A2 English GrammarPossessive Pronouns
Replace nouns with possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs) to avoid repetition and speak more naturally.
1Possessive Pronouns Overview
Possessive pronouns replace a noun phrase to show ownership. Unlike possessive adjectives (my, your, his), possessive pronouns stand alone without a noun. They answer the question "Whose is this?"
Possessive Adjectives vs Pronouns
| Person | Adjective | Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | my | mine | This is my book. / This is mine. |
| you | your | yours | Is this your pen? / Is this yours? |
| he | his | his | That's his car. / That's his. |
| she | her | hers | It's her idea. / It's hers. |
| we | our | ours | This is our house. / This is ours. |
| they | their | theirs | Those are their bags. / Those are theirs. |
Examples
This book is mine, not yours.
This book is mine, not yours.
mine = my book
Is this umbrella yours?
Is this umbrella yours?
yours = your umbrella
The blue car is theirs.
The blue car is theirs.
theirs = their car
My phone is old. Hers is new.
My phone is old. Hers is new.
hers = her phone
2Using Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns are used after the verb 'be', at the end of sentences, or alone when the noun is already known. They help avoid repetition and make sentences shorter.
Examples
A: Whose jacket is this? B: It's mine.
It's mine.
answering 'whose' questions
Your garden is bigger than ours.
Your garden is bigger than ours.
comparison without repeating 'garden'
I forgot my keys. Can I borrow yours?
Can I borrow yours?
yours = your keys
My answer was wrong, but his was correct.
My answer was wrong, but his was correct.
his = his answer
3Common Mistakes
Don't confuse 'its' (possessive adjective) with 'it's' (it is). The pronoun 'it' has no separate possessive pronoun form - we don't say 'it's' as a possessive pronoun. Also remember: no apostrophes in possessive pronouns.
Common Errors
| Wrong | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| your's | yours | no apostrophe |
| her's | hers | no apostrophe |
| their's | theirs | no apostrophe |
| This book is my. | This book is mine. | use pronoun, not adjective |
Examples
This bag is yours, not your's.
This bag is yours.
never add apostrophe
The decision is ours to make.
The decision is ours to make.
ours, not our's
Which house is theirs?
Which house is theirs?
theirs, not their's