Did you know that even native English speakers struggle with the difference between WHO / WHOM / WHOSE and when to use which one? This blog post will help you understand! Remember to sign up for your free first lesson to discuss any questions you might have with your favorite English Fluentella teacher!

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE 3?

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WHO

WE USE THE SUBJECT PRONOUN who TO FIND OUT WHICH PERSON IS PERFORMING A PARTICULAR ACTION OR IS A CERTAIN WAY.

EXAMPLE:
WHO HELPED YOU AT THE PARK?
WHO IS THE TEACHER IN ROOM 301?

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WHOM

WE USE THE OBJECT PRONOUN whom TO FIND OUT WHICH PERSON IS HAVING THE ACTION DONE TO THEM.

EXAMPLE:
TO WHOM WAS THAT LETTER ADDRESSED?
WHOM DID MR.BLACK HIRE AS GENERAL MANAGER?

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WHOSE

WE USE THE POSSESSIVE PRONOUN whose TO FIND OUT WHICH PERSON SOMETHING BELONGS TO.
A MISTAKE EVEN NATIVE SPEAKERS MAKE = NOT WHO’S!

EXAMPLE:
WHOSE CAT IS THAT?
IS THAT THE MAN WHOSE KID WON A MEDAL?

Whose and who’s are homophones, which means that when spoken, they sound the same. So, when writing, many people get them mixed up. Remember that whose is a possessive pronoun that is used to indicate possession. Who’s is the contracted form of who is. Here is a tip, if you get confused, see if the sentence still makes sense when replacing whose with who is.

Now that you know the difference between these 3, test yourself by taking our online quiz below.