Possessive adjectives

Possessives

1. Possessives

Possessives are mainly used to indicate that something belongs to or is part of someone. We also use them to express relationships (people or animals) and to talk about parts of the body. They go according to the possessor, not to the possession.
Possessive pronoun
IMG UNIT 09-01
I have a pet, so this pet is mine.
Possessive adjective
IMG UNIT 09-02
This is your problem, not my problem.

2. Possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns

Personal pronoun Possessive adjective Possessive pronoun
I My Mine
You Your Yours
He His His
She Her Hers
It Its Its1
We Our Ours
You Your Yours
They Their Theirs
1The possessive pronoun its is very rarely used.

3. How are possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns used?

  • Possessive adjectives accompany a noun.
    IMG UNIT 09-04
    This is my collection.
    IMG UNIT 09-05
    Is she your daughter?
  • Possessive pronouns replace a noun. They act as a subject when they replace the possessor and the possession. They act as an object when they only replace the possessor.
    IMG UNIT 09-06
    Mary has a hat. That hat is hers.
    In this example hers replaces Mary, so it acts as an object.
    IMG UNIT 09-07
    That is my cushion. Yours is there.
    In this example, yours replaces both you and the cushion, so it acts as a subject.

4. Aspects to be taken into account

Possessive adjectives precede a noun while possessive pronouns don't.

Possessive adjective
IMG UNIT 09-08
This is my car.
In this example we will use the possessive adjective my because it precedes a noun (car).
Possessive pronoun
IMG UNIT 09-09
This car is mine.
In this example we will use the possessive pronoun mine because it doesn't precede a noun.
Remember that we can use the structure: subject + of + possessive pronoun when we want to refer to one or several people from a group.
That boy over there is a cousin of mine.
He is a friend of mine.

Remember!

Personal pronoun Possessive adjective Possessive pronoun
I
My
Mine
You
Your
Yours
He
His
His
She
Her
Hers
It
Its
Its
We
Our
Ours
You
Your
Yours
They
Their
Theirs