{"id":272566,"date":"2026-07-14T03:01:05","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T08:01:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/?p=272566"},"modified":"2026-07-14T03:01:05","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T08:01:05","slug":"a1-possessive-pronouns-apostrophe-s-a1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/en\/blog\/a1-possessive-pronouns-apostrophe-s-a1\/","title":{"rendered":"A1 English: How to Show Possession with Possessive Pronouns and &#8216;s"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"lc-answer\"><strong>Possessive words in English tell us who owns something or who something belongs to.<\/strong> We use two main ways to show possession: possessive pronouns and the possessive apostrophe <span data-no-translation>&#8216;s<\/span>. Possessive pronouns like <span data-no-translation>mine<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>yours<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>his<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>hers<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>ours<\/span>, and <span data-no-translation>theirs<\/span> replace a possessive adjective and a noun to avoid repetition. For example, instead of <span data-no-translation>\u201cThis is my book, not your book,\u201d<\/span> you can say <span data-no-translation>\u201cThis is my book, not yours.\u201d<\/span> The possessive <span data-no-translation>&#8216;s<\/span> is added to a noun (like <span data-no-translation>John&#8217;s<\/span>) or a plural noun ending in <span data-no-translation>-s<\/span> (like <span data-no-translation>students&#8217;<\/span>) to show ownership directly. These forms help make your English clearer and more natural.<\/div>\n<h2>What are Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns?<\/h2>\n<p>Possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns both show who owns something. They are similar but work in different ways.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Possessive Adjectives<\/strong> always come <strong>before a noun<\/strong>. They describe the noun.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>This is <strong>my<\/strong> car.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Is that <strong>your<\/strong> phone?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>She lives with <strong>her<\/strong> parents.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Possessive Pronouns<\/strong> stand alone. They <strong>replace a possessive adjective + a noun<\/strong>. This helps us avoid repeating words.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>This car is <strong>mine<\/strong>.<\/span> (Instead of &#8216;my car&#8217;)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Is that phone <strong>yours<\/strong>?<\/span> (Instead of &#8216;your phone&#8217;)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>That house is <strong>theirs<\/strong>.<\/span> (Instead of &#8216;their house&#8217;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Remember, the possessive adjective <span data-no-translation>its<\/span> does not have a possessive pronoun form.<\/p>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-blended\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0E63C4,#0A2540);\"><h3 style=\"color:#fff;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">\ud83c\udf93 Learn English with the Blended method<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;opacity:.95;\">Small groups &middot; 24\/7 AI Tutor &middot; Cambridge preparation<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:18px;\">Plans from <strong><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\">$<\/span>39<\/bdi><\/span><\/strong> <s style=\"opacity:.6;\"><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\">$<\/span>79<\/bdi><\/span><\/s> per month<\/p><a href=\"\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#fff;color:#0E63C4;\">Reserve your class<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>How Do We Use the Possessive &#8216;s?<\/h2>\n<p>We use the apostrophe <span data-no-translation>&#8216;s<\/span> to show that a person or animal owns something. It is very common in English.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>For singular nouns and names:<\/strong> Add <span data-no-translation>&#8216;s<\/span> to the end of the word.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>This is <strong>Maria&#8217;s<\/strong> book.<\/span> (The book belongs to Maria.)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>That is the <strong>dog&#8217;s<\/strong> toy.<\/span> (The toy belongs to the dog.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>For plural nouns ending in -s:<\/strong> Just add an apostrophe <span data-no-translation>&#8216;<\/span> after the <span data-no-translation>-s<\/span>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>These are the <strong>students&#8217;<\/strong> desks.<\/span> (The desks belong to the students.)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>My <strong>parents&#8217;<\/strong> car is new.<\/span> (The car belongs to my parents.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Be careful! <span data-no-translation>&#8216;s<\/span> can also be a short form for <span data-no-translation>is<\/span> or <span data-no-translation>has<\/span>. The meaning depends on the sentence.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>He<strong>&#8216;s<\/strong> a doctor.<\/span> (He is a doctor.)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>She<strong>&#8216;s<\/strong> got a new phone.<\/span> (She has got a new phone.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How Do We Ask About Possession?<\/h2>\n<p>To ask who something belongs to, we use the word <span data-no-translation>Whose<\/span>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You can use <span data-no-translation>Whose<\/span> before a noun.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation><strong>Whose<\/strong> jacket is this?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation><strong>Whose<\/strong> keys are those?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>You can also use <span data-no-translation>Whose<\/span> alone, after the verb.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation><strong>Whose<\/strong> is this jacket?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation><strong>Whose<\/strong> are those keys?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table>\n<caption>Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns<\/caption>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Subject<\/th>\n<th>Possessive Adjective<\/th>\n<th>Possessive Pronoun<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>I<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>my<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>mine<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>You<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>your<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>yours<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>He<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>his<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>his<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>She<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>her<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>hers<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>It<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>its<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>&#8211;<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>We<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>our<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>ours<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>They<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>their<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>theirs<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Examples<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>This is my pen. It&#8217;s mine.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>That is your bag. Is it yours?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>He has a new phone. It&#8217;s his.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>She loves her cat. The cat is hers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>We live in our house. The house is ours.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>They found their dog. The dog is theirs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>This is my brother&#8217;s room.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>The children&#8217;s toys are everywhere.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Whose car is parked outside?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Practice<\/h2>\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-133\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"133\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameBorder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"B07 L2 GRAMMAR Possessive pronouns and possessive \u2019s\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-whatsapp\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#3DB16A,#1f8a4c);\"><h3 style=\"color:#fff;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">&#128172; Need personalized guidance?<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;opacity:.95;\">As an Authorized Cambridge Preparation Centre, we can guide you to the right course and certification. Chat with our advisors today.<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/wa.me\/51980473286\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#fff;color:#1f8a4c;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chat with an Advisor on WhatsApp<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Common mistakes for Spanish speakers<\/h2>\n<p>Many Spanish speakers sometimes make these mistakes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Using a possessive adjective without a noun:<\/strong> In Spanish, you can often use a possessive word alone (e.g., &#8216;es m\u00edo&#8217;). In English, possessive adjectives always need a noun after them. You must use a possessive pronoun instead.\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Wrong:<\/strong> <span data-no-translation>This book is my.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> <span data-no-translation>This book is <strong>mine<\/strong>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Wrong:<\/strong> <span data-no-translation>That is your.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> <span data-no-translation>That is <strong>yours<\/strong>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Confusing <span data-no-translation>it&#8217;s<\/span> and <span data-no-translation>its<\/span>:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation><strong>It&#8217;s<\/strong><\/span> means <span data-no-translation>it is<\/span> or <span data-no-translation>it has<\/span>. Example: <span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s a beautiful day.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation><strong>Its<\/strong><\/span> is a possessive adjective. Example: <span data-no-translation>The dog wagged <strong>its<\/strong> tail.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>What is the difference between &#8216;my&#8217; and &#8216;mine&#8217;?<\/h3>\n<p><span data-no-translation>My<\/span> is a possessive adjective. It always comes before a noun, like in <span data-no-translation>my book<\/span>. <span data-no-translation>Mine<\/span> is a possessive pronoun. It replaces &#8216;my + noun&#8217;, so it stands alone, like in <span data-no-translation>This book is mine.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>When do I use &#8216;s and when do I use &#8216; for possession?<\/h3>\n<p>You use <span data-no-translation>&#8216;s<\/span> for singular nouns and names (e.g., <span data-no-translation>John&#8217;s car<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>the cat&#8217;s toy<\/span>). You use just <span data-no-translation>&#8216;<\/span> (the apostrophe after the <span data-no-translation>-s<\/span>) for plural nouns that already end in <span data-no-translation>-s<\/span> (e.g., <span data-no-translation>the students&#8217; books<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>my parents&#8217; house<\/span>).<\/p>\n<h3>Does &#8216;its&#8217; have a possessive pronoun form?<\/h3>\n<p>No, <span data-no-translation>its<\/span> is only a possessive adjective (e.g., <span data-no-translation>The tree lost its leaves.<\/span>). There is no possessive pronoun form for <span data-no-translation>it<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h3>Can I use &#8216;whose&#8217; to ask about people and things?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, you can use <span data-no-translation>Whose<\/span> to ask about possession for both people and things. For example, <span data-no-translation>Whose jacket is this?<\/span> (for a person) or <span data-no-translation>Whose car is that?<\/span> (for a thing).<\/p>\n<h2>Related lessons<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/?p=272525\">Possessives<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Possessive words in English tell us who owns something or who something belongs to. We use two main ways to show possession: possessive pronouns and the possessive apostrophe &#8216;s. Possessive pronouns like mine, yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs replace a possessive adjective and a noun to avoid repetition. For example, instead of \u201cThis is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":192,"featured_media":272673,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"bwfblock_default_font":"","langcom_teaches":"Possessives","langcom_cefr":"A1","langcom_type":"grammar","langcom_faq":"[{\"q\": \"What is the difference between 'my' and 'mine'?\", \"a\": \"<span data-no-translation>My<\/span> is a possessive adjective. It always comes before a noun, like in <span data-no-translation>my book<\/span>. <span data-no-translation>Mine<\/span> is a possessive pronoun. It replaces 'my + noun', so it stands alone, like in <span data-no-translation>This book is mine.<\/span>\"}, {\"q\": \"When do I use 's and when do I use ' for possession?\", \"a\": \"You use <span data-no-translation>'s<\/span> for singular nouns and names (e.g., <span data-no-translation>John's car<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>the cat's toy<\/span>). You use just <span data-no-translation>'<\/span> (the apostrophe after the <span data-no-translation>-s<\/span>) for plural nouns that already end in <span data-no-translation>-s<\/span> (e.g., <span data-no-translation>the students' books<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>my parents' house<\/span>).\"}, {\"q\": \"Does 'its' have a possessive pronoun form?\", \"a\": \"No, <span data-no-translation>its<\/span> is only a possessive adjective (e.g., <span data-no-translation>The tree lost its leaves.<\/span>). There is no possessive pronoun form for <span data-no-translation>it<\/span>.\"}, {\"q\": \"Can I use 'whose' to ask about people and things?\", \"a\": \"Yes, you can use <span data-no-translation>Whose<\/span> to ask about possession for both people and things. For example, <span data-no-translation>Whose jacket is this?<\/span> (for a person) or <span data-no-translation>Whose car is that?<\/span> (for a thing).\"}]","rank_math_title":"A1 English: Possessive Pronouns & 's \u2013 Mine, Yours, John's","rank_math_description":"Learn A1 English possessives! Understand when to use possessive pronouns (mine, yours) and the apostrophe 's (John's, students') to show ownership. Simple explanations for learners.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"possessive pronouns 's A1","rank_math_canonical_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[177],"tags":[651,712],"formats":[],"class_list":["post-272566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a2-basic-english","tag-grammar","tag-possessive-pronouns-and-possessive-s"],"dsm_author":{"name":"Ra\u00fal","avatar_url":"https:\/\/cdn.langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/05230819\/1de86ea706740d324aaef3dd8bf0843b.png","archive_link":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/en\/author\/raulmaguinahamann\/","biodata":""},"dsm_categories":[{"term_name":"A2 Basic 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