Let’s take a simple example:
- This is Sarah’s book.
- This book is hers.
See what we did there? Instead of repeating “Sarah’s book,” we just used the word hers. That’s a possessive pronoun!
What Are Possessive Pronouns?
Possessive pronouns replace nouns to show ownership or possession. Here’s a list of the most common ones in English:
| Subject | Possessive Pronoun |
|---|---|
| I | mine |
| you | yours |
| he | his |
| she | hers |
| it | its (rarely used) |
| we | ours |
| they | theirs |
Examples in Sentences
Let’s look at some easy sentences using possessive pronouns:
- That phone is mine. (Not yours!)
- Is this pencil yours?
- The jacket on the chair is his.
- These shoes aren’t hers.
- Our house is bigger than theirs.
- This cat loves its toy. (We rarely use “its” as a pronoun, more as a determiner.)
Tips for Using Possessive Pronouns
- Never use a noun after a possessive pronoun.
❌ That is mine book.
✅ That is my book. / That book is mine. - Possessive pronouns are different from possessive adjectives.
- My, your, his, her, our, their = Possessive adjectives (used before a noun)
- Mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs = Possessive pronouns (used instead of a noun)
