A possessive pronoun never takes an apostrophe. Copyright Which guitar should we bring tonight: [your / yours] or Stephans? Practicing with possessive pronouns is the best way to familiarize yourself with them. Typically, a possessive pronoun is used by itself, but it becomes a possessive adjective when used before a noun. Being concise is the name of the game no matter what type of material you're drafting. Nordquist, Richard. B ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/possessive-pronoun-1691649. and Take a look at these possessive pronouns examples to clarify what these little words are, how they function and how theyre different from possessive adjectives. Unlike possessive adjectives, however, they can stand alone. A possessive pronoun acting as a stand-in for another noun (its antecedent) is known as an independent possessive pronoun or an absolute possessive pronoun. I, you, he, she, it, we, and they are all pronouns. For example: it is not your pen yours is your bag? Here is a list of irregular verbs with definitions and examples! 2. 3. As shown in the examples, independent (or absolute) possessive pronouns often appear at the end of sentences. (Theirs represents its antecedent, house. However, in most cases, the word you choose depends on how you're using it. Correct: You cant always judge a book by its cover. (Mine represents its antecedent, Corvette. Check out our list of hundreds of phrasal verbs classified in alphabetical order. That's what's known as infinity. We have ours, and they have theirs. It's his. In the table below, you can see English possessive pronouns: Let us see some examples for more clarity: Based on my father's will, the condo is now ours. There are five interrogative pronouns in English. They replace a noun or noun phrase already used, replacing it to avoid repetition: "I said that phone was mine.
Look at these examples: Test your understanding with this quick quiz. As both possessive forms are used to describe ownership, it can be easy to confuse them. This is our house. The list of possessive adjectives contains slightly different words from possessive pronouns. The world's premier FREE educational website for learners + teachers of EnglishEngland since 1997, Notice that the following (with apostrophe [, a) singular 1st person b) singular 3rd person c) plural 2rd person, I looked everywhere for your key. Little does my 5-year-old know that when he screams phrases like, Its mine! at his older brothers, he is showing them possessive pronouns examples a rather important part of the English language. In this possessive pronoun example, Jon is the antecedent, so when he is used in the next sentence, it is clear that the pronoun he is referring to Jon. We can also infer that the possessive pronoun his is referring to Jons handwriting. To avoid confusion, you should always establish a clear antecedent before using any type of pronoun. Below are the possessive pronouns, followed by some example sentences. (Antecedent is bowling balls.). I like listening to Bruno Mars more than Michael Jackson, but he dance moves are far more iconic. Take a look at the examples below and see if you can understand one sentence better than the other: Those are my Converse sneakers. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Its vs. Its. What are idioms? Thanks for reading! These pronouns help us talk about a thing or person without mentioning what or who that is. Possessive can also be used to show: Showing ownership with possessive pronouns. There are cases in which it is better to use a possessive pronoun instead of a determiner + noun: A If youd like more practice with possessive pronouns and adjectives, take a pronoun quiz to test your skills. Remember that with possessive pronouns there are no apostrophes ('). Your travel plans sound just as exciting as my travel plans! The jewelry that the police accused Mr. Jones of stealing turned out to be his all along. Oh, never given you a key? Here is the list of possessive pronouns that function as adjectives: One common point of confusion between possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives is how to tell them apart. A possessive pronoun is a part of speech that attributes ownership to someone or something. Repetitive: The Chinns are moving into the Chinns new home today. Example "Possessive Pronoun - Definition and Examples." Possessive Pronouns | The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation. How did you do? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. When her fingers aren't flying at the keys, she enjoys reading, video games, drawing and learning new crafts. Remember, possessive pronouns don't just substitute nouns, they show possession over a person, a place or a thing. Check your answers below. In contrast, the strong (or absolute) possessive pronouns stand on their own: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, and theirs.
The words "mine, yours, his, hers, its , ours, theirs" are possessive pronouns. Improve your English with our interactive English grammar games. Without context, the reader may never know unless this sentence is restructured to clearly state whose car was nicer. Correct: That Corvette over there is mine. Cambridge University Press, 2008), "The words hers, ours, theirs, and yours are sometimes termed 'absolute' or 'independent' possessives because they occur when no noun follows. A possessive pronoun acting as an adjective precedes the noun it modifies to identify ownership. Incorrect: You cant always judge a book by its cover. Pronouns It's ours.This is my bedroom. If you happen to visit my home for any amount of time, you are bound to notice the sounds of young boys playing as they laugh, gesticulate, and eventually devolve into wrestling or screaming at each other. Take a look at these examples: A (Sounds repetitive) English includes several types of pronouns, such as personal, demonstrative, interrogative, relative, indefinite, reflexive, and intensive pronouns. However, they are different from possessive adjectives. Given their importance, it shouldn't be surprising to learn that there are several different types of adjectives. A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun in a sentence. : No, but it looks like Anna's; I think it's hers.
It's the job of adjectives to modify nouns, pronouns and even other adjectives. Do you like, There was $100 on the table and Tara wondered. Possessive pronouns (also called absolute or strong possessive pronouns) are mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, yours, and theirs. : Whose house is that? "Go on, get inside the TARDIS. Titles of Books, Plays, Articles, etc. Complete with the correct possessive pronoun: "If the only fingerprints on the gun are ______ , he must be the killer. Notice that when you use possessive pronouns or possessive determiners, you do not need an article (a, an, the). It does not precede a noun, and in describing possession of something, it does not have an apostrophe. Copyright by Jane Straus/GrammarBook.com. Someday that Jet Ski will be [mine / mines]. The weak possessives (also called possessive determiners) function as determinersin front of nouns(as in "My phone is broken"). In this example, the possessive pronoun (yours) indirectly implies the subject (pen). Here the possessive pronoun is parallel to the elliptic use of the genitive." (The possessive pronoun should not take an apostrophe.). Possessive pronouns help us to be more concise and use fewer words when explaining the same idea. To this day, a common mistake with the possessive pronoun its still pervades: the use of an apostrophe to convey possession, as in its or its. Subscribe and get the latest news and useful tips, advice and best offer. : No, the black Impala is mine. Bob and Linda said they forgot their checkbook at home. Possessive Pronoun - Definition and Examples. : I don't know. This book is my book, not your book. Check out this list of figures of speech! 1. There are two distinct ways that possessive pronouns and possessive nouns differ: Both possessive pronouns and possessive nouns can be used similarly to form short responses to questions using the interrogative whose. Below are some sentences that contain possessive pronoun mistakes. (Antecedent is snake.). : Underline? This book is mine, not yours. to refer to the creator, user, etc. Example
Give us your email address to learn more abouthow we can create high-quality content for you. a friend of mine] differs from the alternative of possessive determiner + noun (e.g. Go on, thats, "She underlines passages in my Bible because she can't find, "Woman must have her freedomthe fundamental freedom of choosing whether or not she shall be a mother and how many children she will have. See our grammar notes about Possessive Adjectives. (The possessive pronoun should not precede the noun it refers to. adroll_currency = "USD"; A peacock loves to show [its / its] feathers. There are gods above gods. With their help, we can make a possessive phrase shorter. Do possessive pronouns make it easier for you to write?
Instead of saying 'I'm Lucy's friend,' we can also say 'I'm a friend of Lucy's.' How To White Label SEO Content Writing Services, Calah knew the meeting was at 9:00 a.m., so.
", Possessive adjectives (also called weak possessive pronouns) are my, your, his, her, its, our, your, and their.
Keep reading for the different types of pronouns that you're likely to encounter in your reading and conversations. Use some helpful pronoun worksheets to memorize them faster. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/possessive-pronoun-1691649. I didn't have my textbook for English class, so Brian lent me his textbook.
"[The] construction with the possessive pronoun [e.g. Lets look at your example again: It is not your pen. to represent the person who does or undergoes an action: We waited at the airport until his departure. A List of Poetic Devices Defined and Examples of What They Do in Poems. The weak possessives are my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. I didn't have my textbook for English class, so Brian lent me his. ", 3. Yours is in your bag. An impersonal pronoun does not refer to a specific person or thing. The questions with 'whose' can mostly be answered with possessive pronouns. The possessive pronouns in English are as follows: * We avoid using the possessive pronoun ITS. "It's" is not a possessive pronoun or adjective; it is a contraction of it is or it has. are like possessive determiners, except that they constitute a whole noun phrase. We use possessive determiners and possessive pronouns to show belonging. Your email address will not be published.
2. You have probably also noticed that whose is another unique sort of possessive pronoun. Pronouns are words that take the place of an understood or implied noun or noun phrase and usually become the subject of a sentence. They prevent repetition in a sentence. You can use yours this way only if it is clear what yours is referring to. Nordquist, Richard. LanGeek is a language learning platform that helps you learn easier, faster and smarter. Examples Those are my Converse sneakers. It's mine.This is my brother's bike. A possessive pronoun implies whom you are talking about as well as the object, while a possessive noun explicitly names the person or thing you are talking about. adroll_pix_id = "MI5A3AMLEVCWLMSS7QK6YA"; This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. __ez.scxr.getDW(document).write(new Date().getFullYear());All rights reserved | This template is made by Colorlib. We use possessive pronouns to refer to a specific person/people or thing/things (the "antecedent") belonging to a person/people (and sometimes belonging to an animal/animals or thing/things). Bob and Linda said they forgot [their / theyre] checkbook at home. It is also very common to say a friend/some friends + of + possessive pronouns. Oxford University Press, 2009), "Here's to you and yoursand to mine and ours,And if mine and ours ever come across you and yours,I hope you and yours will do as much for mine and oursAs mine and ours have done for you and yours!". Required fields are marked *. Do you want to provide emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity to your writing? In this table you can see a list of English possessive determiners: B Example For example: "I said that's my phone.". Unrelated comments may be deleted. You can also play a few pronoun games for a fun review activity! Sometimes, though, they can occur as subjects [hers was a gift that anyone would envy]." Efficient with pronoun: Thomas enjoys his new guitar. (Answers are below.). Is it Angies car? Be careful not to forget the ('s) after Lucy. Basically, the difference between these two types of possessives is that possessive determiners cannot be used alone and they always need another noun after them, but possessive pronouns always stand alone. The sentences in (30) below illustrates this point. my friend) mainly in that it is more indefinite. I want to receive exclusive email updates from YourDictionary. All rights reserved. Leave a Comment or Question: Cancel reply, Please ensure that your question or comment relates to the topic of the blog post. B Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Possessive pronouns do not use apostrophes, while a possessive noun always uses apostrophes. Their parents live in Texas; ours live in New Hampshire. In the sentence, yours is a possessive pronoun that replaces your book. Keep that. For example, its common for a possessive pronoun to be used as a one- or two-word response to a question using the interrogative whose, as in these possessive pronouns examples: If youre creating a full sentence using a possessive pronoun, the pronoun usually comes at the end of the sentence with a subject and verb before it. Your travel plans sound just as exciting as mine! Britainy Sorenson has been freelance writing since 2011 in between time spent with her best friend and husband and caring for three active and amazing little boys. Jim burned his dinner, so he asked Tina if he could share hers. Your cat is adorable, but not as cute as ours. She earned a BA in Japanese, an MA in Second Language Acquisition & Teaching, and a Graduate Certificate in TESOL from BYU.
I didn't have my umbrella so Marta lent me, Yours faithfully (If it someone that you don't know), Yours sincerely (If it is someone that you know). 3. Basically, in questions with 'whose,' you are looking for the owner. Is it yours? adroll_adv_id = "KRNULS3DQRHXVACWQTZIHM"; Don't use "his" to denote "his/her." English does not have possessive adjectives. Expressing Possession of Gerunds The only type of possessive pronoun with different words for male and female genders is the, 2. If you ever find yourself about to make this grammatical error, simply remember that personal pronouns never take an apostrophe. By signing in, you agree to our Terms and Conditions For example, in the phrase, "These glasses are mine, not yours", the words "mine" and "yours" are possessive pronouns and stand for "my glasses" and "your glasses," respectively. "Possessive Pronoun - Definition and Examples." The two common expressions are: Play an interactive game to practice this topic: Possessive Pronouns Game. Notice that each possessive pronoun can: Notice that the interrogative pronoun whose can also be a possessive pronoun (an interrogative possessive pronoun). Communication wouldn't be very interesting without some descriptive terms to enhance sentences and clarify meaning. Instead of using 'Annas handwriting,' you can use 'Annas' and 'hers.'. Can you fix them? If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page. Nouns and verbs are needed to make a complete sentence, but adjectives are just as important. Judith is standing over there; the puppy must be hers. Correct: Next week, that brand-new house will be theirs. Instead of saying 'Julia is my colleague,' we can also say 'Julia is a colleague of mine.'. Generally, you use possessive pronouns to talk about a person, place or thing that has already been explained. In this review, weve examined what possessive pronouns are. Notice that the possessive determiner and possessive pronoun for 'he' are both 'his.'. Privacy Policy. less confusing because the same information is not being repeated. Dummy pronouns function grammatically the same as other pronouns, except they do not refer to a person or thing like normal pronouns do. Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they can not communicate; they can not communicate because they are separated. You cant always judge a book by its cover. "(Ron Cowan, The Teacher's Grammar of English: A Course Book and Reference Guide. A possessive pronoun standing in for another noun can be plural as well. ), Example In the second sentence, you can use 'mine' instead of 'my car' to avoid repetition. ), It can take one to two weeks for a snake to shed its skin. Check out these examples that use italics for possessive adjectives and bold for absolute possessive pronouns. They show who or what something belongs to. (D. Biber, S. Conrad, and G. Leech, Longman Student Grammar of Student and Written English. Quotation Marks. There are many different topics and levels. In the first sentence of the conversation, after 'your' we have a noun. ), Your bowling balls are black and theirs are red. Id avoid it in professional writing, if possible. No apostrophe appears in these words, which are often in the predicate [the house was ours] [the fault was theirs]. 4. Did you notice how much Clem looked like Elvis when he swiveled his hips? Jens car?
So whats a possessive pronoun?
Look at these examples: Test your understanding with this quick quiz. As both possessive forms are used to describe ownership, it can be easy to confuse them. This is our house. The list of possessive adjectives contains slightly different words from possessive pronouns. The world's premier FREE educational website for learners + teachers of EnglishEngland since 1997, Notice that the following (with apostrophe [, a) singular 1st person b) singular 3rd person c) plural 2rd person, I looked everywhere for your key. Little does my 5-year-old know that when he screams phrases like, Its mine! at his older brothers, he is showing them possessive pronouns examples a rather important part of the English language. In this possessive pronoun example, Jon is the antecedent, so when he is used in the next sentence, it is clear that the pronoun he is referring to Jon. We can also infer that the possessive pronoun his is referring to Jons handwriting. To avoid confusion, you should always establish a clear antecedent before using any type of pronoun. Below are the possessive pronouns, followed by some example sentences. (Antecedent is bowling balls.). I like listening to Bruno Mars more than Michael Jackson, but he dance moves are far more iconic. Take a look at the examples below and see if you can understand one sentence better than the other: Those are my Converse sneakers. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Its vs. Its. What are idioms? Thanks for reading! These pronouns help us talk about a thing or person without mentioning what or who that is. Possessive can also be used to show: Showing ownership with possessive pronouns. There are cases in which it is better to use a possessive pronoun instead of a determiner + noun: A If youd like more practice with possessive pronouns and adjectives, take a pronoun quiz to test your skills. Remember that with possessive pronouns there are no apostrophes ('). Your travel plans sound just as exciting as my travel plans! The jewelry that the police accused Mr. Jones of stealing turned out to be his all along. Oh, never given you a key? Here is the list of possessive pronouns that function as adjectives: One common point of confusion between possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives is how to tell them apart. A possessive pronoun is a part of speech that attributes ownership to someone or something. Repetitive: The Chinns are moving into the Chinns new home today. Example "Possessive Pronoun - Definition and Examples." Possessive Pronouns | The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation. How did you do? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. When her fingers aren't flying at the keys, she enjoys reading, video games, drawing and learning new crafts. Remember, possessive pronouns don't just substitute nouns, they show possession over a person, a place or a thing. Check your answers below. In contrast, the strong (or absolute) possessive pronouns stand on their own: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, and theirs.
The words "mine, yours, his, hers, its , ours, theirs" are possessive pronouns. Improve your English with our interactive English grammar games. Without context, the reader may never know unless this sentence is restructured to clearly state whose car was nicer. Correct: That Corvette over there is mine. Cambridge University Press, 2008), "The words hers, ours, theirs, and yours are sometimes termed 'absolute' or 'independent' possessives because they occur when no noun follows. A possessive pronoun acting as an adjective precedes the noun it modifies to identify ownership. Incorrect: You cant always judge a book by its cover. Pronouns It's ours.This is my bedroom. If you happen to visit my home for any amount of time, you are bound to notice the sounds of young boys playing as they laugh, gesticulate, and eventually devolve into wrestling or screaming at each other. Take a look at these examples: A (Sounds repetitive) English includes several types of pronouns, such as personal, demonstrative, interrogative, relative, indefinite, reflexive, and intensive pronouns. However, they are different from possessive adjectives. Given their importance, it shouldn't be surprising to learn that there are several different types of adjectives. A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun in a sentence. : No, but it looks like Anna's; I think it's hers.
It's the job of adjectives to modify nouns, pronouns and even other adjectives. Do you like, There was $100 on the table and Tara wondered. Possessive pronouns (also called absolute or strong possessive pronouns) are mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, yours, and theirs. : Whose house is that? "Go on, get inside the TARDIS. Titles of Books, Plays, Articles, etc. Complete with the correct possessive pronoun: "If the only fingerprints on the gun are ______ , he must be the killer. Notice that when you use possessive pronouns or possessive determiners, you do not need an article (a, an, the). It does not precede a noun, and in describing possession of something, it does not have an apostrophe. Copyright by Jane Straus/GrammarBook.com. Someday that Jet Ski will be [mine / mines]. The weak possessives (also called possessive determiners) function as determinersin front of nouns(as in "My phone is broken"). In this example, the possessive pronoun (yours) indirectly implies the subject (pen). Here the possessive pronoun is parallel to the elliptic use of the genitive." (The possessive pronoun should not take an apostrophe.). Possessive pronouns help us to be more concise and use fewer words when explaining the same idea. To this day, a common mistake with the possessive pronoun its still pervades: the use of an apostrophe to convey possession, as in its or its. Subscribe and get the latest news and useful tips, advice and best offer. : No, the black Impala is mine. Bob and Linda said they forgot their checkbook at home. Possessive Pronoun - Definition and Examples. : I don't know. This book is my book, not your book. Check out this list of figures of speech! 1. There are two distinct ways that possessive pronouns and possessive nouns differ: Both possessive pronouns and possessive nouns can be used similarly to form short responses to questions using the interrogative whose. Below are some sentences that contain possessive pronoun mistakes. (Antecedent is snake.). : Underline? This book is mine, not yours. to refer to the creator, user, etc. Example Give us your email address to learn more abouthow we can create high-quality content for you. a friend of mine] differs from the alternative of possessive determiner + noun (e.g. Go on, thats, "She underlines passages in my Bible because she can't find, "Woman must have her freedomthe fundamental freedom of choosing whether or not she shall be a mother and how many children she will have. See our grammar notes about Possessive Adjectives. (The possessive pronoun should not precede the noun it refers to. adroll_currency = "USD"; A peacock loves to show [its / its] feathers. There are gods above gods. With their help, we can make a possessive phrase shorter. Do possessive pronouns make it easier for you to write?
Instead of saying 'I'm Lucy's friend,' we can also say 'I'm a friend of Lucy's.' How To White Label SEO Content Writing Services, Calah knew the meeting was at 9:00 a.m., so.
", Possessive adjectives (also called weak possessive pronouns) are my, your, his, her, its, our, your, and their.
Keep reading for the different types of pronouns that you're likely to encounter in your reading and conversations. Use some helpful pronoun worksheets to memorize them faster. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/possessive-pronoun-1691649. I didn't have my textbook for English class, so Brian lent me his textbook.
"[The] construction with the possessive pronoun [e.g. Lets look at your example again: It is not your pen. to represent the person who does or undergoes an action: We waited at the airport until his departure. A List of Poetic Devices Defined and Examples of What They Do in Poems. The weak possessives are my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. I didn't have my textbook for English class, so Brian lent me his. ", 3. Yours is in your bag. An impersonal pronoun does not refer to a specific person or thing. The questions with 'whose' can mostly be answered with possessive pronouns. The possessive pronouns in English are as follows: * We avoid using the possessive pronoun ITS. "It's" is not a possessive pronoun or adjective; it is a contraction of it is or it has. are like possessive determiners, except that they constitute a whole noun phrase. We use possessive determiners and possessive pronouns to show belonging. Your email address will not be published.
2. You have probably also noticed that whose is another unique sort of possessive pronoun. Pronouns are words that take the place of an understood or implied noun or noun phrase and usually become the subject of a sentence. They prevent repetition in a sentence. You can use yours this way only if it is clear what yours is referring to. Nordquist, Richard. LanGeek is a language learning platform that helps you learn easier, faster and smarter. Examples Those are my Converse sneakers. It's mine.This is my brother's bike. A possessive pronoun implies whom you are talking about as well as the object, while a possessive noun explicitly names the person or thing you are talking about. adroll_pix_id = "MI5A3AMLEVCWLMSS7QK6YA"; This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. __ez.scxr.getDW(document).write(new Date().getFullYear());All rights reserved | This template is made by Colorlib. We use possessive pronouns to refer to a specific person/people or thing/things (the "antecedent") belonging to a person/people (and sometimes belonging to an animal/animals or thing/things). Bob and Linda said they forgot [their / theyre] checkbook at home. It is also very common to say a friend/some friends + of + possessive pronouns. Oxford University Press, 2009), "Here's to you and yoursand to mine and ours,And if mine and ours ever come across you and yours,I hope you and yours will do as much for mine and oursAs mine and ours have done for you and yours!". Required fields are marked *. Do you want to provide emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity to your writing? In this table you can see a list of English possessive determiners: B Example For example: "I said that's my phone.". Unrelated comments may be deleted. You can also play a few pronoun games for a fun review activity! Sometimes, though, they can occur as subjects [hers was a gift that anyone would envy]." Efficient with pronoun: Thomas enjoys his new guitar. (Answers are below.). Is it Angies car? Be careful not to forget the ('s) after Lucy. Basically, the difference between these two types of possessives is that possessive determiners cannot be used alone and they always need another noun after them, but possessive pronouns always stand alone. The sentences in (30) below illustrates this point. my friend) mainly in that it is more indefinite. I want to receive exclusive email updates from YourDictionary. All rights reserved. Leave a Comment or Question: Cancel reply, Please ensure that your question or comment relates to the topic of the blog post. B Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Possessive pronouns do not use apostrophes, while a possessive noun always uses apostrophes. Their parents live in Texas; ours live in New Hampshire. In the sentence, yours is a possessive pronoun that replaces your book. Keep that. For example, its common for a possessive pronoun to be used as a one- or two-word response to a question using the interrogative whose, as in these possessive pronouns examples: If youre creating a full sentence using a possessive pronoun, the pronoun usually comes at the end of the sentence with a subject and verb before it. Your travel plans sound just as exciting as mine! Britainy Sorenson has been freelance writing since 2011 in between time spent with her best friend and husband and caring for three active and amazing little boys. Jim burned his dinner, so he asked Tina if he could share hers. Your cat is adorable, but not as cute as ours. She earned a BA in Japanese, an MA in Second Language Acquisition & Teaching, and a Graduate Certificate in TESOL from BYU. I didn't have my umbrella so Marta lent me, Yours faithfully (If it someone that you don't know), Yours sincerely (If it is someone that you know). 3. Basically, in questions with 'whose,' you are looking for the owner. Is it yours? adroll_adv_id = "KRNULS3DQRHXVACWQTZIHM"; Don't use "his" to denote "his/her." English does not have possessive adjectives. Expressing Possession of Gerunds The only type of possessive pronoun with different words for male and female genders is the, 2. If you ever find yourself about to make this grammatical error, simply remember that personal pronouns never take an apostrophe. By signing in, you agree to our Terms and Conditions For example, in the phrase, "These glasses are mine, not yours", the words "mine" and "yours" are possessive pronouns and stand for "my glasses" and "your glasses," respectively. "Possessive Pronoun - Definition and Examples." The two common expressions are: Play an interactive game to practice this topic: Possessive Pronouns Game. Notice that each possessive pronoun can: Notice that the interrogative pronoun whose can also be a possessive pronoun (an interrogative possessive pronoun). Communication wouldn't be very interesting without some descriptive terms to enhance sentences and clarify meaning. Instead of using 'Annas handwriting,' you can use 'Annas' and 'hers.'. Can you fix them? If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page. Nouns and verbs are needed to make a complete sentence, but adjectives are just as important. Judith is standing over there; the puppy must be hers. Correct: Next week, that brand-new house will be theirs. Instead of saying 'Julia is my colleague,' we can also say 'Julia is a colleague of mine.'. Generally, you use possessive pronouns to talk about a person, place or thing that has already been explained. In this review, weve examined what possessive pronouns are. Notice that the possessive determiner and possessive pronoun for 'he' are both 'his.'. Privacy Policy. less confusing because the same information is not being repeated. Dummy pronouns function grammatically the same as other pronouns, except they do not refer to a person or thing like normal pronouns do. Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they can not communicate; they can not communicate because they are separated. You cant always judge a book by its cover. "(Ron Cowan, The Teacher's Grammar of English: A Course Book and Reference Guide. A possessive pronoun standing in for another noun can be plural as well. ), Example In the second sentence, you can use 'mine' instead of 'my car' to avoid repetition. ), It can take one to two weeks for a snake to shed its skin. Check out these examples that use italics for possessive adjectives and bold for absolute possessive pronouns. They show who or what something belongs to. (D. Biber, S. Conrad, and G. Leech, Longman Student Grammar of Student and Written English. Quotation Marks. There are many different topics and levels. In the first sentence of the conversation, after 'your' we have a noun. ), Your bowling balls are black and theirs are red. Id avoid it in professional writing, if possible. No apostrophe appears in these words, which are often in the predicate [the house was ours] [the fault was theirs]. 4. Did you notice how much Clem looked like Elvis when he swiveled his hips? Jens car?
So whats a possessive pronoun?