who's that?

[JavierUIO]

Hello!
Please, I need some help.
A person asked me today, what's the difference between "who's that?" "who's this?" "who's it"
help me, please please please
JavierUIO

 

[probus]

"Who is it?"

versus

"Who is that?

No difference is apparent to me. They are identical.

 

[Raymott]

Hello!
Please, I need some help.
A person asked me today, what's the difference between "who's that?" "who's this?" "who's it"
help me, please please please
JavierUIO

You can't say "Who's it?" You need "Who is it?"
Otherwise, I'm pretty sure it's the same difference as between "¿Quién es esto?", "Quién es eso?" and "¿Quién es?"
But I'm only guessing. Do you use 'this' and 'that' and 'it' differently in Spanish than in English?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Who's it can be used on certain circumstances: We are waiting to find out the identity of the new Miss America, Who's it going to be?
Children playing tag: Who's it?

 

[Barb_D]

That's true, Mike, but I've seen a number of learners (many with Arabic as their native language) try to make contractions when "to be" is the main verb and there is no predicate adjective or noun.

Like: Is anyone ready for lunch?
I'm.

It's more precise to say we don't contract when "to be" is the main and only verb, without an adjective or noun.

 

[MikeNewYork]

And I agree with that rule. But I don't agree that we never say "Who's it".

 

[emsr2d2]

We can, though, say that we don't write it without a question mark at the end.

 

[Raymott]

And I agree with that rule. But I don't agree that we never say "Who's it".

Naturally. But I think you know that I meant we don't use "Who's it?" as a complete phrase the way we can use "Who is it?"
Context is important. We're here to teach leaners what is acceptable in English.
To make it even clearer, whenever I say, "You can't say that", I don't actually mean that it's impossible to say - only that it's not natural English. Naturally, people can say whatever they like, as long as they can physically articulate the sounds.

 

[Raymott]

We can, though, say that we don't write it without a question mark at the end.

If we're going to follow Mike by extending the context in bizarre directions, "I don't know who's it" is possible - referring again to the children's game.

 

[emsr2d2]

When I saw "Who's it?", the children's game was the only context I came up with in which it could be used. It was in fact, my first thought. It would be followed by the response(s) "I'm it", "He's/She's it" etc.