What part of speech is “whose”

as an adjective, 'whose' is a possessive form that describes to whom something belongs or with whom something is associated. It modifies a noun that follows it.

'Whose' is used to attribute possession or association to a preceding noun or pronoun. It's the possessive form of both 'who' and 'which.'

The woman, whose car is parked outside, is my neighbor.

The company, whose headquarters are in New York, is expanding globally.

I met a writer whose books have inspired me for years.

'Whose' is often confused with 'who's,' which is a contraction of 'who is' or 'who has.' For example, 'Who's going to the party?' vs. 'Whose coat is this?' Remember that 'whose' can refer to both people and things, making it unique among English relative pronouns.

as a pronoun, 'whose' stands in for a noun and indicates possession or association. It often introduces a relative clause.

'Whose' as a pronoun is used to ask about possession or to introduce a relative clause where the antecedent is understood from the context.

Whose is this umbrella? (asking about possession)

She is the one whose advice I always seek. (introducing a relative clause)

They never found out whose it was. (referring back to a previously mentioned item)

As with the adjective form, it's crucial to differentiate between 'whose' (possessive) and 'who's' (contraction of 'who is' or 'who has'). 'Whose' can be used in both questions and statements. In questions, it asks about possession. In statements, it often introduces a relative clause.