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What Are Possessive Adjectives?

Possessive adjectives are small words. They tell us about ownership or connection. They answer the question: Whose?

• They always come before a noun.
• They do not change their form, no matter if the noun is singular or plural.

How Do We Use Possessive Adjectives?

We use possessive adjectives to show that something belongs to someone or something. They describe the noun that follows.

• For example, This is my car. (The car belongs to me.)
• Another example: She likes her new bag. (The bag belongs to her.)

Possessive Adjectives and Subject Pronouns

Each possessive adjective matches a subject pronoun. Look at the table to see the pairs.

When to Use Each Possessive Adjective?

• Use my for I: This is my phone.
• Use your for you: Is this your book?
• Use his for he: That is his brother.
• Use her for she: Her name is Maria.
• Use its for it (things or animals): The dog likes its toy.
• Use our for we: This is our house.
• Use their for they: They live with their parents.

Subject Pronouns and Their Possessive Adjectives

Subject Pronoun	Possessive Adjective
I	my
You	your
He	his
She	her
It	its
We	our
They	their

Examples

• I like my new shoes.
• What is your favorite color?
• He plays with his dog every day.
• She loves her family very much.
• The cat is sleeping in its bed.
• We are proud of our team.
• They are visiting their grandparents.

Practice

Common mistakes for Spanish speakers

Spanish speakers often make these mistakes:

• Using subject pronouns instead of possessive adjectives: In Spanish, you might say "Yo libro" (incorrect) or "mi libro." In English, always use the possessive adjective: I have my book. (NOT I have I book.)
• Confusing his, her, its, and their with "su": In Spanish, "su" can mean his, her, its, or their. In English, you must choose the correct one based on who owns the item. For example, He has his car. (NOT He has her car. if it's his car).
• Confusing its and it's: Its is a possessive adjective. It shows possession (e.g., The dog wagged its tail.). It's is a contraction of it is or it has (e.g., It's a beautiful day.).

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between 'my' and 'mine'?

My is a possessive adjective. It comes before a noun (e.g., my book). Mine is a possessive pronoun. It replaces the noun (e.g., That book is mine.).

Do possessive adjectives change for plural nouns?

No, possessive adjectives do not change. For example, you say my car (singular) and my cars (plural). The word my stays the same.

Can I use a possessive adjective without a noun?

No, you cannot. Possessive adjectives always need a noun after them. For example, you must say This is my bag. You cannot say This is my.

Related lessons

• Possessives
• Possessives
• Possessives
• Possessives