The difference between the use of whose and who’s is similar to that between the use of its and it’s (discussed here).
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.”
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Whose can also be for non-living things – “the company, whose assets were seized”. This should be made clear.
I am designing a page for my school yearbook. The page is supposedly called “Whose Who,” but I have my doubts. I am confused whether I should type it “Whose” or “Who’s.” Thanks.
Sydney,
Many thanks for your question. The page should be titled “Who’s who” (or the contracted form of “Who is Who”). “Who’s who” is commonly used as the title for something which contains biographical information on a particular group of people.