Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns show who something belongs to. They are connected to possessive adjectives (my, your, his, etc.), but they are different.
A possessive adjective comes before a noun:
This is my car.
A possessive pronoun replaces the whole noun phrase, so it can stand alone:
The car is mine.
The forms
- I → my car → The car is mine.
- you → your book → The book is yours.
- he → his dog → The dog is his.
- she → her bag → The bag is hers.
- it → its toy → The toy is its.
- we → our house → The house is ours.
- they → their car → The car is theirs.
Possessive adjective or possessive pronoun?
| Possessive adjective | Possessive pronoun |
|---|---|
| This is my pen. | This pen is mine. |
| That is her car. | That car is hers. |
| These are their books. | These books are theirs. |
Remember: Possessive pronouns stand alone. They do not come before a noun.
- ✓ The cat is mine.
- ✗ The cat is
mine cat.
Quick reference
- Possessive adjective + noun → This is my book.
- Possessive pronoun stands alone → This book is mine.
