Possessive Pronouns
Possessive adjectives are words that show who something belongs to. They come before a noun to tell us whose it is.
What You'll Learn
In this lesson, you will learn:
- The six possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her, our, their
- How to pick the right possessive adjective for the owner
- How to use possessive adjectives in sentences
When to Use
Use a possessive adjective when you want to show that something belongs to someone.
- Talking about your things: "I left my bag in the classroom."
- Talking about someone else's things: "Tom forgot his water bottle."
- Talking about a group's things: "We finished our homework."
- Asking about someone's things: "Is this your pencil?"
How to Form
Matching the Owner to the Possessive Adjective
| Owner | Possessive Adjective | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | my | My school is near the MRT station. |
| you | your | Is this your eraser? |
| he (boy) | his | Ali packed his lunchbox. |
| she (girl) | her | Mei Ling rode her bicycle. |
| we | our | Our class has 30 pupils. |
| they | their | The children ate their food. |
Word Order
A possessive adjective always comes before the noun it describes.
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| possessive adjective + noun | my book |
| possessive adjective + adj + noun | her new shoes |
Key Rules
-
Match the owner, not the thing: The possessive adjective matches the person who owns the thing. "The boy lost his pencil." Use his because the owner is a boy, even though "pencil" is a thing.
-
Always put it before the noun: A possessive adjective comes right before the noun (or before the adjective + noun). "Our teacher is kind." Never say "Teacher our is kind."
-
Do not use "the" or "a" with a possessive adjective: Say "my bag", not "the my bag" or "a my bag."
-
Use "their" for more than one person: When the owners are two or more people, use their. "The girls brought their books."
Common Mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| She forgot his bag. | She forgot her bag. | The owner is "she", so use her |
| I like you dog. | I like your dog. | "You" is a pronoun; "your" is the possessive |
| The my father is a teacher. | My father is a teacher. | Do not put "the" before a possessive adjective |
| Tom and Jerry ate his food. | Tom and Jerry ate their food. | Two people need their, not his |
Clue Words
Look for these clues to know which possessive adjective to use:
Owner is one person
- I, me --> my
- you --> your
- he, him, boy, man, father --> his
- she, her, girl, woman, mother --> her
Owner is more than one person
- we, us --> our
- they, them, the children, the boys --> their
Tip: Always find the owner first. Ask yourself: "Who does this thing belong to?" Then pick the possessive adjective that matches the owner.
Practice Tips
- Find the owner: Read the sentence and find who the thing belongs to. Then choose the possessive adjective that matches.
- Check boy or girl: If the owner is one person, ask "Is it a boy or a girl?" Boy = his, girl = her.
- Count the owners: One person or more than one? Use their for two or more people, and our if you are part of the group.
Quick Reference
| Possessive Adjective | Owner | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| my | I | I cleaned my room. |
| your | you | Bring your books to school. |
| his | he (boy/man) | He walked his dog at the park. |
| her | she (girl/woman) | She shared her crayons. |
| our | we | We love our pet hamster. |
| their | they (2+ people) | They washed their hands. |