Lesson nº4 – Grammar N°3 June 2025
Summary:
• Possessive Pronouns Miss Paola
• Adjective possessives
Possessive pronouns: are a type of pronoun used to indicate ownership or possession.
These pronouns replace the noun phrase that shows possession, making the sentence
shorter and more concise. Unlike possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their),
possessive pronouns stand alone and do not require a noun to follow them.
List of Possessive Pronouns:
Singular Possessive Pronouns:
• Mine: Belongs to me.
• Yours: Belongs to you.
• His: Belongs to him.
• Hers: Belongs to her.
• Its: Belongs to it (rarely used in everyday speech).
Plural Possessive Pronouns:
• Ours: Belongs to us.
• Yours: Belongs to you (plural or formal you). Theirs: Belongs to them.
Examples of Possessive Pronouns:
⚫ This pencil is mine. (The pencil belongs to me.)
⚫ Is this seat yours?. (The seat belongs to you.)
⚫ That book is hers. (The book belongs to her.)
⚫ The dog is ours. (The dog belongs to us.)
⚫ These shoes are theirs. (The shoes belong to them.)
Key Points About Possessive Pronouns:
No Noun Follows Them: Possessive pronouns stand alone and do not need a noun after
them. For example:
1. This is mine.
("Mine" stands alone without needing a noun like "book" or "pen.")
Possessive Pronouns Show Ownership: They express who owns or possesses
something. For example:
2. The green ball is theirs.
("Theirs" shows that the ball belongs to them.)
Do Not Use Apostrophes: Possessive pronouns do not take an apostrophe (unlike
possessive nouns). For example:
Correct: That car is hers.
Incorrect: That car is her's.
Exercises
Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct possessive pronoun (mine, yours, his,
hers, ours, theirs):
1. This book is ____ (I).
2. Is this pen ____ (you)?
3. The house on the corner is ____ (we).
4. The red shoes are ____ (she).
5. This phone is ____ (he).
6. These are not my keys. They are ____ (they).
7. The dog is ____ (my parents).
8. This car is not ____ (my friend). It’s ____ (his).
Exercise 2: Correct the mistakes in the following sentences.
1. This is my pen. That one is hers.
2. The books on the table are their’s.
3. The shoes are her’s, not mine.
4. These are my father’s tools. They are mine.
5. The house on the hill is ours’s.
Possessive adjectives (also known as possessive determiners) are words that show
ownership or possession and are used before a noun to indicate to whom the noun
belongs. They are similar to possessive pronouns, but while possessive pronouns stand
alone, possessive adjectives always appear with a noun.
List of Possessive Adjectives:
1. My – Belongs to me
2. Your – Belongs to you (singular or plural)
3. His – Belongs to him
4. Her – Belongs to her
5. Its – Belongs to it (usually referring to animals or things)
6. Our – Belongs to us
7. Their – Belongs to them
Possessive Adjectives:
1. My:
My car is blue. (The car belongs to me.)
My house is big. (The house belongs to me.)
2. Your:
Your book is on the table. (The book belongs to you.)
Is this your pen? (Does the pen belong to you?)
3. His:
His dog is very friendly. (The dog belongs to him.)
I like his shoes. (The shoes belong to him.)
4. Her:
Her phone is on the desk. (The phone belongs to her.)
Her name is Sarah. (The name belongs to her.)
5. Its:
Its tail is very long. (The tail belongs to the animal or thing.) The cat is
playing with its toy. (The toy belongs to the cat.)
6. Our:
Our school is near the park. (The school belongs to us.)
Our family loves to travel. (The family belongs to us.)
7. Their:
Their car is new. (The car belongs to them.)
Their house is on the corner. (The house belongs to them.)
Key Points About Possessive Adjectives:
1. Used with Nouns:
Unlike possessive pronouns, possessive adjectives are always followed by a noun.
Correct: My cat is sleeping.
Incorrect: My is sleeping. (Here, "my" should be followed by a noun like "cat.")
2. No Apostrophe:
Possessive adjectives do not require an apostrophe.
Correct: His car is fast.
Incorrect: His's car is fast.
3. They Show Ownership or Association:
Possessive adjectives show who owns or is associated with the noun. For example:
Your brother is here. (The brother belongs to you.) Their opinions are
important. (The opinions belong to them.)
4. Forming Questions:
Possessive adjectives can be used in questions:
Is this your book?
Whose jacket is this? (Note: "Whose" is an interrogative possessive pronoun, different
from possessive adjectives.)
5. No Capitalization Unless Necessary:
Possessive adjectives are only capitalized if they appear at the beginning of a sentence or
if the noun they modify is a proper noun.
My brother is a teacher. (Here, "my" is lowercase, but it would be capitalized if it started a
sentence: "My brother is a teacher.")
More Example Sentences:
• My parents live in the city. (Ownership: The parents belong to me.) Your idea is
very creative. (Ownership: The idea belongs to you.)
• His team won the championship. (Ownership: The team belongs to him.)
• Her dress is beautiful. (Ownership: The dress belongs to her.)
• Our house is near the beach. (Ownership: The house belongs to us.)
• Their vacation was amazing. (Ownership: The vacation belongs to them.) Common
Confusions:
• "Its" vs "It's":
o Its is a possessive adjective: "The dog wagged its tail." o It's is a
contraction of "it is" or "it has": "It's a sunny day." "Your" vs "You're":
o Your is a possessive adjective: "Is this your pencil?" o You're is a
contraction of "you are": "Are you coming?"
Exercises
Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct possessive pronoun (mine, yours, his,
hers, ours, theirs):
1. This book is ____ (I).
2. Is this pen ____ (you)?
3. The house on the corner is ____ (we).
4. The red shoes are ____ (she).
5. This phone is ____ (he).
6. These are not my keys. They are ____ (they).
7. The dog is ____ (my parents).
8. This car is not ____ (my friend). It’s ____ (his).
Exercise 2: Choose the correct possessive pronoun to complete the sentence.
a. The blue jacket is ____. a) hers b) her c) she
b. Is this bag ____? a) mine b) my c) I
c. This is their house, so the garden is ____. a) theirs b) their c) them
d. I love this painting! It’s ____. a) yours b) your c) you
e. The red bicycle is ____. a) his b) him c) he
Exercise 3: Complete the sentences with the correct possessive pronoun.
1. These are my parents' books, not ____ (we).
2. That sweater is too small for me, but it’s perfect for ____ (you).
3. The laptop on the desk is ____ (he).
4. The green ball is ____ (they).
5. This car is not mine. It’s ____ (my brother).
