Grammer Lesson: Whose, Who, Supposed To & Suppose

Do you ever have a tough time remembering when to use "whose" or "who's?" It happens to the best of us. You are typing a message or writing a note and suddenly everything you learned in school is gone. I blame those moments on having to get up at 4:30 a.m.; or I use the excuse that I haven't eaten so my brain has no fuel. Then I try to think of a different way to say whatever it is I'm trying to say without using the word that is suddenly causing me to waste a bunch of time and energy searching for the proper way.  The answer is here at last.

My sure-fire way to remember Whose or Who's:

Whose: The possessive of who; belonging to.

Who's: Who is or who has; use an apostrophe to replace the missing letters (just like don't, isn't...). Think of the Who's Who celebrity references meaning Who is Who.

Maybe using it in a sentence is your style: Whose house is the party going to be held? Who's bringing dessert? It's one of those confusing words because we tend to think of an apostrophe as the deciding factor in possessive words.

What about "supposed to" or "suppose?"  There are times when I cannot remember which is correct, maybe you do too.  "Supposed to" is correct.  Example: We were supposed to go on a trip. "Suppose" is a thought or an action ( "to suppose").  Example: I suppose there are different flavors to taste. Supposed is a past participle verb so it ends with "ed." The same rule applies when using "used to." Add the "ed" and you should be good to go.

If all else fails just think of a different way to say it!