How do you use the word "whose"?

Question

Hi, my name is Brandon and I'm studying English at home, my native language is Spanish.

I'm confused because I don't understand how do you use the word "whose" which in Spanish it would be "de quién/de quienes", but it's not matter if you don't understand Spanish. Can you explain me when or how do you use this word? it is also useful if you write for me some examples.

Greetings.

Answer 1

Whose is possessive, it can be used like this "Whose shoes are these?", which is the same as in Spanish, "De quien son estos zapatos?"
The word who's is completely different, it is a contraction for who is, for example "Who's going to practice today?" or in Spanish "Quien va a practicar hoy?"
If you used the word who's in the first sentence it would be like saying "Who is shoes are these?", in Spanish I think it would sound something like "Quien es estos zapatos" or "Quien es zapatos estos", which makes no sense at all.

Forgive me if the Spanish translation is wrong, I can speak it just not properly, if I was terribly off please let me know.

Answer 2

It is used in two ways, similar to your de quien/de quienes.
In a question: Whose book is this?
And in a relative clause (i.e., something that describes an object): This is the man whose book I found in the cafeteria.
But unlike Spanish whose always comes first.

Answer 3

This is one of those cases where it is important to remember that possessive pronouns never take apostrophes, even though possessive nouns do (see it’s/its). “Who’s” always and forever means only “who is,” as in “Who’s that guy with the droopy mustache?” or “who has,” as in “Who’s been eating my porridge?” “Whose” is the possessive form of “who” and is used as follows: “Whose dirty socks are these on the breakfast table?”

It has sometimes been claimed that whose is properly used only as the possessive form of who and thus should be restricted to animate antecedents, as in a man whose power has greatly eroded. But there is extensive literary precedent for the use of whose with inanimate antecedents, as in The play, whose style is rigidly formal, is typical of the period. In an earlier survey this example was acceptable to a large majority of the Usage Panel. Those who avoid this usage employ of which: The play, the style of which is rigidly formal, is typical of the period. But as this example demonstrates, substituting of which may produce a stilted sentence

hope this helps

Answer 4

Peter, whose record collection was stolen by bulgars, refused to comment.
Peter, who had lost his record collection to burglars, refused to comment.

Whose is the processive case of who in the above example.

The old chestnut tree, in whose embrace of branches I nestled so often as a child, was uprooted in last nights storm.

The old chestnut tree, in the embrace of which I nestled so often as a child, was uprooted in last night's storm.

Beyond the huts there is a stagnant water-tank on whose farther bank are laid out to dry the long coloured sarees and murky tags belonging to the black skinned, bracelatted. bare-legged women who stand thigh-high in the water, washing themselves and their clothes.
Paul Scott, The Jewel in the crown.

The rule here is
whose = of which the,
of whose = of which

The restriction on converting 'of which' into 'whose' occurs when the phase 'of which' does not indicate possession at all.
Consider the sentence: The plot, of which I was quite ignorant, involved serious currency frauds; this cannot be simply converted into a sentence using 'whose'. (The best that one can do is add an extra word such as 'existence' or 'details': The plot, of whose details I was quite ignorant)

Answer 5

Whose is the possessive of the the word who. Whose means who does this belong to.

Answer 6

Don't listen to Caramelitazar..she is very wrong.

'Whose' can be used in a question...
"Whose shoes are these?"
Or in a statement..
"The man whose shoes were lost has bought another pair."

"Who's" would be used like this..

"The man who's (who has) won the lottery has gone on holiday."

Answer 7

Hi, whose is a possessive noun meaning belonging to someone and is not short for who is. For example "The man whose car broke down has gone to the payphone"

It cannot be used to replace who is for example "who is that man over there?" that would be who's.

This may explain it more clearly.

http://www.smccd.net/accounts/sevas/esl/gramcheck/clauses-3.html

Answer 8

Exactly as you have said. whose = of whom = "de quién/de quienes"

Whose book is this?
De quien es esto libro? (sorry, my attempt at Spanish)

Answer 9

"Whose'

-Whose magazine is this?
"De quién es esta revista?"

he won't tell me whose fault it is
"no quiere decirme de quién fue la culpa"

pero tambien... cuyo/cuya

that is my wife, whose parents live in Madrid
"ésa es mi mujer, cuyos padres viven en Madrid"

o algo así!!

Answer 10

Whose car is this ? Usually it is better to say ,who lives next door ,Did you see the TV programme, Whose who ?