What Is a Possessive Pronoun?
The possessive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs. They stand alone. No noun comes after them.
MY + NOUN
The noun umbrella comes after my.
That's my umbrella.
MINE
No noun comes after mine.
That umbrella is mine.
THEIRS = THEIR HOUSE
Our house is smaller than theirs.
A noun follows → my, your, her…; nothing follows → mine, yours, hers…
TRY IT
- Question 1
"Is this your pen?" — "Yes, it's blank."
The forms
MY → MINE
- mymine
- youryours
- hishis
- herhers
- ourours
- theirtheirs
| Word ends in | What to do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| your, her, our, their | add -s | her → hers |
| my | change to mine | my → mine |
| his | no change | his → his |
No ' in yours, hers, ours or theirs.
AFTER BE
nounis / aremine / yours…
The blue car is ours.
The most common place.
AT THE START
mine / yours…is / are…
Your keys are here. Mine are in the car.
The verb matches the thing: mine are (= my keys).
WHOSE QUESTIONS
Whosenounis / arethis / these?
Whose glasses are these? — They're his.
Whose asks who owns something.
A FRIEND OF MINE
a / an + nounofmine / hers…
Minh is a neighbour of ours.
One of our neighbours, not the only one.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"Your hair is long. blank is short."
When to use them
Not saying the noun twice
My phone is old, but yours is new.
Yours = your phone.
Answering Whose
Whose towel is this? — I think it's his.
A short answer.
Comparing
Their garden is bigger than ours.
After than or as.
Friends and relatives
Linh is a cousin of hers.
One of her cousins, not the only one.
My or Mine?
| MY | MINE | |
|---|---|---|
| What follows | A noun: my key | Nothing: The key is mine. |
| Example | Is this your seat? | Is this seat yours? |
| Never say | This is mine key. | This key is my. |
Same meaning. Only ask: is there a noun after it?
TRY IT
- Question 1
"Can I use blank laptop for a minute?"
- Question 2
"Our flat is on the second floor. blank is on the fifth."
Common mistakes
Incorrect:Where is mine bag?
Correct:Where is my bag?
A noun comes next: my bag. Mine never goes before a noun.
Incorrect:This laptop is my.
Correct:This laptop is mine.
Nothing comes after it. Use mine.
Incorrect:That jacket is her.
Correct:That jacket is hers.
To show the owner with no noun after, use hers.
Incorrect:Is this pen your's?
Correct:Is this pen yours?
No ' in yours, hers, ours, theirs.
Incorrect:Hoa is a classmate of me.
Correct:Hoa is a classmate of mine.
After a classmate of, say mine, not me.
Incorrect:Your room is bigger than my.
Correct:Your room is bigger than mine.
Mine means my room. Nothing comes after it.
Quick check · 5 questions
Choose the right word:
I didn't bring an umbrella. Can I borrow yours?
- A. yours — Correct
- B. your
- C. you
Answer: A. yours
Yours means your umbrella. Your always needs a noun after it.
Choose the right word:
Is that Dung's hat? — Yes, it's his.
- A. his — Correct
- B. him
- C. he
Answer: A. his
His hat → his. Him is for after a verb (see him). It does not show the owner.
Choose the correct question:
Whose shoes are these?
- A. Whose shoes — Correct
- B. Shoes whose
- C. Who shoes
Answer: A. Whose shoes
Whose asks who owns something. The noun comes right after it: Whose shoes are these?
Choose the right word:
Thao is an old friend of ours.
- A. ours — Correct
- B. our
- C. us
Answer: A. ours
After a friend of, use mine, yours, his, hers, ours or theirs.
Choose the right word:
This seat is hers. Her bag is on it.
- A. hers — Correct
- B. her's
- C. her
Answer: A. hers
Hers, yours, ours and theirs never have '. Her alone needs a noun after it.
See whether it really stuck.
Start the quiz · 12 questions
