's. However, some formal contexts (like academic papers or professional emails) may allow contractions if they fit the tone.
The word whose is a used to indicate ownership or belonging. It is often used in questions to ask about possession and in statements to describe relationships between people and things.
"Whose car is parked outside?"
"I don’t know whose idea this was, but it’s brilliant."
Choose the correct word (whose or who's) for each sentence:
___ responsible for organizing the event?
I found a wallet. Do you know ___ it is?
___ been working on this project the longest?
___ phone keeps ringing during the meeting?
Here are some frequent errors and how to avoid them:
Incorrect: “Who’s shoes are these?”
Correct: “Whose shoes are these?”
Incorrect: “Whose going to the game?”
Correct: “Who’s going to the game?”
Word | Role | Function | Examples |
Who’s | Contraction of “who is” or “who has” | Contraction | "Who’s ready for the trip?" |
Whose | Indicates possession/ownership | Possessive pronoun | "Whose backpack is on the table?" |
In conclusion, whose and who's are often confused, but their meanings and uses are distinct. Whose is a possessive pronoun that shows ownership, while who's is a contraction of "who is" or "who has." Understanding the difference will help you use these words correctly in sentences and avoid common mistakes. Keep practicing, and soon the distinction will become second nature!
Match the examples that demonstrate the difference between whose vs. who’s:
I wonder ___ going to volunteer for the presentation.
who’s
___ idea was it to decorate the room?
Whose
___ already finished their homework?
___ the one that left the door open?
Do you know ___ jacket is lying on the chair?
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To enhance technical writing and minimize common grammar mistakes, continue exploring these topics:
Commonly confused words (homophones & similar-sounding words): These words sound alike but have different meanings and spellings.
Prepositions & usage differences: These words and phrases are often confused due to subtle contextual differences.
Punctuation & formatting: These involve rules for using dashes, abbreviations, and sentence structure.
Grammar & sentence structure: These deal with pronoun choices, verb usage, and comparison.
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