Learn how to use “whose” and the possessive “s” correctly in English. A1 grammar explanations, examples, and interactive exercises that make it easy to practice asking and showing possession.
Whose, possessive ‘s: Whose is this? It’s John’s
In English, we use “whose” and the possessive “‘s” to talk about ownership or possession. Let’s look at how each one works.
1. Whose
Whose is used to ask about ownership.
It means “Who owns this?”
Structure:
- Whose + noun + verb …?
Examples:
- Whose book is this? → Who owns this book?
- Whose shoes are on the floor? → Who owns these shoes?
- Whose bag is that? → Who does that bag belong to?
Tip: We use Whose only for asking questions, not in statements.
2. Possessive ’s
The possessive ’s shows that something belongs to someone.
We add ’s after a noun to show ownership.
Structure:
- Noun + ’s + thing/person
Examples:
- This is John’s book. → The book belongs to John.
- My sister’s cat is very cute. → The cat belongs to my sister.
- The teacher’s desk is very tidy. → The desk belongs to the teacher.
Tip:
- For plural nouns ending in s, just add an apostrophe (’).
- Example: The students’ classroom (the classroom of the students)
3. Compare Whose vs Possessive ’s
| Usage | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Whose | Whose bag is this? | Asking about ownership |
| Possessive ’s | This is Sarah’s bag. | Showing ownership |
