What a Possessive Pronoun Is
The possessive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs. Each one means my, your, her… + a noun, so no noun comes after it.
MY + NOUNPossessive adjective
The noun umbrella comes after my.
That's my umbrella.
The umbrella belongs to me.
MINEPossessive pronoun
No noun comes after mine.
That umbrella is mine.
Umbrella comes earlier in the sentence, so mine needs no noun.
THEIRS = THEIR HOUSESay the noun only once
Two words become one.
Our house is smaller than theirs.
Theirs means their house, so you don't say house twice.
A noun follows → my, your, her…; nothing follows → mine, yours, hers…
TRY IT
- Question 1
"Is this your pen?" — "Yes, it's ."
- Question 2
"These aren't shoes. Mine are white."
The forms
MY → MINE
- mymine
- youryours
- hishis
- herhers
- ourours
- theirtheirs
most add -s · my → mine · his stays his · its has no form that stands alone · no apostrophe
AFTER BE
nounis / aremine / yours…
The blue car is ours.
The most common place: saying who something belongs to.
AS THE SUBJECT
mine / yours…is / are…
Your keys are here. Mine are in the car.
The verb agrees with the thing owned: mine are, because it means my keys.
WHOSE QUESTIONS
Whosenounis / arethis / these?
Whose glasses are these? — They're his.
Whose asks who owns something. The answer often uses a possessive pronoun.
A FRIEND OF MINE
a / an + nounofmine / hers…
Minh is a neighbour of ours.
One of someone's friends or neighbours. After of, use the possessive pronoun.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"Your hair is long. is short."
- Question 2
"That bike is . Her name is on it."
- Question 3
"Nam can't find his cap. Is this one ?"
When to use them
Not repeating the noun
My phone is old, but yours is new.
You said my phone, so the second time yours is enough.
Signal words: mine · yours · ours
Answering Whose
Whose towel is this? — I think it's his.
A short answer that does not say towel again.
Signal words: It's mine. · They're hers. · It's theirs.
Comparing two people's things
Their garden is bigger than ours.
After than or as, use a possessive pronoun so you don't repeat the noun.
Signal words: bigger than mine · as big as yours
Friends and relatives
Linh is a cousin of hers.
One of her cousins — not the only one.
Signal words: a friend of mine · a cousin of hers · a colleague of his
My vs. mine
Both words mean the same thing. The only difference is whether a noun comes after.
| MY — possessive adjective | MINE — possessive pronoun | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
TRY IT
- Question 1
"Can I use laptop for a minute?"
- Question 2
"Our flat is on the second floor. is on the fifth."
Common mistakes
Incorrect:Where is mine bag?
Correct:Where is my bag?
The noun bag comes next, so the word is my. Mine doesn't go before a noun.
Incorrect:This laptop is my.
Correct:This laptop is mine.
No noun comes after it at the end of the sentence, so use mine.
Incorrect:That jacket is her.
Correct:That jacket is hers.
Her alone is an object pronoun, like see her. To show the owner, use hers.
Incorrect:Hoa is a classmate of me.
Correct:Hoa is a classmate of mine.
After a friend of or a classmate of, use a possessive pronoun: of mine, not of me.
Incorrect:Your room is bigger than my.
Correct:Your room is bigger than mine.
Mine means my room, so you don't need room again after than.
Incorrect:This bed is its.
Correct:This is its bed.
Its can't stand alone, so it needs a noun after it.
Quick check · 7 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 stands for your umbrella. Your always needs a noun after it, and you does not show who owns it.
Choose the right word:
This scarf isn't mine. I think it's hers — she wore it yesterday.
- A. hers — Correct
- B. her
- C. she
Answer: A. hers
No noun follows the gap, so the form that stands alone is needed: her scarf → hers.
Choose the right word:
Is that Dung's hat? — Yes, it's his.
- A. his — Correct
- B. him
- C. he
Answer: A. his
His is the one word that stays the same: his hat → his. Him is an object pronoun and says nothing about who owns the hat.
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, then 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 a possessive pronoun: an old friend of ours, not of us.
Choose the right word:
Can I sit here? — Sorry, that's my chair.
- A. my — Correct
- B. mine
Answer: A. my
Mine only stands alone. When a noun comes after, use my: my chair.
Which sentence is correct?
That basket is the dog's.
- A. That basket is the dog's. — Correct
- B. That basket is its.
- C. That basket is it.
Answer: A. That basket is the dog's.
Its always needs a noun after it: its basket. To put the owner at the end, use the animal's name with 's.
See whether it really stuck.
Start the quiz · 12 questions
