What are Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns?

Possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns both show who owns something. They are similar but work in different ways.

• Possessive Adjectives always come before a noun. They describe the noun.

Examples:

• This is my car.
• Is that your phone?
• She lives with her parents.

• Possessive Pronouns stand alone. They replace a possessive adjective + a noun. This helps us avoid repeating words.

Examples:

• This car is mine. (Instead of ‘my car’)
• Is that phone yours? (Instead of ‘your phone’)
• That house is theirs. (Instead of ‘their house’)

Remember, the possessive adjective its does not have a possessive pronoun form.

How Do We Use the Possessive ‘s?

We use the apostrophe ‘s to show that a person or animal owns something. It is very common in English.

• For singular nouns and names: Add ‘s to the end of the word.

Examples:

• This is Maria’s book. (The book belongs to Maria.)
• That is the dog’s toy. (The toy belongs to the dog.)

• For plural nouns ending in -s: Just add an apostrophe ‘ after the -s.

Examples:

• These are the students’ desks. (The desks belong to the students.)
• My parents’ car is new. (The car belongs to my parents.)

Be careful! ‘s can also be a short form for is oppure has. The meaning depends on the sentence.

• He‘s a doctor. (He is a doctor.)
• She‘s got a new phone. (She has got a new phone.)

How Do We Ask About Possession?

To ask who something belongs to, we use the word Whose.

• You can use Whose before a noun.

Examples:

• Whose jacket is this?
• Whose keys are those?

• You can also use Whose alone, after the verb.

Examples:

• Whose is this jacket?
• Whose are those keys?

Examples

• This is my pen. It’s mine.
• That is your bag. Is it yours?
• He has a new phone. It’s his.
• She loves her cat. The cat is hers.
• We live in our house. The house is ours.
• They found their dog. The dog is theirs.
• This is my brother’s room.
• The children’s toys are everywhere.
• Whose car is parked outside?

Practice

Common mistakes for Spanish speakers

Many Spanish speakers sometimes make these mistakes:

• Using a possessive adjective without a noun: In Spanish, you can often use a possessive word alone (e.g., ‘es mío’). In English, possessive adjectives always need a noun after them. You must use a possessive pronoun instead.
  • Wrong: This book is my.
  • Correct: This book is mine.
  • Wrong: That is your.
  • Correct: That is yours.
• Confusing it’s e its:
  • It’s means it is oppure it has. Example: It’s a beautiful day.
  • Its is a possessive adjective. Example: The dog wagged its tail.

Domande frequenti

What is the difference between ‘my’ and ‘mine’?

My is a possessive adjective. It always comes before a noun, like in my book. Mine is a possessive pronoun. It replaces ‘my + noun’, so it stands alone, like in This book is mine.

When do I use ‘s and when do I use ‘ for possession?

You use ‘s for singular nouns and names (e.g., John’s car, the cat’s toy). You use just ‘ (the apostrophe after the -s) for plural nouns that already end in -s (e.g., the students’ books, my parents’ house).

Does ‘its’ have a possessive pronoun form?

No, its is only a possessive adjective (e.g., The tree lost its leaves.). There is no possessive pronoun form for it.

Can I use ‘whose’ to ask about people and things?

Yes, you can use Whose to ask about possession for both people and things. For example, Whose jacket is this? (for a person) or Whose car is that? (for a thing).

Related lessons

• Possessives