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    Whose vs Who's

    • 05-11-2012 12:14AM
      #1
      whirlpool
      Closed Accounts Posts: 2,574
      ✭✭✭


      I know that the rules of grammar state that (with regards to ownership) 'whose' is the correct one to use and 'who's' is incorrect - but I always find myself writing 'who's!'

      Really, 'who's' should be the grammatically correct one, in my humble opinion, and 'whose' is merely a bastardised version!

      Are there any grammar rules you disagree with, or find yourself at war with?


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    Comments

    • #2
      Witcher
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,294 Witcher
      ✭✭✭✭


      They have completely different functions, neither is incorrect in the proper context.


    • #3
      reginald
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 97 reginald
      ✭✭


      Whore's and Ho's


    • #4
      EoghanIRL
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,080 EoghanIRL
      ✭✭✭


      reginald wrote: »
      Whore's and Ho's
      What he said


    • #5
      MaxSteele
      Closed Accounts Posts: 1,109 MaxSteele
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      Who gives a flying f*ck ?


    • #6
      whirlpool
      Closed Accounts Posts: 2,574 whirlpool
      ✭✭✭


      MaxSteele wrote: »
      Who gives a flying f*ck ?

      Me.


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    • #7
      EoghanIRL
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,080 EoghanIRL
      ✭✭✭


      Maybe this will help

      whose – the possessive form of whom.

      “The director, whose shares were recently acquired by the company, resigned last week.”

      who’s – a contraction of who is. When you see the apostrophe, think “who is”.

      “The plaintiff, who’s suing the defendant, is represented by a very competent counsel.”


    • #8
      whirlpool
      Closed Accounts Posts: 2,574 whirlpool
      ✭✭✭


      Blay wrote: »
      They have completely different functions, neither is incorrect in the proper context.

      Can you give an example of when "who's" can be used to question ownership?


    • #9
      The King of Moo
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,207 The King of Moo
      ✭✭✭


      whirlpool wrote: »
      Can you give an example of when "who's" can be used to question ownership?

      "Who's ("who is") the owner of this pen?"

      As stated above, "who's" is a contraction of "who is" and on occasion, "who has."


    • #10
      whirlpool
      Closed Accounts Posts: 2,574 whirlpool
      ✭✭✭


      EoghanIRL wrote: »
      Maybe this will help

      whose – the possessive form of whom.

      “The director, whose shares were recently acquired by the company, resigned last week.”

      who’s – a contraction of who is. When you see the apostrophe, think “who is”.

      “The plaintiff, who’s suing the defendant, is represented by a very competent counsel.”

      That's true, but I'm referring solely to the possessive form. As your post states, "whose" is correct, but I always find myself writing "who's."


    • #11
      Witcher
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,294 Witcher
      ✭✭✭✭


      whirlpool wrote: »
      Can you give an example of when "who's" can be used to question ownership?

      If you read my post carefuly...real carefully you'll see I said 'proper context'..look again if you didn't spot that. Anybody who uses "who's" as a possessive is a fcking idiot.

      'Who's with me on that one?'

      :pac:


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    • #12
      Fr_Dougal
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,166 Fr_Dougal
      ✭✭✭


      Whose your favourite of all the "Doctor Whose".

      Makes sense when you think about it really.


    • #13
      EoghanIRL
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,080 EoghanIRL
      ✭✭✭


      Blay wrote: »

      If you read my post carefuly...real carefully you'll see I said 'proper context'..look again if you didn't spot that. Anybody who uses "who's" as a possessive is a fcking idiot.

      'Who's with me on that one?'

      :pac:
      Lol, me . Whose with me ? :P


    • #14
      whirlpool
      Closed Accounts Posts: 2,574 whirlpool
      ✭✭✭


      Blay wrote: »
      If you read my post carefuly...real carefully you'll see I said 'proper context'..look again if you didn't spot that. Anyobody who uses "who's" as a possessive is a fcking idiot.

      'Who's with me on that one?'

      :pac:

      I am fully aware that "who's" is a term that exists. If you look super carefully - super SUPER carefully - at my post, you'll see that I never stated otherwise.

      I was referring to one context only - possessive / ownership.

      You seem to think I was asking if "who's" is a word that exists at all.


    • #15
      ezra_pound
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,497 ezra_pound
      ✭✭✭


      whirlpool wrote: »

      That's true, but I'm referring solely to the possessive form. As your post states, "whose" is correct, but I always find myself writing "who's."

      Yes. Whose is only used in that possessive form. All other times you're really just abbreviating who is as who's.


    • #16
      whirlpool
      Closed Accounts Posts: 2,574 whirlpool
      ✭✭✭


      Okay lads, thanks for your replies. But I am fully aware of what the rule is. But congrats on responding telling us all what the rule is.

      My question was - are there any grammar rules that you know are right, but just feel wrong to you personally, and as a result you keep using them wrongly.


    • #17
      The King of Moo
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,207 The King of Moo
      ✭✭✭


      whirlpool wrote: »
      Okay lads, thanks for your replies. But I am fully aware of what the rule is. But congrats on responding telling us all what the rule is.

      My question was - are there any grammar rules that you really just personally feel for whatever reason are wrong, and as a result you keep using them wrongly.

      I can't imagine would feel like that - English grammar is a very intricate, elegant system with a sound logic underpinning it.
      Sure, there are quite a few irregularities, but even most of them make sense within the overall system.

      There are a few areas of grammar wherein I think it's not very important to be exactly correct, but there's nothing about grammar I'd disagree with. It's stayed the way it has for hundreds of years for a reason: it works.


    • #18
      ezra_pound
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,497 ezra_pound
      ✭✭✭


      whirlpool wrote: »
      Okay lads, thanks for your replies. But I am fully aware of what the rule is. But congrats on responding telling us all what the rule is.

      My question was - are there any grammar rules that you know are right, but just feel wrong to you personally, and as a result you keep using them wrongly.

      Well you also stated that you disagree with the rules and think that who's should be used for whose. This implies that you don't get that the apostrophe is the abbreviated i of is.


    • #19
      caste_in_exile
      Closed Accounts Posts: 135 caste_in_exile
      ✭✭


      I always check, if a woman is taken before introducing myself I ask the room "Whose who" and I suggest u similarly get some class, folks...


    • #20
      Xavi6
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,981 Xavi6
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      This is like that other thread where some fecker disliked 'Your / You're' :mad:

      Your 'humble opinion' is wrong.


    • #21
      [Deleted User]
      Posts: 17,378 [Deleted User]
      ✭✭✭✭


      Stop using contractions for a month and your english will improve.


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    • #22
      Davidius
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,893 Davidius
      ✭✭✭


      's for possession doesn't really seem to be done with the most used pronouns in writing though, ex: his and its (also yours, hers, theirs which comes from adding 's). I don't think this is so much the grammar itself as much as it is asking for the writing system to change how it marks a certain feature of grammar. The most used possessive pronouns don't seem to take apostrophes in writing.

      In principle "whose" is "who +'s " probably (with 's being the possessive clitic), just as "its" is "it + 's " and "yours" is "your + 's ". Maybe we could start giving them apostrophes. It'd make 'his' feel like a freak.


    • #23
      Scanlas The 2nd
      Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,144 Scanlas The 2nd
      ✭✭✭


      whirlpool wrote: »
      Okay lads, thanks for your replies. But I am fully aware of what the rule is. But congrats on responding telling us all what the rule is.

      My question was - are there any grammar rules that you know are right, but just feel wrong to you personally, and as a result you keep using them wrongly.

      No, why do you feel whose and who's is wrong?


    • #24
      mathepac
      Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,991 mathepac
      ✭✭✭


      Fr_Dougal wrote: »
      Whose your favourite of all the "Doctor Whose".

      Makes sense when you think about it really.
      Not to me I'm afraid. I'd be inclined to write "Who's your favourite of all the "Doctor Whos?" or even "Who's your favourite of all the "Doctors Who?", both with the question mark at the end signifying a real question rather than the stupid antipodean interrogative with the rising inflection at the end of a sentence.


    • #25
      Fr_Dougal
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,166 Fr_Dougal
      ✭✭✭


      mathepac wrote: »
      Not to me I'm afraid. I'd be inclined to write "Who's your favourite of all the "Doctor Whos?" or even "Who's your favourite of all the "Doctors Who?", both with the question mark at the end signifying a real question rather than the stupid antipodean interrogative with the rising inflection at the end of a sentence.

      :rolleyes:


    • #26
      pickarooney
      Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 36,065 pickarooney
      Mod ✭✭✭✭


      I will never say "aren't I".


    • #27
      anncoates
      Closed Accounts Posts: 13,925 anncoates
      ✭✭✭✭


      MaxSteele wrote: »
      Who gives a flying f*ck ?

      Pedants and punctilious ****, generally.


    • #28
      biko
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 81,219 biko
      ✭✭✭✭


      Or people used to reading "bukes" that get slightly confused when they see improper English*



      *probably 5 mistakes in that sentence alone.


    • #29
      Eoin
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,264 Eoin
      ✭✭✭✭


      whirlpool wrote: »
      Can you give an example of when "who's" can be used to question ownership?

      "There is Doctor Who's Tardis"


    • #30
      The King of Moo
      Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,207 The King of Moo
      ✭✭✭


      pickarooney wrote: »
      I will never say "aren't I".

      It always sounds wrong to my ear actually, and I never say it too, though I know it is grammatically correct.

      If it came up in class I'd teach it as the correct form, but in everyday speech I've no problem with an "am I not?" or even an "amn't I?" Particularly because I'm sure the main reason behind "aren't I" being strictly correct is because "amn't I" sounded a bit common to some.


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