Whose or who's: which is correct?
Correct
whose (possessive) / who's (who is, who has)
Avoid
who's (as the possessive: "who's bag is this")
Avoid
whose (for "who is")
Summary
Correct: whose (possessive) / who's (who is, who has) — Avoid: who's (as the possessive: "who's bag is this") / whose (for "who is"). Whose = belonging to whom; who's = the contraction of who is or who has.
- Part of speech
- determiner / contraction
- Source
- Oxford
Why
Oxford: whose is the possessive form of who and, like its, takes no apostrophe; who's is only ever a contraction. If "who is" or "who has" fits, write who's.
Examples
- Whose bag is this?
- Who's coming to the meeting?
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- Merriam-Webster · Oxford English Dictionary / Oxford spelling · SCOWL
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