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Learn how to show who owns something or who something belongs to using possessive words such as my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.
My book is on the table.
Is this your bag?
Her phone is new.
Our classroom is clean.
The children are playing with their toys.
Follow these four steps to understand possessives and use them correctly in everyday English.
Learn how possessives show ownership, relationships, and belonging.
Understand my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.
Discover how mine, yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs work.
Use possessives in sentences and avoid common mistakes.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Imagine you are at school and see a book on a desk. You want to tell your friend that the book belongs to you. You can say, “This is my book.”
The word my shows that the book belongs to you. Words like my, your, his, her, our, and their help us express ownership or relationships without repeating names.
There are different ways to show possession in English. We can use possessive adjectives before nouns, possessive pronouns on their own, and possessive nouns such as “Riya’s bag.”
Shows that something belongs to the speaker.
Example: My phone is charging.
Shows that something belongs to the person being addressed.
Example: Your jacket looks nice.
Can show that something belongs to a female person.
Example: Her bicycle is red.
Shows that something belongs to or is shared by the speaker and others.
Example: Our team is ready.
This is my bag. — The bag belongs to me.
This bag is mine. — The meaning is similar, but “mine” stands alone.
Both sentences express ownership. In the first sentence, “my” comes before the noun “bag.” In the second, “mine” replaces the phrase “my bag.”
Possessives help us explain who owns something, who something belongs to, or how people and things are connected. They make everyday conversations clearer and more natural.
Use possessives to describe family members and shared belongings.
Example: My sister is in her room.
Identify whose books, notebooks, or school supplies are being discussed.
Example: Your notebook is under the desk.
Ask about ownership or compare belongings.
Example: Is this umbrella yours?
Talk clearly about team responsibilities and shared resources.
Example: Our meeting starts at ten.
Ask yourself, “Who does this belong to?” If the answer is “me,” you might use my before a noun or mine on its own. If it belongs to another person or group, choose the possessive that matches that owner.
Possessives are words or grammatical forms that show ownership, belonging, or relationships between people and things. They help us explain who something belongs to or how something is connected to someone.
English uses possessive adjectives, possessive pronouns, and possessive nouns to express possession.
| Type | Examples | How It Works | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Possessive Adjectives | my, your, his, her, its, our, their | Come before a noun | This is my book. |
| Possessive Pronouns | mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs | Stand alone instead of a noun phrase | This book is mine. |
| Possessive Nouns | Riya’s, the boy’s, the students’ | Use apostrophes to show possession | That is Riya’s bag. |
My phone is new.
“My” comes before the noun “phone.”
The phone is mine.
“Mine” stands alone and replaces the phrase “my phone.”
Riya’s phone is new.
“Riya’s” shows that the phone belongs to Riya.
Remember: Possessives do not always describe physical ownership. They can also show relationships, such as “my sister,” “their teacher,” or “our school.”
One of the most important parts of learning possessives is knowing when to use words such as my and your, and when to use mine and yours. The main difference is whether a noun follows the possessive word.
| Possessive Adjective | Possessive Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| my | mine | This is my bag. The bag is mine. |
| your | yours | This is your pen. The pen is yours. |
| his | his | This is his coat. The coat is his. |
| her | hers | This is her book. The book is hers. |
| our | ours | This is our classroom. The classroom is ours. |
| their | theirs | This is their house. The house is theirs. |
Use these words before nouns to show who something belongs to.
Examples:
Use these words without repeating the noun phrase.
Examples:
Possessive adjective + noun: my book, your car, her phone.
Possessive pronoun without a following noun: mine, yours, hers.
For example, say “This is my seat” or “This seat is mine.” Do not say “This is mine seat.”
Possessives can appear in different places in a sentence depending on whether you are using a possessive adjective, a possessive pronoun, or a possessive noun.
Structure: Possessive adjective + noun
Examples:
The possessive adjective comes before the noun and tells us whose brother, bag, dress, or teacher is being discussed.
Structure: Noun + be verb + possessive pronoun
Examples:
The possessive pronoun replaces a longer phrase such as “my book,” “your seat,” or “her bicycle.”
Structure: Owner + apostrophe form + noun
Examples:
Possessive nouns use an apostrophe, with the placement depending on whether the noun is singular or plural.
Examples:
Words such as “whose” help us ask who owns or is connected to something.
Examples:
Possessives can show that something belongs to or is connected with more than one person.
There are three useful forms to understand when learning how to express possession in English.
These come before nouns to show ownership or a relationship.
Words: my, your, his, her, its, our, their
Examples:
These stand alone and replace a noun phrase that expresses possession.
Words: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
Examples:
These use apostrophe forms to show that something belongs to a person, group, or other noun.
Examples:
Its is a possessive adjective used for something belonging to or associated with an animal, object, or other entity.
Example: The dog wagged its tail.
English does not normally use “its” as a standalone possessive pronoun. Also, do not confuse its (possession) with it’s (short for “it is” or “it has”).
Your: Is this your umbrella?
Yours: Is this umbrella yours?
Both sentences ask about ownership, but “your” comes before a noun, while “yours” stands alone.
Follow these rules to express ownership clearly and avoid common mistakes in speaking and writing.
Place my, your, his, her, its, our, or their directly before a noun or noun phrase.
Correct: My phone is new.
Incorrect: Mine phone is new.
Use mine, yours, his, hers, ours, or theirs when the noun phrase does not need to be repeated.
Correct: This phone is mine.
Incorrect: This phone is my.
Choose a possessive form based on the person or group that owns or is connected with the thing.
Remember that “its” is used before a noun, while the other possessive forms listed in pairs have standalone pronoun forms.
For most singular nouns, add ‘s to show possession.
Examples:
For regular plural nouns ending in -s, add an apostrophe after the final s.
Examples:
For irregular plural nouns that do not end in s, add ‘s, as in “the children’s toys.”
Its shows possession.
Example: The cat licked its paw.
It’s means “it is” or “it has.”
Example: It’s raining outside.
The apostrophe in “it’s” represents missing letters, not ownership.
Your shows possession.
Example: Your answer is correct.
You’re means “you are.”
Example: You’re doing well.
Possessive pronouns do not use apostrophes.
Correct: The book is hers.
Incorrect: The book is her’s.
Correct: That seat is ours.
Incorrect: That seat is our’s.
Possessives can be confusing because some words look similar but have different grammatical uses. Review these common mistakes to improve your English.
❌ Incorrect: This is mine book.
✅ Correct: This is my book.
Why? Use my before a noun. Use mine when the noun phrase does not need to be repeated.
Another example: This book is mine.
❌ Incorrect: This bag is my.
✅ Correct: This bag is mine.
Why? A possessive pronoun such as mine can stand alone at the end of this sentence.
❌ Incorrect: The dog wagged it’s tail.
✅ Correct: The dog wagged its tail.
Why? Its shows possession. It’s means “it is” or “it has.”
Example: It’s a friendly dog.
❌ Incorrect: You’re bag is on the chair.
✅ Correct: Your bag is on the chair.
Why? Your shows possession. You’re means “you are.”
Example: You’re doing a great job.
❌ Incorrect: This seat is her’s.
✅ Correct: This seat is hers.
Why? Possessive pronouns such as hers, ours, yours, and theirs do not use apostrophes.
❌ Incorrect: The students’s books are here.
✅ Correct: The students’ books are here.
Why? For a regular plural noun that already ends in -s, usually add only an apostrophe to show possession.
❌ Incorrect: That blue bag is her.
✅ Correct: That blue bag is hers.
Why? Use her before a noun, as in “her bag.” Use hers independently, as in “the bag is hers.”
| Incorrect | Correct | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Mine pencil is broken. | My pencil is broken. | My + noun |
| This pencil is my. | This pencil is mine. | Mine stands alone |
| The cat licked it’s paw. | The cat licked its paw. | Its = possession |
| Your welcome. | You’re welcome. | You’re = you are |
| The bag is her’s. | The bag is hers. | No apostrophe in hers |
| The girls’s books | The girls’ books | Plural ending in s + apostrophe |
Use these simple memory tricks to remember possessive forms and choose the correct word when speaking or writing.
Use my when the noun follows.
Example: My notebook is new.
Use mine when you do not repeat the noun phrase.
Example: The notebook is mine.
Use ‘s with most singular nouns to show possession.
Example: Riya’s notebook.
Usually add an apostrophe after the final s.
Example: The students’ notebooks.
I: my / mine
You: your / yours
He: his / his
She: her / hers
It: its
We: our / ours
They: their / theirs
The first word in each pair comes before a noun. The second word, when present, can stand alone as a possessive pronoun. “His” has the same form in both uses.
Ask yourself whether the word shows possession or is a contraction.
My phone is new. → The phone is mine.
Your room is clean. → The room is yours.
Her dress is blue. → The dress is hers.
Our house is large. → The house is ours.
Their car is outside. → The car is theirs.
Practising each pair helps you understand the difference between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns.
Use this quick reference to review the main possessive forms and how they appear in sentences.
| Owner | Possessive Adjective | Possessive Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | my | mine | My book is here. The book is mine. |
| You | your | yours | Your bag is here. The bag is yours. |
| He | his | his | His coat is here. The coat is his. |
| She | her | hers | Her book is here. The book is hers. |
| It | its | — | The dog wagged its tail. |
| We | our | ours | Our house is here. The house is ours. |
| They | their | theirs | Their car is here. The car is theirs. |
Use my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.
Example: Their house is beautiful.
Use mine, yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs.
Example: The house is theirs.
Use apostrophe forms to show ownership.
Example: The teacher’s desk.
Remember the difference between its/it’s and your/you’re.
Example: It’s your turn.
Practise using possessive adjectives, possessive pronouns, and possessive nouns. Read each question carefully and choose or write the form that makes the sentence correct.
1. This is _____ pencil. (my / mine)
2. That blue bag is _____. (her / hers)
3. The dog wagged _____ tail. (its / it’s)
4. Is this _____ notebook? (your / yours)
5. The classroom is _____. (our / ours)
6. _____ going to school today. (Their / They’re)
1. This is mine book.
2. The cat licked it’s paw.
3. That red bicycle is her.
4. Your doing very well.
5. The students’s bags are outside.
Rewrite each sentence using the correct possessive form, contraction, or apostrophe placement.
1. I have a new phone. This is _____ phone.
2. She owns this bicycle. The bicycle is _____.
3. We have a garden. This is _____ garden.
4. They own that house. That house is _____.
5. The bag belongs to Rahul. It is _____ bag.
Rewrite each sentence using a possessive pronoun so that you do not repeat the noun phrase.
1. This is my notebook. → This notebook is _____.
2. That is your seat. → That seat is _____.
3. This is her umbrella. → This umbrella is _____.
4. These are our tickets. → These tickets are _____.
5. Those are their shoes. → Those shoes are _____.
Imagine you are introducing your belongings to a friend. Write five sentences about things you own or share with other people.
Example: “My bag is black. The blue notebook is mine. Riya’s pencil is on the desk.”
Test your understanding with the dedicated Possessives Quiz. Practise more questions and build confidence using possessives in everyday English.
📝 Take the Possessives QuizPossessives help us show ownership, belonging, and relationships. English uses possessive adjectives, possessive pronouns, and possessive nouns to express these meanings.
| Type | Forms | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Possessive Adjectives | my, your, his, her, its, our, their | My book is new. |
| Possessive Pronouns | mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs | The book is mine. |
| Possessive Nouns | Riya’s, the boy’s, the students’ | Riya’s bag is blue. |
Next lesson: Prepositions — learn how words such as in, on, at, under, behind, and between show relationships involving place, time, and direction.
Here are simple answers to common questions about possessives, ownership, and using possessive words correctly in English.
Possessives are words or grammatical forms that show ownership, belonging, or relationships. Examples include my, your, mine, yours, and possessive nouns such as Riya’s bag.
Use my before a noun, as in “This is my book.” Use mine when the noun phrase does not need to be repeated, as in “This book is mine.”
Your comes before a noun, as in “your phone.” Yours stands alone, as in “The phone is yours.” Both forms can show that something belongs to the person being addressed.
The seven possessive adjectives are my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. They usually come before nouns to show ownership or a relationship.
Possessive pronouns show ownership without repeating the noun phrase. The main forms are mine, yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs. For example: “That notebook is mine.”
Its shows possession, as in “The cat licked its paw.” It’s is short for “it is” or “it has,” as in “It’s raining.” The apostrophe does not indicate possession in “it’s.”
Your shows possession, as in “Your bag is here.” You’re means “you are,” as in “You’re very helpful.” You can check by replacing “you’re” with “you are.”
For most singular names, add apostrophe + s. For example: “Riya’s book” means the book belongs to Riya. For regular plural nouns ending in s, the apostrophe usually comes after the final s, as in “the students’ books.”
No. Possessive pronouns such as mine, yours, hers, ours, and theirs do not use apostrophes. Write “The bag is hers,” not “The bag is her’s.”
Yes. Possessives can show relationships, connections, or belonging, not just physical ownership. For example: “my sister,” “their teacher,” and “our school.”
Keep this lesson handy for revision. Review possessive adjectives, possessive pronouns, possessive nouns, example sentences, grammar rules, and common mistakes whenever you need a refresher.
Review my, your, his, her, its, our, their, mine, yours, and other possessive forms with beginner-friendly explanations and practice activities.
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