Possessive Pronouns - EnglishSolo

What Are Possessive Pronouns?

Pronouns which show possession or ownership fall into two categories: possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives. Understanding the difference is key to using them correctly!

🔍 Two Types of Possessives

🏆

Possessive Pronouns

mine, yours, his, hers, *its, ours, yours, theirs

Example: Is that bike yours or Joe's?

Key: Stand alone, replace the noun completely

📝

Possessive Adjectives

my, your, his, her, *its, our, their

Example: Joe rides his bike every day.

Key: Modify nouns, always followed by a noun

⚠️ Common Confusion Alert!

Be careful not to confuse the contraction "it's" (it is) for the possessive pronoun "its."

📚 Usage Rules & Examples

🎯 Possessive Pronouns

Replace the entire noun phrase. They stand alone and don't need a noun after them.

"This car is mine." (not "mine car")
"The red house is theirs."

📋 Possessive Adjectives

Modify and describe nouns. They must always be followed by a noun.

"This is my car." (my + car)
"I like your house." (your + house)

🔄 Quick Test

If you can add a noun after the word, it's a possessive adjective. If not, it's a possessive pronoun.

"This is mine ___" ❌ (Can't add noun)
"This is my ___" ✅ (Can add noun)

⭐ Special Cases

"His" and "its" look the same in both forms. Context determines usage.

"This is his." (pronoun)
"This is his book." (adjective)

🎯 Practice Exercise

Choose the correct possessive word to complete each sentence!

That beautiful garden is .

their

theirs

they

them