hers
- 01 A2 Elementary
the thing or things that belong to a woman, girl, or female animal.
the possessive absolute form of the third-person singular feminine pronoun; it stands alone as a noun phrase.
Simple“I found a pair of glasses on the table, and I think they are hers.”
In context“While the red coat on the rack is mine, the elegant wool one draped over the chair is definitely hers.”
UsageThis pronoun is used without a following noun; compare with the possessive adjective 'her' which must precede a noun.
Teacher's tipLearners often confuse 'her' (adjective) and 'hers' (pronoun). Remind them that 'hers' replaces the noun entirely: 'It is her book' vs 'It is hers'.
PitfallThe blue car is her's. The blue car is hers.Possessive pronouns like 'hers', 'ours', and 'yours' never take an apostrophe.
Antonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a way to talk about a woman's house or apartment.
an informal elliptical construction referring to the residence or home of a female person.
Simple“We are going over to hers for dinner and a movie tonight.”
In context“After the concert ended, the group decided to head back to hers to continue the celebration in a more private setting.”
UsageUsually follows a preposition like 'at' or 'to'.
Teacher's tipThis is common in spoken English but should be avoided in formal writing where 'her house' or 'her home' is preferred.
Synonymsher placeher house
From Middle English hires, heres, hers, attested since the 1300s. Equivalent to her + -s (compare -'s).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.