Possessive Adjectives
Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) go directly before a noun to show who it belongs to, never take an apostrophe, and never change even when the noun after them is plural.
Formula
Examples
Usage
- •Show ownership or relationship before a noun
- •Always followed by a noun (my car, her brother)
- •No -s on possessive adjective even with plural noun: "my books" not "mys books"
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Try 5 cards free — no signup →What are possessive adjectives?
Possessive adjectives show ownership or a relationship and always come right before a noun: my book, her brother, their house. Each subject pronoun has its own possessive adjective: I → my, you → your, he → his, she → her, it → its, we → our, they → their.
Its or it's — what's the difference?
Its (no apostrophe) is the possessive adjective: "The cat licks its paws." It's (with an apostrophe) is short for "it is": "It's raining." A quick trick — if you can replace it with "it is" and the sentence still makes sense, use it's.
Possessive adjectives vs object pronouns
Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) go before a noun to show ownership: "my book." Object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) replace the object of a sentence and stand alone: "I saw him."
Possessive adjectives vs possessive pronouns
Possessive adjectives always sit directly before a noun: "This is my book." Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs) replace the noun entirely and stand alone, usually at the end of a sentence: "This book is mine." You can't say "This is mine book" — once the pronoun form is used, the noun disappears.
Most possessive pronouns just add -s to the adjective form (her → hers, our → ours, their → theirs), but two don't change at all: his stays his, and its is rarely used as a pronoun since "The choice is its" sounds wrong for almost every context.
Comparison Table
| Form | Possessive adjective (+ noun) | Possessive pronoun (stands alone) |
|---|---|---|
| I | my book | mine |
| you | your book | yours |
| he | his book | his |
| she | her book | hers |
| it | its color | its (rarely used) |
| we | our book | ours |
| they | their book | theirs |
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More Examples
My sister lives in London.
Family relationship
Their dog is very friendly.
Group ownership
The cat licks its paws.
Animal/object — "its" no apostrophe
Is this your jacket?
Asking about ownership
Our school starts at 8 AM.
Shared possession
Common Mistakes
- ✗Confusing "its" (possessive) and "it's" (it is): "Its raining" should be "It's raining".
- ✗Using object pronouns instead: "Me book" should be "My book".
- ✗Adding -s for plural noun: "mys books" should be "my books".
Tips
- ✓Possessive adjectives NEVER take an apostrophe: my, your, his, her, its, our, their.
- ✓Trick for "its" vs "it's": if you can replace it with "it is", use "it's" with the apostrophe.
Advanced Notes
Possessive adjectives are determiners, not pronouns — they modify a noun and can't stand alone ("That's mine" uses possessive pronouns; "That's my" is incomplete). The its/it's confusion is the single most common written error in English, made by native speakers as often as learners. "Their/there/they're" is a related trap. Note that "her" does double duty as both possessive adjective ("her bag") and object pronoun ("I saw her"), which can cause ambiguity.
FAQ
What is the difference between "its" and "it's"?
Its (no apostrophe) shows possession: "The cat licks its paws." It's (with an apostrophe) is short for "it is": "It's raining."
Is it "me book" or "my book"?
My book — use the possessive adjective my before a noun, not the object pronoun me.
Do you add -s for a plural noun, like "mys books"?
No — possessive adjectives never change: "my books," not "mys books," no matter how many books there are.
Do possessive adjectives ever take an apostrophe?
No, never — my, your, his, her, its, our, and their are always written without an apostrophe.
What is the difference between possessive adjectives and object pronouns?
Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) go before a noun to show ownership: "my book." Object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) replace the object of a sentence: "I saw him."
What is the difference between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns?
Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) come before a noun: "This is my book." Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs) replace the noun and stand alone: "This book is mine." Both show ownership — the difference is whether a noun follows.
Practice
- 1.This is book.
- 2. dog is very friendly.
- 3.The cat licks paws.
- 4.Is this jacket?
- 5. school starts at 8 AM.
Compare With
Other A1 Topics
Present Simple
Used for habits, facts, and permanent states
Past Simple
Used for completed actions at a specific past time
Future with Will
Used for predictions, promises, and spontaneous decisions
Verb "To Be"
Forms identity, location, feeling, and description
Articles: A, An, The
Used for specific vs general reference with nouns
Have Got
Used for possession and characteristics in informal British English
Plural Nouns
Forms plurals for more than one countable noun
Demonstratives: This, That, These, Those
Used for pointing to near or far people, things, or ideas
There Is / There Are
Used for stating existence or presence of something in a place
Imperative
Used for commands, instructions, requests, or advice
Question Words: What, Where, When, Why, How, Who
Used for asking specific information using what, where, when, why, how, who