# Whose is this hat? /Whose hat is this?



## ramelot80

Hi everybody!!! Especially to those ones who are on holidays and still studying English.

My grammar question is as follow.

I have been reading on the internet about questions with "whose", in my grammar book it appears like this:

*Whose hat is this?* I understand this but I have found several sites on the internet this form *whose is this hat?*

"Who is this hat" sounds more familiar to me. Could somebody givme a grammar explanation and tell me which one is the right one?


Many thanks in advance!!


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## blasita

Hello.

Both are correct.
_
Whose hat is this?_ The question word _whose_ is used with a noun as a determiner.
_Whose is this hat?_ _Whose_ is a possessive word meaning 'of whom'.

Saludos.


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## Masood

ramelot80 said:


> "Who is this hat" sounds more familiar to me.


Hi
No, that sentence is wrong. 
It should be "Whose is this hat?". 
Quizás sea solamente un error tipográfico, pero te lo comento por si acaso.


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## dexterciyo

Who is this hat? -> ¿Quién es este sombrero? 

Whose is this hat? -> ¿De quién es este sombrero?


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## chacahua

Muy buenas explicaciones todas. Para lo que sirva, es bastante más común la forma de "Whose hat is this?" Está bien dicho "Whose is this hat?" claro, pero suena medio raro.


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## ramelot80

Masood said:


> Hi
> No, that sentence is wrong.
> It should be "Whose is this hat?".
> Quizás sea solamente un error tipográfico, pero te lo comento por si acaso.



Si, ha sido un error disculpad.

La pregunta ere sobre qual era la más correcta.

Whose hat is this? o Whose is this hat?

Gracias!!


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## ramelot80

Parece que aunque las dos son correctas la forma más usada es " whose hat is this?"

Muchas gracias por solucinar mis dudas.


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## blasita

ramelot80 said:


> La pregunta ere sobre qual era la más correcta.



Ramelot, es que una no es 'más correcta' que la otra: ambas lo son. Otra cosa es cuál se usa más (mira lo que dice Chacahua sobre esto en su comentario, por favor).


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## kayokid

Hello. Well, I just have to add my two cents to this discussion.

'Whose hat is this?' is the standard form of the question, in my mind.
'Whose is this?' is the next best question. (It is uttered when holding/pointing to the hat.)
'Whose is this hat?' sounds awkward to me, although I have heard it and even said it.


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## zeppo

agree with kayokid


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## blasita

Yes, I also agree. But as the structure of "Whose is this hat?" is mentioned in numerous grammars as a perfect option, I wonder if it is more commonly used in BrE or just something that is being used less and less.


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## Masood

ramelot80 said:


> Si, ha sido un error disculpad.
> 
> La pregunta ere sobre qual era la más correcta.
> 
> *Whose hat is this?* o *Whose is this hat?*
> 
> Gracias!!


Hola

Ambas me parecen bien.

Cheers


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## blasita

Masood said:


> Ambas me parecen bien.



¿Eso quiere decir que usas normalmente la segunda también, Masood? Saludos.


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## Masood

blasita said:


> ¿Eso quiere decir que usas normalmente la segunda también, Masood? Saludos.


Sí, uso las dos indistintamente.


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## blasita

Masood said:


> Uso las dos indistintamente.



Gracias, Masood, es lo que quería saber (comprobar mi teoría).  Cheers.


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## inib

Masood said:


> Sí, uso las dos indistintamente.


Yo también.


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## chacahua

Masood said:


> Sí, uso las dos indistintamente.





inib said:


> Yo también.




So we have speakers of BE informing us that both structures are common in the UK (and perhaps elsewhere?). So there you have it -- and that's the beauty of the forum!

The "Whose is this hat?" structure is definitely less common in the States, but it's useful to know that the reality is different elsewhere.


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## inib

chacahua said:


> that's the beauty of the forum!


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## Forero

I suspect the "whose hat" version fits more situations than the "this hat" version. To my AmE ear, both are correct and natural sounding, but appropriateness depends on context.


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## chacahua

I don't think it's off-topic to pull back a bit from this thread's original issue - "Whose hat is this" vs. "Whose is this hat - and look at it from a more general persepctive, so that the lessons can be applied more broadly. Therefore...


1.       Tense changes (singular)



Whose fault is this?
Whose fault was this?
Whose fault will this be?
Whose fault would this be?
Whose fault is this going to be?
Whose fault has this been?
Whose fault will this have been?
Whose fault would this have been?Whose is this fault?
Whose was this fault?
Whose will this fault be?
Whose would this fault be?
Whose is this fault going to be?
Whose has this fault been?
Whose will this fault have been?
Whose would this fault have been?

 
 2.       Tense Changes (plural)



Whose problems are these?
Whose problems were these?
Whose problems will these be?
Whose problems would these be?
Whose problems are these going to be?
Whose problems have these been?
Whose problems will these have been?
Whose problems would these have been?Whose are these problems?
Whose were these problems?
Whose will these problems be?
Whose would these problems be?
Whose are these problems going to be?
Whose have these problems been?
Whose will these problems have been?
Whose would these problems have been?

 
It seems that _probably_, for a lot of non-native English speakers, the more complex tense structures would be formed with somewhat less difficulty with the structure on the left. Either way, the more complex structures here can drive a non-native speaker crazy, but perhaps the structure on the left would be just ever-so-slightly less maddening. 

Also, on the one hand, I think that the small change of the noun from "hat" to "fault" shows why in some parts the "Whose xxxx is this?" structure is used a little more often. Yet on the other hand, with the change from "hat" to "problems," _both _structures sound perfectly normal, even to my American ears.

_Aren't languages fun?_ (!!!!)


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## DiGlo

También variaría las respuestas. 

*Whose* hat is this? - That is *my* hat. 
*Whose* is this hat? - That hat is *mine*.


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## ramelot80

I think you forgot talking about the structures on the right side, so I don't understand well your explanation. Am I right? I'm very intersted in your explanation.
Tahnk you!


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## ramelot80

chacahua said:


> I don't think it's off-topic to pull back a bit from this thread's original issue - "Whose hat is this" vs. "Whose is this hat - and look at it from a more general persepctive, so that the lessons can be applied more broadly. Therefore...
> 
> 
> 1.       Tense changes (singular)
> 
> 
> 
> Whose fault is this?
> Whose fault was this?
> Whose fault will this be?
> Whose fault would this be?
> Whose fault is this going to be?
> Whose fault has this been?
> Whose fault will this have been?
> Whose fault would this have been?Whose is this fault?
> Whose was this fault?
> Whose will this fault be?
> Whose would this fault be?
> Whose is this fault going to be?
> Whose has this fault been?
> Whose will this fault have been?
> Whose would this fault have been?
> 
> 
> 2.       Tense Changes (plural)
> 
> 
> 
> Whose problems are these?
> Whose problems were these?
> Whose problems will these be?
> Whose problems would these be?
> Whose problems are these going to be?
> Whose problems have these been?
> Whose problems will these have been?
> Whose problems would these have been?Whose are these problems?
> Whose were these problems?
> Whose will these problems be?
> Whose would these problems be?
> Whose are these problems going to be?
> Whose have these problems been?
> Whose will these problems have been?
> Whose would these problems have been?
> 
> 
> It seems that _probably_, for a lot of non-native English speakers, the more complex tense structures would be formed with somewhat less difficulty with the structure on the left. Either way, the more complex structures here can drive a non-native speaker crazy, but perhaps the structure on the left would be just ever-so-slightly less maddening.
> 
> Also, on the one hand, I think that the small change of the noun from "hat" to "fault" shows why in some parts the "Whose xxxx is this?" structure is used a little more often. Yet on the other hand, with the change from "hat" to "problems," _both _structures sound perfectly normal, even to my American ears.
> 
> _Aren't languages fun?_ (!!!!)



Dear Chacahua, 
I think you forgot talking about the structures on the right side, so I  don't understand well your explanation. Am I right? I'm very intersted  in your explanation.
Tahnk you!


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## inib

chacahua said:


> I don't think it's off-topic to pull back a bit from this thread's original issue - "Whose hat is this" vs. "Whose is this hat - and look at it from a more general persepctive, so that the lessons can be applied more broadly. Therefore...
> 
> 
> 1. Tense changes (singular)
> 
> 
> 
> Whose fault is this?
> Whose fault was this?
> Whose fault will this be?
> Whose fault would this be?
> Whose fault is this going to be?
> Whose fault has this been?
> Whose fault will this have been?
> Whose fault would this have been?
> Whose is this fault?
> Whose was this fault?
> Whose will this fault be?
> Whose would this fault be?
> Whose is this fault going to be?
> Whose has this fault been?
> Whose will this fault have been?
> Whose would this fault have been?
> 
> 
> 
> 2. Tense Changes (plural)
> 
> 
> 
> Whose problems are these?
> Whose problems were these?
> Whose problems will these be?
> Whose problems would these be?
> Whose problems are these going to be?
> Whose problems have these been?
> Whose problems will these have been?
> Whose problems would these have been?
> Whose are these problems?
> Whose were these problems?
> Whose will these problems be?
> Whose would these problems be?
> Whose are these problems going to be?
> Whose have these problems been?
> Whose will these problems have been?
> Whose would these problems have been?
> 
> 
> 
> It seems that _probably_, for a lot of non-native English speakers, the more complex tense structures would be formed with somewhat less difficulty with the structure on the left. Either way, the more complex structures here can drive a non-native speaker crazy, but perhaps the structure on the left would be just ever-so-slightly less maddening.* I can't speak for other languages, but I think that for a Spaniard at a elementary/lower-intermediate level of English it's always going to be easier to use "whose" as a pronoun rather than an adjective, just because it corresponds to the word order used in Spanish. (The biggest problem - that  of putting the subject in the right place exists in both of your columns).
> 
> *Also, on the one hand, I think that the small change of the noun from "hat" to "fault" shows why in some parts the "Whose xxxx is this?" structure is used a little more often. *I agree with that. It sounds colloquial to say "Whose fault is this/it?" and not "Whose is this/the fault?" But then again, we nearly always say "It's my fault", not "The fault is mine", wheareas both would sound great to me if we were talking about a hat!* Yet on the other hand, with the change from "hat" to "problems," _both _structures sound perfectly normal, even to my American ears.
> 
> _Aren't languages fun?_ (!!!!)


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## chacahua

chacahua said:


> It seems that _probably_, for a lot of non-native English speakers, the more complex tense structures would be formed with somewhat less difficulty with the structure on the left. Either way, the more complex structures here can drive a non-native speaker crazy, but perhaps the structure on the left would be just ever-so-slightly less maddening.





inib said:


> I can't speak for other languages, but I think that for a Spaniard at a elementary/lower-intermediate level of English it's always going to be easier to use "whose" as a pronoun rather than an adjective, just because it corresponds to the word order used in Spanish. (The biggest problem - that of putting the subject in the right place exists in both of your columns).



I thought that the more complex of right-hand word order seemed like they would be more challenging, but I definitely defer to the natives on this one.



chacahua said:


> Also, on the one hand, I think that the small change of the noun from "hat" to "fault" shows why in some parts the "Whose xxxx is this?" structure is used a little more often.





inib said:


> I agree with that. It sounds colloquial to say "Whose fault is this/it?" and not "Whose is this/the fault?" But then again, we nearly always say "It's my fault", not "The fault is mine", wheareas both would sound great to me if we were talking about a hat!



It's funny how one little word can change a lot.

Thanks for your comments, inib -- very helpful.


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## chacahua

ramelot80 said:


> Dear Chacahua,
> I think you forgot talking about the structures on the right side, so I  don't understand well your explanation. Am I right? I'm very intersted  in your explanation.
> Thank you!



I'll provide one as soon as I get a chance to, ramelot - in a day or two. Thanks for asking.


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## ramelot80

It's ok, I just wanted to know which pile you were talking about. Form me, a Native Spanish speaker " Whose is this hat/problem/fault?" sounds perfectly right as our Spanish structure is the same "¿de quien es este sombrero?", so it is easy for me to use this structure. 
I just want to know that whether I use this estructure I will sond grammatically talking right or not.

Thank you all for your answers, this is the best way to learn!


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