Possessive Pronouns

Possessive adjectives are words like my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. They come before a noun to show who something belongs to.

What You'll Learn

In P2, you learnt the six possessive adjectives and what they mean. Now in P3, you will:

• Choose the correct possessive adjective to match the owner in a sentence
• Use possessive adjectives correctly in longer sentences and paragraphs
• Tell the difference between its (possessive) and it's (it is)

When to Use

Use a possessive adjective before a noun to show ownership or belonging:

1. Talking about your own things: "I packed my bag for school."
2. Talking about someone else's things: "Ali forgot his water bottle at the hawker centre."
3. Talking about an animal or object: "The bird spread its wings and flew away."
4. Talking about a group: "We finished our art project before recess."

How to Form

Matching the Possessive Adjective to the Owner

The possessive adjective must match the owner, not the thing that is owned.

Using Possessive Adjectives in Sentences

A possessive adjective always comes before a noun. It replaces "a", "an", or "the" -- you do not use both together.

Key Rules

1. Match the owner, not the object: The possessive adjective follows the owner. "Siti feeds her hamster" -- use her because the owner is Siti, even though the hamster could be male.

2. Use "its" for animals and things: When an animal or object owns something, use its. "The tree lost its leaves." Do not use "his" or "her" for objects. For animals, use its when the gender is unknown.

3. "Its" has no apostrophe: Its (belonging to it) has no apostrophe. It's means "it is". "The dog wagged its tail" (not "it's tail").

4. Do not double up with articles: Never put "a", "an", or "the" before a possessive adjective. Say "my sister", not "the my sister".

5. Keep the same possessive adjective in a sentence: If the owner does not change, use the same possessive adjective. "She put on her shoes and picked up her bag." (Both belong to the same person.)

Common Mistakes

Clue Words

Look at the subject of the sentence to pick the right possessive adjective:

• I --> my
• you --> your
• he, a boy's name --> his
• she, a girl's name --> her
• it, an animal, a thing --> its
• we --> our
• they --> their

Tip: Find the owner first, then pick the possessive adjective. Ask yourself: "Who does the thing belong to?" The answer tells you which word to use.

Practice Tips

1. Find the owner first: Before choosing a possessive adjective, circle or underline the owner in the sentence. Then match it to the correct word.
2. The "it is" swap test: If you are unsure about "its" or "it's", try replacing it with "it is". If the sentence still makes sense, use it's. If not, use its.
3. Read the whole sentence: In longer sentences, check that the possessive adjective matches the subject. If the subject changes mid-sentence, the possessive adjective may need to change too.

Quick Reference