Grammar Girl here.

Today's topic, Who's, was written by guest writer Bonnie Tringa.

First, for those of you who didn't listen all the way to the end of last week's show,

and were outraged that I used the words irregardless and cogitate, it was a joke.

Although apparently some of you didn't think it was very funny.

It followed this section about depression and was meant to show that I was depressed.

A depressed grammar girl uses poor grammar, get it?

If you had listened to the end or checked the website, you would have heard my note that it was a joke.

Sorry for any confusion.

A listener named Mike Murphy wrote in with this message.

The car who's windshield wipers weren't working was driving in the fast lane.

The tree whose leaves were falling seems to be dying.

Who's seems like it must refer to a person or animal, but not to a car or a tree,

and it doesn't sound correct.

Is it correct to use who's in this manner, and is there perhaps a better way to construct the above sentences?

Thanks for your question, Mike.

If you used who's in those two sentences, you'd be in the same company as Shakespeare, Milton, and Wordsworth, all famous writers.

You might, however, annoy a few modern complainers who think you should use who's to refer to people and animals only.

Who's is the possessive form of both who and which?

It makes sense to say that who's is the possessive form of who, because who is in the word.

As you know, you use who to refer to a person or sometimes an animal, and this person or animal you're referring to is called an animate antecedent.

Animate refers to living people and animals, but not plants, such as my son Jake or his petfish Gary.

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