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What’s your favorite song? One of mine is The Glorious Sons’ Pink Motel. The previous sentence is a fact about me and shows how to use possessive pronouns.
Possessive pronouns in English grammar are pronouns that replace nouns while showing possession.
This grammar guide about possessive pronouns for kids and adults will answer all your questions on the topic. Learn its definition with a list of all the possessive pronouns. You’ll also discover the rules on its correct usage and how it differs from a possessive adjective.
Then, you can answer the helpful pronoun worksheets I provided once you’ve finished reading the article and absorbing everything I have to share.
A possessive or absolute possessive pronoun is used to denote somebody’s property. We use it when referring to a specific person, object, idea, or other nouns belonging to a person.
The use of the correct possessive pronoun depends on three things:
There are several other types of pronouns in the English language, such as interrogative pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, relative pronouns, and indefinite pronouns.
Here’s a complete chart of possessive pronouns in English.
Singular
Person: 1st person
Gender: Male, female, gender-neutral
Possessive Pronoun: Mine
Person: 2nd person
Gender: Male, female, gender-neutral
Possessive Pronoun: Yours
Person: 3rd person
Gender: Male
Possessive Pronoun: His
Person: 3rd person
Gender: Female
Possessive Pronoun: Hers
Person: 3rd person
Gender: Gender-neutral
Possessive Pronoun: Theirs
Plural
Person: 1st person
Gender: Male, female, gender-neutral
Possessive Pronoun: Ours
Person: 2nd person
Gender: Male, female, gender-neutral
Possessive Pronoun: Yours
Person: 3rd person
Gender: Male, female, gender-neutral
Possessive Pronoun: Theirs
Here, I whipped up some examples of possessive pronouns in a sentence.
Here, the speaker asks whether the other person owns the bag. The possessive pronoun yours is a 2nd person singular pronoun. The antecedent here is the singular noun your bag. Make sense?
The rules for using possessive pronouns are easier than you think, trust me. All you have to do is treat them as nouns since they are a type of possessive noun. If you always keep that in mind, you’ll remember how to use possessive pronouns.
A possessive pronoun is a type of possessive noun that is simplified to make the sentence more concise. It indicates the noun’s possession of another noun by replacing the entire word or phrase. Consider the sentence below.
Simplified sentence: My eyeglasses are broken. Hers are in perfect condition.
In this sentence, the possessive pronoun hers is used to avoid repetition. After all, the purpose of pronouns is to avoid redundancy.
Although not explicitly stated, context clues will tell us that the antecedent of hers is her eyeglasses.
Here are more sample sentences.
Avoid writing unclear sentences where the possessive pronoun’s antecedent cannot be determined. For example:
Clear sentence: I didn’t look for your cardigan. I was looking for hers.
Although the second sentence doesn’t specifically say it, the context shows that hers refers to her cardigan.
Because a possessive pronoun replaces a noun, we can use it as a subject or object.
Remember that a subject pronoun is the doer of the action. Take a peek at these possessive pronoun examples.
In the first sentence, mine functions as the subject of the sentence since it represents what the sentence is about. Although it is not mentioned, the antecedent of mine is my test scores.
The second sentence uses mine as a subject complement. A subject complement identifies or represents the subject. One trick to identifying the subject complement is to look for a linking verb before it.
The object pronoun is the receiver of the action or another object. Here are some examples of objective possessive pronouns in sentences.
In the first sentence, yours functions as a direct object because it receives the action love. That means your hairstyle is loved by the speaker.
The second sentence uses mine as an indirect object. Indirect objects are the receiver of the direct object in the sentence. That means mine (or my dog) was given a bath.
Possessive pronouns can also be objects of prepositions. In the third sentence, his functions as the object of the preposition across. Its antecedent is his house.
The complete prepositional phrase is across his (across his house), which modifies the action verb located.
It can be challenging to practice subject-verb agreement when the subject is a possessive pronoun. For example, while ours is plural, the following verb can be singular.
That’s because the verb form is not based on the number of owners. It’s based on the number of people or things being talked about. Check out the pair of sentences below.
The first sentence is incorrect because “is” is not the appropriate verb. The antecedent of mine is my recipes and not my recipe. Since “recipes” is plural, the verb form should be are.
Here’s another example.
The verb are is used correctly despite the singular possessive pronoun because hers refers to her favorite ice cream flavors, which are chocolate and cookie dough. Flavors agrees with are and not is.
Mastering subject-verb agreements with possessive pronouns requires a clear understanding of the pronoun’s antecedent. Always make it clear what noun or noun phrase is referred to by the possessive pronoun.
Sometimes, adjectives may look like pronouns. Demonstrative adjectives look like demonstrative pronouns, and indefinite adjectives look like indefinite pronouns. The same is true with possessive adjectives resembling possessive pronouns.
While a possessive pronoun replaces a noun or noun phrase, a possessive adjective modifies a noun or noun phrase. For example:
In the first sentence, my is a possessive adjective, modifying the noun coffee. But in the second sentence, mine is a possessive pronoun that refers to my white coffee.
Here’s a list of possessive adjectives and their corresponding possessive pronouns.
| Possessive Adjective | Possessive Pronoun |
| My | Mine |
| Your | Yours |
| Our | Ours |
| Its | Its |
| His | His |
| Her | Hers |
| Their | Theirs |
Like possessive pronouns, possessive adjectives can also avoid repetition and redundancy in sentences. Analyze the difference between the two sentences below.
It sounds weird to mention my name twice in the sentence. To avoid awkwardness, use a possessive adjective to modify perfectly baked cookies.
Since possessive adjectives are not nouns or pronouns, they cannot function as subjects or objects. For example:
Her newspaper is the direct object of the first sentence. However, her cannot stand alone as an object because it is a possessive adjective. In the second sentence, the possessive pronoun hers functions as a subject complement because it represents her newspaper.
Like most adjectives, possessive adjectives come before the nouns they modify. Consider the sentence example below.
The possessive adjective my comes before the noun it modifies, which is mother.
Below are more sentence examples where the possessive adjective comes before the noun it modifies.
His is one of the two possessive pronouns that can also be adjectives. Its function depends on its usage and placement in the sentence. For example:
When we use his as a subject, subject complement, direct object, indirect object, or object of the preposition, then it’s a possessive pronoun. For example:
When we use his as a possessive adjective, it comes before the noun or noun phrase it modifies. For example:
Like his, its also functions as a possessive pronoun or possessive adjective. Its function depends on its usage and placement in the sentence. For example:
When we use its as a subject, subject complement, direct object, indirect object, or object of the preposition, then it’s a possessive pronoun. For example:
As a possessive adjective, its comes before the noun or noun phrase it modifies. For example:
Now that you know the rules for using these pronouns, let’s look at the possessive pronoun mistakes to avoid.
You already know that pronouns such as personal and possessive pronouns take the place of nouns and noun phrases. Therefore, they may function as subjects and objects but never as modifiers.
Do not use possessive pronouns as adjectives, adverbs, or other forms of modifiers. For example:
Mine is a possessive pronoun. Therefore, it cannot modify the noun Science teacher. It can only replace my science teacher. The correct word to use instead of mine is my.
Here are more examples of incorrect and correct uses of possessive pronouns in sentences.
It’s a general rule that every pronoun must agree with the noun or noun phrase it stands for. The sentence’s subject is not the owner, but the owner’s possession.
Make sure to analyze the antecedent of the possessive pronoun to determine the correct verb form to use. For example:
Based on context, we can conclude that the speaker is comparing whose house is bigger. Therefore, theirs stands for their house. We use is in the second clausebecause we are referring to one house instead of multiple houses.
Below are more sample sentences.
Another mistake is the use of apostrophes in possessive pronouns and adjectives. It’s vs. its is a very common confusion among English writers, especially when using its as a possessive adjective. For example:
One of the reasons for this mistake is the idea that we use an apostrophe and s (‘s) to show possession. But this rule only applies to possessive nouns. We can write dog’s fur, but we can’t write it’s fur.
Remember that it’s is a contraction of it is. For example:
We also don’t use an apostrophe for other possessive pronouns, such as yours, ours, theirs, his, and hers. For example:
I have a few tips for using possessive pronouns you should follow to avoid grammatical errors.
First, apostrophes should never cross your mind. Remember that the apostrophe and s rule only applies to possessive nouns. Ours, yours, his, hers, its, and theirs already show possession without taking apostrophes.
Next, check the placement of the possessive pronoun. Remember that pronouns replace nouns and noun phrases, so you won’t find them before another noun. These pronouns can stand on their own without modifying another noun.
Lastly, read your sentences aloud. Doing so will help you identify whether the sentence sounds correct or not. It will also help you pinpoint which part is incorrect.
For example, when you use a possessive adjective instead of a pronoun, you’ll be able to catch the mistake when you read it out loud.
A gender-neutral pronoun is a pronoun that does not specify a person or animal’s gender. We use it to be more sensitive to someone’s gender identity and expression.
The purpose of using gender-neutral language is to promote inclusivity. It helps us prevent using words that may be interpreted as discriminatory, biased, or demeaning. We also don’t want to imply that a specific name, activity, or position is attributed to one sex.
The singular use of they and other derivative forms emerged in the 14th century but was not accepted by prescriptive commentators. Today, it is recognized as a gender-neutral pronoun by the American Dialect Society, Merriam-Webster, and several style guides.
The possessive theirs isn’t only a plural pronoun. It’s now also a singular, gender-neutral, or non-binary alternative to gender-specific pronouns.
Instead of using gendered pronouns his and hers or his/hers when we don’t know someone’s gender identity, we can use theirs. For example:
You can use the gender-neutral pronoun when someone’s gender doesn’t need to be specified in the context. For example:
It’s also the best option when referring to someone who identifies as non-binary. For example:
The possessive pronoun can be singular or plural. The quantity depends on the number of people you refers to. For example:
In this sentence, yours refers to Christmas gift. It is singular because both April is singular.
Here’s another example.
The speaker refers to two people in the sentence, Mom and Dad. Therefore, yours is plural as it refers to your letters or Mom and Dad’s letters.
Yes, you can use theirs as a singular possessive pronoun. Use it to show gender neutrality or when referring to a person who identifies as non-binary. For example:
Its other derivative forms, them, they, their, and themselves can also be used as singular pronouns.
Traditional grammar states that our is a possessive adjective, not a possessive pronoun. Its pronoun counterpart is ours. For example:
Our is an adjective because it modifies first baby.
Here’s an example of ours in a sentence.
Ours is a possessive pronoun because it replaces the noun phrase our love.
Possessive pronouns are used to show someone’s or something’s property of any noun or noun phrase. The seven possessive pronouns in the English language are mine, ours, yours, its, theirs, his, and hers.
I hope these grammar notes helped you understand the definition and use of possessive pronouns. If you’re ready for a quiz, try answering the exercises below.
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