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Whose

Whose is a relative possessive word, used as a determiner before nouns. It can refer back to people or things.

• This is the man whose house was burgled.
• I saw a girl whose beauty took my breath away.

Of which; that …of

Instead of whose, we can use of which or that …of to refer to things. The most common word order is noun + of which or that … of. Of which …+ noun is also possible.

Compare the following sentences. All of them express the same idea.

• He has written a book whose name I have forgotten.
• He has written a book the name of which I have forgotten.
• He has written a book that I have forgotten the name of.
• He has written a book of which I have forgotten the name.

Sentences with whose are rather formal. In an informal style other structures are preferred. With is a common way of expressing possessive ideas.

• I have got some friends with a house that looks over a river. (Less formal than I have got some friends whose house looks over a river.)

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