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BeginnerAdjectives

Learn Possessive Adjectives in English

My, your, his, her, its, our, their to show who owns something.

Learning goal
Recognize and use this pattern in context.
Practice
10 randomized questions with explanations.
Suggested workflow
Study the examples, then take the quiz.

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

My, your, his, her, its, our, their + noun
My sister lives in London.
His car is parked outside.
Their office is on the third floor.

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

The possessive adjective agrees with the owner, not the thing owned
Maria loves her dog. (her = Maria's, a woman's)
Tom drives his car to work. (his = Tom's, a man's)
The company updated its website. (its = the company's, a thing)

Common Patterns

Possessive adjective + noun (used in statements, questions, and negatives)
Is this your umbrella?
I forgot my keys at home.
They cancelled their trip because of the weather.

Common Mistakes

Confusing 'its' (possessive) with 'it's' (it is)

The cat licked it's paw.
The cat licked its paw.

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

Sarah told me about her husband's job. Their job is very demanding.
Sarah told me about her husband's job. His job is very demanding.

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

She left she bag on the bus.
She left her bag on the bus.

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

“My name is Anna and my husband works in tech.”
“Their daughter just started university this year.”

Describing belongings and personal items

“I think I left my phone on your desk.”
“His laptop is broken, so he is using our spare one.”

Talking about a company, organisation, or animal

“The company released its annual report last week.”
“The bird flew back to its nest.”

Asking and answering questions about ownership

“Is this your coat or is it her coat?”
“That is not my car — it must be their car.”