Possessive pronouns
A1 BeginnerPossessive pronouns replace a possessive adjective and a noun to show who something belongs to. They help avoid repetition in a sentence.
Overview
Possessive pronouns function as independent noun phrases. They indicate ownership without needing to repeat the noun itself. For example, instead of saying my car, you can simply say mine if the context is clear.
Possessive Adjectives vs. Pronouns
Note that his remains the same in both forms, while its is rarely used as a possessive pronoun.
| Subject | Possessive Adjective | Possessive Pronoun |
|---|---|---|
| I | my | mine |
| You | your | yours |
| He | his | his |
| She | her | hers |
| We | our | ours |
| They | their | theirs |
Examples
Common mistakes
This is mine book.
This is my book. / This book is mine.
Possessive pronouns never sit before a noun; they replace the noun entirely.
The dog is her's.
The dog is hers.
Possessive pronouns do not use apostrophes.
Practice
Is this your pen? No, it is (I).
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mine
Answer:mine
Why:The possessive pronoun for the first person singular 'I' is 'mine'.
We bought this car. It is (we).
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ours
Answer:ours
Why:The possessive pronoun for 'we' is 'ours'.
She has a cat. The cat is (she).
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hers
Answer:hers
Why:The possessive pronoun for 'she' is 'hers'.