Possessive Adjectives

Used to show ownership or relationship to a noun

Possessive Adjectives modify a noun by showing who owns or is related to it.

Function: Clarify who or what something belongs to.

Key Possessive Adjectives

  • my - belonging to me
  • your - belonging to you (singular/plural)
  • his - belonging to him
  • her - belonging to her
  • its - belonging to it
  • our - belonging to us
  • their - belonging to them

Usage Rules

  • Always placed before the noun they describe.
  • Do not use with articles like a, an, or the together.
  • They do not use apostrophes (e.g., its ≠ it's).

Examples in Sentences

  • This is my jacket.
  • We visited their new house.
  • Is this your pen?
  • She forgot her phone at home.

Common Errors and Fixes

1. Using object pronouns instead
  • ❌ This is me book → ✅ This is my book
2. Confusing "its" with "it's"
  • ❌ The dog lost it's collar → ✅ The dog lost its collar
3. Redundant article usage
  • ❌ The my bag is blue → ✅ My bag is blue

Possessive Adjectives vs Possessive Pronouns

Adjective: This is my car. (modifies "car")

Pronoun: This car is mine. (replaces noun)

Practice Exercises

1. Identify the Possessive Adjective

  1. He borrowed her laptop. → Possessive Adjective: her
  2. This is our classroom. → Possessive Adjective: our

2. Fill in the Blanks

  1. We packed ______ bags before the trip. (use: our)
  2. Tom lost ______ keys again. (use: his)

3. Rewrite the Sentence

  1. That car belongs to me. → That is my car.
  2. This umbrella belongs to them. → This is their umbrella.

Pro Tips

1. Never confuse with contractions

Its = possessive adjective | It's = it is / it has

Example: It's raining, and the cat lost its way.

2. Consistency in person and number

  • Use your with both singular and plural you
  • Use their for plural nouns and inclusive language

3. Possessive adjectives are not optional

Incorrect: I met brother yesterday.
Correct: I met my brother yesterday.