whose

Members help members on grammar, vocab, pronunciation...

Moderator: EC

Post Reply
PinkLady
Top
Top
Posts: 295
Joined: November 19th, 2023, 2:30 pm

whose

Post by PinkLady »

Is this sentence correct?



"There is a mythical plant whose sap works as the elixir of youth."




Or is the relative pronoun 'whose' only used when speaking of people?




--------------------------




Thank you.
User avatar
Josef Essberger
Admin/Teacher
Admin/Teacher
Posts: 1984
Joined: December 18th, 2003, 6:56 am

Re: whose

Post by Josef Essberger »

PinkLady wrote: ↑June 20th, 2025, 5:01 am Is this sentence correct?



"There is a mythical plant whose sap works as the elixir of youth."




Or is the relative pronoun 'whose' only used when speaking of people?
Your sentence is grammatically correct:

“There is a mythical plant whose sap works as the elixir of youth.”

The relative pronoun “whose” is most commonly used for people, but it is also perfectly acceptable for animals and things—especially when indicating possession.

In your sentence, “whose sap” refers to “the sap of the plant,” which is a standard and natural use. While some older grammar guides preferred avoiding “whose” for inanimate objects, modern English usage accepts it widely, especially when the alternative (like “the sap of which”) would sound awkward or overly formal.

âś… So your sentence is both correct and stylistically natural.
English Prepositions List by Josef Essberger
Extremely useful ebook full of examples and visual aids to learn prepositions :ok: Inés Barbero
Post Reply