Learn Possessive Adjectives in English
My, your, his, her, its, our, their to show who owns something.
Grammar Focus
Possessive adjectives are words that show who owns or has a relationship with something or someone. They always come before a noun and tell us whose something is. Every personal pronoun has its own possessive adjective form, and learning these pairs is essential for everyday communication.
- My belongs to I: "My phone is on the table."
- Your belongs to you (singular and plural): "Is your name John?"
- His belongs to he: "His jacket is blue."
- Her belongs to she: "Her bag is heavy."
- Its belongs to it (no apostrophe): "The dog wagged its tail."
- Our belongs to we: "Our house has a big garden."
- Their belongs to they: "Their children go to school here."
Form & Structure
Possessive Adjectives List
Possessive adjectives do not change form based on the gender or number of the noun that follows. 'Her book' and 'her books' both use the same word 'her.'
Agreement Rules
Common Patterns
Common Mistakes
Confusing 'its' (possessive) with 'it's' (it is)
Tip: Never use an apostrophe with the possessive adjective 'its.' 'It's' with an apostrophe always means 'it is' or 'it has.'
Using 'their' based on the noun instead of the owner
Tip: The possessive adjective must match the person who owns or is connected to the noun — use 'his' for one man, not 'their.'
Using a subject pronoun instead of a possessive adjective
Tip: Subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) cannot be used before nouns. Use the possessive adjective form (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) instead.
Why This Grammar Matters for Listening and Speaking
Introducing yourself and talking about family
Describing belongings and personal items
Talking about a company, organisation, or animal
Asking and answering questions about ownership
Continue Learning
This lesson content was created with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.
Quick Summary
| Use | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Possessive Adjectives List | **My, your, his, her, its, our, their** + noun | **My** sister lives in London. |
| Agreement Rules | The possessive adjective agrees with the **owner**, not the thing owned | Maria loves **her** dog. (her = Maria's, a woman's) |
| Common Patterns | Possessive adjective + **noun** (used in statements, questions, and negatives) | Is this **your** umbrella? |
Possessive adjectives are among the first grammar structures you encounter when learning English, and they are used in virtually every conversation. Words like my, your, his, her, its, our, and their appear constantly — in introductions, everyday questions, descriptions, and stories. Without them, it would be nearly impossible to talk about who owns something or who is connected to someone. For beginner learners, possessive adjectives offer an excellent entry point into English grammar. They are small, consistent words that follow a straightforward pattern, and once you understand the core rule — the adjective must agree with the owner, not the thing owned — you will be able to use them correctly in almost every situation you encounter. Consider how often these words come up in daily life. When you say 'my coffee,' 'your appointment,' 'his keys,' or 'their children,' you are using possessive adjectives. They help listeners understand immediately who is connected to a noun, which makes your speech and writing much clearer and more natural. Despite their simplicity, possessive adjectives are a source of some surprisingly common errors — particularly the its versus it's confusion, and the tendency to match the adjective to the noun rather than to the owner. Understanding these pitfalls early will save you from persistent mistakes that can undermine the clarity of your communication. This article walks through everything you need to know about possessive adjectives in English: what they are, how to use them, the complete list with examples, common mistakes to avoid, and how they differ from possessive pronouns. By the time you finish reading, you will have a solid, practical command of one of the most essential building blocks in the English language.
What Are Possessive Adjectives?
Possessive adjectives are a specific type of adjective in English that indicate ownership or a close relationship between one noun and another. They answer the question 'Whose?' — whose book is it? whose idea was it? whose car is parked outside? The seven possessive adjectives in English are: my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. Each one corresponds to a specific personal pronoun. My corresponds to I, your to you, his to he, her to she, its to it, our to we, and their to they. Like all adjectives, possessive adjectives come before the noun they modify. You would say 'my bag,' 'her opinion,' or 'their children' — never 'bag my,' 'opinion her,' or 'children their.' This word order is fixed in English and is one of the first things learners should internalize. Importantly, possessive adjectives do not change based on the gender or number of the noun that follows them. Whether the thing owned is singular or plural, masculine or feminine, the adjective stays the same. 'His book' and 'his books' both use the same word. 'Her idea' and 'her ideas' are both correct. This makes them considerably simpler to use than equivalent forms in many other languages, where the adjective must agree with the noun in gender and number. Possessive adjectives are different from possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs) in that they must always be followed by a noun — they cannot stand alone. Understanding this distinction will prevent a very common category of error for learners.
Read the full grammar guide
When to Use Possessive Adjectives
Possessive adjectives are used whenever you want to show that something belongs to someone or that there is a close relationship between a noun and a person, animal, or thing. They appear in a wide range of everyday situations and communicative contexts. The most obvious use is to show physical ownership. 'I forgot my wallet' tells the listener whose wallet it is. 'She is carrying her sister's bag' makes clear who the bag belongs to. 'Can I borrow your pen?' politely establishes that the pen belongs to the person being addressed. Possessive adjectives are also used to describe relationships between people. 'His mother lives in Italy,' 'their teacher is very strict,' and 'our neighbours are friendly' all use possessive adjectives to show a family or social connection rather than ownership of an object. They are equally important when talking about body parts and clothing in context. Native English speakers commonly say 'she broke her arm,' 'he hurt his knee,' or 'I need to wash my hair.' The possessive adjective makes it clear which person the body part belongs to. In formal and business contexts, possessive adjectives appear when referring to companies, organisations, or institutions. 'The bank updated its terms and conditions' or 'the university published its annual ranking' are natural, professional-sounding uses of 'its.' Finally, possessive adjectives are used with abstract nouns to show a connection rather than physical ownership: 'my opinion,' 'your decision,' 'their approach,' and 'our goal' all rely on possessive adjectives to link the noun to the relevant person or group.
List of English Possessive Adjectives
There are seven possessive adjectives in English, each paired with a corresponding subject pronoun. Understanding these pairs is the key to using them confidently. **My** is the possessive adjective for I. It is used when the speaker is the owner or is connected to the noun. Examples: 'My name is Lena,' 'I left my keys inside,' 'This is my favourite song.' **Your** is the possessive adjective for you. Crucially, it is the same whether you is singular (one person) or plural (more than one person). Examples: 'Is this your jacket?' 'Thank you for your help,' 'Please write your names at the top.' **His** is the possessive adjective for he. It refers to a male owner. Examples: 'Tom forgot his phone,' 'His voice is very distinctive,' 'I met his brother yesterday.' **Her** is the possessive adjective for she. It refers to a female owner. Examples: 'She lost her keys again,' 'Her presentation was excellent,' 'We met her parents last weekend.' **Its** is the possessive adjective for it. It is used for animals (when the gender is unknown or unimportant), objects, and abstract things. Examples: 'The cat cleaned its fur,' 'The company expanded its services,' 'The river flooded its banks.' **Our** is the possessive adjective for we. Examples: 'Our flight leaves at six,' 'We are proud of our team,' 'Our house is at the end of the road.' **Their** is the possessive adjective for they. Examples: 'Their children go to the same school,' 'I have their address,' 'Their performance was outstanding.' In informal writing, 'their' is also increasingly used as a singular gender-neutral possessive: 'Someone left their umbrella here.'
Common Mistakes with Possessive Adjectives
Even learners who have a good understanding of possessive adjectives make a small number of recurring mistakes. Knowing these in advance helps you avoid them. The most notorious error involves 'its' and 'it's.' The possessive adjective is 'its' — no apostrophe. 'It's' with an apostrophe is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has.' Many native English speakers make this mistake in writing, so learners should be especially careful. Correct: 'The dog wagged its tail.' Incorrect: 'The dog wagged it's tail.' A second frequent error is choosing the wrong possessive adjective by matching it to the noun rather than to the owner. English requires the adjective to agree with the owner, not the thing owned. 'Maria loves her children' — 'her' is correct because Maria is female, regardless of the fact that children is plural. 'The teacher forgot his books' — 'his' is correct because the teacher is male, even though 'books' is plural. A third mistake is using a subject pronoun (he, she, they) instead of the corresponding possessive adjective before a noun. Learners sometimes say 'she bag' instead of 'her bag' or 'they car' instead of 'their car.' Subject pronouns can never directly precede a noun — only possessive adjectives can. Finally, some learners add apostrophes to all possessive adjectives, perhaps by analogy with possessive nouns (John's book, the teacher's desk). This is incorrect. Possessive adjectives — my, your, his, her, its, our, their — never take an apostrophe. Apostrophes are used with possessive nouns, not with these pronouns.
Possessive Adjectives vs Possessive Pronouns
Possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns are closely related, and many learners confuse them. Understanding the difference is straightforward once you know the key rule: possessive adjectives must be followed by a noun, while possessive pronouns stand alone. The possessive adjectives are: my, your, his, her, its, our, their. They always appear before a noun: 'my car,' 'your opinion,' 'their house.' The possessive pronouns are: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs. They replace a noun that has already been mentioned or is understood from context: 'This car is mine,' 'The opinion is yours,' 'That house is theirs.' Notice that 'his' and 'its' are the same in both lists. For all other pronouns, the forms are different. A useful way to remember this is that possessive pronouns often end in -s (mine, yours, hers, ours, theirs), while the corresponding adjectives are shorter and must sit before a noun. Compare these pairs: 'This is my book' (adjective before noun) versus 'This book is mine' (pronoun replacing the noun phrase). Both sentences communicate the same idea — the book belongs to me — but they use different grammatical forms. Using a possessive adjective where a pronoun is needed, or vice versa, produces an unnatural or incorrect sentence. Practising both forms together is the best way to master the distinction.
Practice In This Page
1. _____ sister lives in London.
Show answer
My
2. Maria loves _____ dog. (her = Maria's, a woman's)
Show answer
her
3. The cat licked it's paw.
Show answer
The cat licked its paw.
4. Sarah told me about her husband's job. Their job is very demanding.
Show answer
Sarah told me about her husband's job. His job is very demanding.
5. She left she bag on the bus.
Show answer
She left her bag on the bus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the seven possessive adjectives in English?
- The seven possessive adjectives in English are: my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. Each one corresponds to a subject pronoun and is used before a noun to show ownership or a close relationship.
- Do possessive adjectives change depending on the noun that follows?
- No. Possessive adjectives in English do not change based on the gender or number of the noun. 'Her book' and 'her books' both use 'her.' This is different from many other European languages where the possessive adjective must agree with the noun.
- What is the difference between 'its' and 'it's'?
- 'Its' (without an apostrophe) is the possessive adjective meaning belonging to it: 'The cat licked its paw.' 'It's' (with an apostrophe) is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has': 'It's raining outside.' Never use an apostrophe with the possessive adjective 'its.'
- How do I choose between 'his' and 'her'?
- Choose based on the gender of the owner, not the noun. If the owner is male, use 'his.' If the owner is female, use 'her.' For example: 'John lost his wallet' (John is male) and 'Maria forgot her phone' (Maria is female).
- What is the difference between a possessive adjective and a possessive pronoun?
- A possessive adjective (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) must be followed by a noun: 'This is my bag.' A possessive pronoun (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs) replaces the noun and stands alone: 'This bag is mine.' The key rule is that possessive adjectives cannot stand alone — they always need a noun after them.
- Can 'their' be used for a single person?
- Yes. In informal English, 'their' is widely used as a singular gender-neutral possessive adjective when the gender of the person is unknown or irrelevant. For example: 'Someone left their bag on the chair.' This use is increasingly accepted in formal writing as well, as it avoids the awkward 'his or her.'