Possessive Pronouns in English Grammar

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are used to show ownership or possession. They replace nouns and indicate that something belongs to someone.

Forms of Possessive Pronouns

• My, your, his, her, its, our, their are used to describe nouns:
  • My car, your book, his phone, her bag, its toy, our house, their dog
• Mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs are used to replace nouns:
  • This is mine, that is yours, the book is his, the car is hers, the toy is its, the house is ours, the dog is theirs

Key Points

• Possessive pronouns agree with the subject of the sentence, not the object.
• Possessive pronouns can be used as subjects, objects, or complements of a sentence.
• Possessive pronouns can be used to show possession, relationship, or association.

Examples

• This is my book. (shows possession)
• He is my brother. (shows relationship)
• This is my favorite restaurant. (shows association)

Common Mistakes

• Confusing possessive pronouns with contractions (e.g., "it's" instead of "its").
• Using possessive pronouns incorrectly, such as "me" instead of "my" or "I" instead of "my".

Possessive Pronouns

• Show ownership or possession, replacing nouns to indicate something belongs to someone

Forms of Possessive Pronouns

• My, your, his, her, its, our, their describe nouns:
  • Used to describe a noun (e.g., My car, your book)
• Mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs replace nouns:
  • Used to replace a noun (e.g., This is mine, that is yours)

Key Points

• Agree with the sentence's subject, not the object
• Can be used as subjects, objects, or complements of a sentence
• Show possession, relationship, or association

Examples

• Possession: This is my book (the book belongs to the speaker)
• Relationship: He is my brother (the speaker has a brother)
• Association: This is my favorite restaurant (the speaker has a connection to the restaurant)

Common Mistakes

• Confusing possessive pronouns with contractions (e.g., "it's" instead of "its")
• Incorrectly using possessive pronouns (e.g., "me" instead of "my" or "I" instead of "my")

Learn about possessive pronouns, their forms, and how to use them to show ownership or possession in English sentences.