." ▁ ▁The ▁construction ▁is ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁whose ▁in animate , ▁non - person al ▁whose , ▁and ▁neut er ▁whose . ▁ ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁in animate ▁whose ▁dates ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century , ▁but ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁has ▁drawn ▁criticism ▁from ▁those ▁who ▁consider ▁whose ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁gen itive ▁( poss ess ive ) ▁only ▁of ▁the ▁relative ▁pron oun ▁who ▁and ▁therefore ▁believe ▁it ▁should ▁be ▁restricted ▁to ▁personal ▁ante ced ents . ▁ ▁Crit ics ▁of ▁in animate ▁whose ▁ ▁prefer ▁constru ctions ▁such ▁as ▁those ▁using ▁of ▁which ▁the , ▁which ▁others ▁find ▁cl ums y ▁or ▁over ly ▁formal . ▁ ▁Us age ▁ ▁Users ▁of ▁the ▁in animate ▁whose ▁employ ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁relative ▁pron oun ▁with ▁non - person al ▁ante ced ents , ▁as ▁in : ▁▁ ▁" That ' s ▁the ▁car ▁whose ▁alarm ▁keeps ▁w aking ▁us ▁up ▁at ▁night ." ▁ ▁Those ▁who ▁avoid ▁using ▁whose ▁with ▁non - person al ▁ante ced ents ▁assert ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁gen itive ▁( poss ess ive ) ▁of ▁only ▁the ▁relative ▁pron oun ▁who . ▁ ▁They ▁employ ▁alternatives ▁such ▁as ▁of ▁which ▁the , ▁as ▁in : ▁▁ ▁" That ' s ▁the ▁car ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁alarm ▁keeps ▁w aking ▁us ▁up ▁at ▁night ." ▁ ▁or ▁▁ ▁" That ' s ▁the ▁car ▁the ▁alarm ▁of ▁which ▁keeps ▁w aking ▁us ▁up ▁at ▁night ." ▁ ▁Those ▁who