Whose

[JPablo]

Originally Posted by LibraryLady

As a native English speaker I don't think I would phrase that sentence using either " of which" or "whose." I would probably say something like "This is the car that had its windows broken." Although "of which" might be correct I agree that in this context it sounds very old fashioned.

I get the points everyone is mentioning... and I see how the common usage is the best yardstick to measure how natural and idiomatic your own speech and writing is.

I noted "it's" in your post, as "its" which is the possessive, right?
I believe a common misprint... attributable to the false idea that errare humanum est... or something of the sort.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by JPablo

I get the points everyone is mentioning... and I see how the common usage is the best yardstick to measure how natural and idiomatic your own speech and writing is.

I noted "it's" in your post, as "its" which is the possessive, right?
I believe a common misprint... attributable to the false idea that errare humanum est... or something of the sort.

It's a common error because it's an exception to a rule. The possessive is usually 's, the Saxon genitive with an apostrophe denoting an omitted e, thus John's book, Fred's trousers. Unfortunately the apostrophe also indicates a mising i in that's = that is and it's = it is, so no apostrophe in its as a possessive to avoid ambiguity.

[JPablo]

Originally Posted by Perikles

It's a common error because it's an exception to a rule. The possessive is usually 's, the Saxon genitive with an apostrophe denoting an omitted e, thus John's book, Fred's trousers. Unfortunately the apostrophe also indicates a mising i in that's = that is and it's = it is, so no apostrophe in its as a possessive to avoid ambiguity.

Thank you Perikles...
U-R on the !
(Like Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol!) (But a different kind of !)

[LibraryLady]

Originally Posted by JPablo

I get the points everyone is mentioning... and I see how the common usage is the best yardstick to measure how natural and idiomatic your own speech and writing is.

I noted "it's" in your post, as "its" which is the possessive, right?
I believe a common misprint... attributable to the false idea that errare humanum est... or something of the sort.

Yes, you're correct. It's an easy typo to make I meant to type "This is the car that had its windows broken."

Also, I don't mean to imply that the words whose, which, of which, of whose are never used. Just not in the examples that were given.
"This car has 6 windows of which 3 were broken"
"Pete, whose car was broken into, had to spend all day at the police station"
"I had to give him a ride, which completely wasted my day"

[JPablo]

Originally Posted by LibraryLady

Yes, you're correct. It's an easy typo to make I meant to type "This is the car that had its windows broken."

Also, I don't mean to imply that the words whose, which, of which, of whose are never used. Just not in the examples that were given.
"This car has 6 windows of which 3 were broken"
"Pete, whose car was broken into, had to spend all day at the police station"
"I had to give him a ride, which completely waisted my day"

Thanks a lot... These examples help a lot.

By the by... I do not want to "waiste" nor spoil your day... but I take you meant "wasted my day", right? (There is a Latin saw about the fact that sometimes even Homerus makes mistakes... [Aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus]

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by JPablo

(There is a Latin saw about the fact that sometimes even Homerus makes mistakes... [Aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus]

Horace, quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus, usually translated as even Homer nods.

[JPablo]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Horace, quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus, usually translated as even Homer nods.

Perikles dixit! (Thank you!) (¿Hasta Homero se echa una siestecita or Hasta Homero cabecea? (I see in the Spanish translation in the web they use "dormita"... We omit the "indignor"... as we are all happy campers!)

[LibraryLady]

Yes, I meant "wasted." I need to be more careful with my spelling I'm glad my examples were helpful.

[JPablo]

Originally Posted by LibraryLady

Yes, I meant "wasted." I need to be more careful with my spelling I'm glad my examples were helpful.

Okay, thank you. (Yes, it is funny how these typos get in there if one is not careful...)

[Jorjor]

You use this when you want to know what something belongs to.

For example:
If you see a pair of socks and don't know who they belong to
Whose socks are these

A dog
Whose dog is this?


A shirt
Whose shirt is this?

In general
Whose are these?

[JPablo]

Thank you!
Whose thread is this... anyhow? ...
(I believe Robindesbois started it...) (Thank you!)