ENGLISH
REFERENCE

yours

pron.
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈjɔɹz// UK //jˈɔːz// yours General-service Informal

pron. the thing or things that belong to you. You use it to avoid repeating a noun when it is clear what you are talking about.

pron. the second-person possessive pronoun, used to refer to things belonging to or associated with the person being addressed. Functions as a nominal substitute to avoid repetition of the noun phrase.


SIMPLE

I found a blue umbrella; is it yours?

CONTEXTUAL

My car is parked around the corner, but I think yours is still in the driveway.

COMPLEX

While my research focuses primarily on historical linguistics, yours seems to bridge the gap between sociology and modern communication theory in a very compelling way.

Origin

From Middle English youres, ȝoures, attested since the 1300s. Equivalent to your + -s (compare -'s); formed by analogy to his. Displaced yourn in standard speech.

Usage

Used as a predicative or independent pronoun; it never precedes a noun. Often used as a complimentary close in letters as 'Yours sincerely' or 'Yours faithfully'.

Pitfall

Is this book your's?Is this book yours?Possessive pronouns like 'yours', 'hers', and 'theirs' never take an apostrophe.

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