Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns
Learn how to use possessive adjectives and pronouns to show ownership in English
Possessive adjectives and pronouns are used to show ownership or belonging in English. Although they sound a bit complicated, they're actually quite straightforward once you understand the difference.
Explanation
Possessive adjectives are used to show who or what owns something. They always come before the noun they're describing. Think of them as little signposts pointing to the owner.
Possessive pronouns also show ownership, but they replace the noun. They stand alone and don't need to be followed by a noun.
Possessive Forms
| Subject Pronoun | Possessive Adjective | Possessive Pronoun |
|---|---|---|
| I | my | mine |
| you | your | yours |
| he | his | his |
| she | her | hers |
| it | its | its |
| we | our | ours |
| they | their | theirs |
Important Note
Don't confuse possessive adjectives and pronouns with contractions:
- it's = it is (contraction)
- its = belonging to it (possessive adjective)
- you're = you are (contraction)
- your = belonging to you (possessive adjective)
- they're = they are (contraction)
- their = belonging to them (possessive adjective)
- there = in that place (adverb)
Examples
Possessive Adjectives (before nouns)
- That's my umbrella. It's always getting left behind somewhere.
- Is your brother coming to the party?
- She loves her new job.
- The dog wagged its tail.
- We need to clean our house before the guests arrive.
- Their car is parked outside.
Possessive Pronouns (stand alone)
- That umbrella is mine.
- This book is yours, not his.
- The choice is hers to make.
- The blue car is ours.
- Those seats are theirs.
Special Expressions with Possessives
- a friend of mine/yours/his/hers/ours/theirs
"I met a friend of yours at the party." (= one of your friends) - on my/your/his/her/its/our/their own
"She lives on her own." (= alone) - my/your/his/her/its/our/their own + noun
"He has his own car." (= a car that belongs only to him) - by
myself/yourself/himself/herself/itself/ourselves/themselves
"I did it by myself." (= alone, without help)
Exercises
Let's practice what you've learned with these exercises:
1. Fill in the blanks with the correct possessive adjective:
- She loves __________ new apartment.
- The cat is licking __________ paws.
- We forgot to bring __________ umbrellas.
- They're proud of __________ children.
- I can't find __________ keys.
2. Replace the underlined words with possessive pronouns:
- This is my book.
- That's her car.
- Those are their seats.
- Is this your jacket?
- We like our house.
3. Complete the sentences using the expressions with possessives:
- I don't need help. I can do it __________ (by myself).
- She doesn't share an apartment. She lives __________ (alone).
- He doesn't use his father's car. He has __________ (a car that belongs only to him).
- I met __________ (one of your friends) at the conference.
4. Correct the errors in these sentences:
- The dog wagged it's tail.
- Is this book your's?
- Their going to the party tonight.
- The company changed it's policy.