Possesive Pronouns

POSSESIVE

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Possessive pronouns are pronouns that are used to indicate the ownership (possession) of something or someone by something or someone else. The English possessive pronouns are mine, ours, yours, his, hers, theirs, and whose.

Possessive pronouns are closely related to possessive determiners, which are used differently since they appear before a noun instead of replacing it. The possessive determiners are my, our, your, his, her, its, their, and whose.

Possesive pronouns & determiners

NOTE: Its can technically be used as a possessive pronoun (i.e., standing on its own in a statement like “the toys are its”), but this usage is very rare in modern English and best avoided if you want your writing to read smoothly. Its is normally only used as a possessive determiner (e.g., “its toys”).

Possessive pronouns and possessive determiners are closely related and sometimes identical in spelling, but they play different grammatical roles. Possessive pronouns always stand on their own, not modifying a noun but replacing one. Possessive determiners (sometimes called possessive adjectives) instead modify a noun that comes after them.

Because possessive pronouns don’t allow you to specify what the possession in question is, you should use them only when this is already clear from the context. Otherwise, use a possessive determiner followed by a noun specifying the identity of the possession. Once each participant had finished theirs, they could move on to the next task. (wrong) Once each participant had finished their questionnaire, they could move on to the next task. (right)

possessive pronouns used in sentences

Possessive pronouns are used in place of nouns to make statements about ownership more concisely, without needing to repeat the nouns representing the owner and the possession:

“Possession” in the context of possessive pronouns and determiners can mean literal ownership of something (e.g., a book, a company), but it can also indicate more figurative kinds of possession, such as the possession of a relationship with someone or some place.

Randall says that the pencil case is Randall’s pencil case. (wrong) Randall says that the pencil case is his. (right)

Possesives indicating relationship

Examples:

• This is my sister, Jane.
• I want to be yours forever. Will you marry me?
• He really missed his hometown.
• She thought that no boss could be worse than hers.