Possessive adjectives
Possessive Adjectives
1. What Are Possessive Adjectives?
Possessive adjectives are words we use to show who something belongs to.
Common possessive adjectives are my, your, his, her, its, our, their.
They answer the question:
→ Whose is it?
When you use a possessive adjective, you are saying:
“This thing belongs to this person.”
Examples:
- my book → the book belongs to me
- her bag → the bag belongs to her
2. Where Do Possessive Adjectives Go in a Sentence?
Possessive adjectives always come before a noun. They cannot be used alone.
Basic structure:
possessive adjective + noun
Examples:
- my book
- your bag
- his jacket
Important rule:
A possessive adjective must always be followed by a noun.
3. Common Possessive Adjectives and How to Use Them
- my – something belongs to me
- your – something belongs to you
- his – something belongs to a male person
- her – something belongs to a female person
- its – something belongs to a thing or animal
- our – something belongs to us
- their – something belongs to them
Important rule:
4. Reminder from a Previous Lesson: Possessive Adjectives vs Possessive Pronouns
You already learned possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs).
Now let’s compare them.
Possessive adjective:
Used before a noun
→ “This is my dog.”
Possessive pronoun:
Used alone, without a noun
→ “This dog is mine.”
Simple rule to remember:
- Adjective = needs a noun
- Pronoun = replaces the noun
Possessive adjectives:
- my
- your
- his
- her
- our
- their
Possessives pronoun:
- mine
- yours
- his
- hers
- ours
- theirs
Practice Exercises
Test your knowledge with interactive fill-in-the-blank exercises
Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, etc.)
A1Ready to practice Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, etc.)? Take these exercises to reinforce your understanding.
Related Vocabulary
Expand your vocabulary with words related to this grammar topic
Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, etc.)
A1Possessive Adjectives
7 wordsmy
pronoun
Used to indicate possession by the speaker.
This is my book.
your
pronoun
Used to indicate possession, belonging to the person or people being addressed.
Is this your book?
his
pronoun
her
pronoun
Used to refer to a female person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified.
I saw her at the park yesterday.
its
pronoun
A possessive form of the pronoun 'it', used to indicate ownership or belonging.
The cat chased its tail.
our
pronoun
Used to indicate possession by the speaker and one or more other people.
This is our house.
their
pronoun
Used to indicate possession by two or more people or things.
This is their car.