Possessive pronouns are the possessive forms of personal pronouns, used to show ownership or belonging. In this guide, IDP will help you understand what they are, how to use them correctly, and how to apply them in everyday English and IELTS Writing.
1. What Are Possessive Pronouns?
A possessive pronoun is used to indicate ownership or a relationship between a person and an object, without repeating a previously mentioned noun. These pronouns help make sentences clear, concise, and free of unnecessary repetition.
There are seven possessive pronouns in English: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs
These stand alone and do not come before a noun.
Examples:
I brought my jacket, but she forgot hers. → “Hers” replaces “her jacket.”
We love our garden, and they adore theirs. → “Theirs” replaces “their garden.”
2. Types of Possessive Pronouns in English
Possessive pronouns are formed based on their corresponding personal pronouns. They replace a noun phrase to avoid repetition.
Personal Pronoun | Possessive Pronoun | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
I | Mine | Belonging to me | That seat is mine. I reserved it an hour ago. |
You | Yours | Belonging to you | Is this backpack yours, or did someone else leave it here? |
He | His | Belonging to him | That notebook is his. He always writes his ideas in it. |
She | Hers | Belonging to her | The coffee on the table is hers. She ordered it five minutes ago. |
It | Its | Belonging to it | The cat was playing with its shadow on the wall. |
We | Ours | Belonging to us | This project idea is ours. We developed it together. |
They | Theirs | Belonging to them | Those bikes are theirs. They parked them here this morning. |
Note:
“Its” as a possessive pronoun is rarely used in conversation.
“His” and “its” have the same form as possessive adjectives. If followed by a noun, they are adjectives; if not, they are pronouns.
3. Positions of Possessive Pronouns in Sentences
Possessive pronouns can appear in different sentence positions depending on their grammatical role.
As the subject:
Used to highlight ownership and often placed at the beginning of the sentence.
Ours has been selected for the final round. → “Ours” is the subject.
As the object:
Used after a verb or comparison structure to avoid repeating the noun.
They brought all the cooking utensils, but we forgot ours at home. → “Ours” is the object.
After prepositions:
Used to emphasize possession after a preposition.
This notebook looks like mine, but it has a different cover. → “Mine” follows the preposition “like.”
4. How to Use Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns simplify sentences by replacing noun phrases and showing clear ownership.
Replacing noun and adjective combinations:
Sarah brought her tablet, while mine was still charging. → “Mine” replaces “my tablet.”
In double possessive structures:
Used with “of” to emphasize ownership.
I had dinner with a close friend of mine. → “Of mine” emphasizes the relationship.
In formal letter endings:
Used in closing statements in formal writing:
Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully, Yours truly
To emphasize ownership:
That novel is mine, not yours.
5. Possessive Pronouns vs. Possessive Adjectives
Criteria | Possessive Adjectives | Possessive Pronouns |
|---|---|---|
Meaning | Show ownership | Show ownership |
Position | Before a noun | Stand alone, not before a noun |
Role | Modify a specific noun | Replace adjective + noun |
Structure | e.g., my phone, her bag | e.g., mine = my phone, hers = her bag |
Example | She left her phone. | The phone is hers. |
6. Tips for Using Possessive Pronouns
Do not use a noun after a possessive pronoun.
Do not confuse possessive pronouns with possessive adjectives.
If a word like “his” or “its” is followed by a noun, it's an adjective. If it stands alone, it's a pronoun.
7. Practice Exercises with Answers
Choose the correct answer to complete each sentence:
Did you and your / yours friends have a nice holiday?
Is this Alice's book or your / yours? ~It's her / hers.
Who / Whose car is that? ~I don't know, not our / ours.
Take your / yours feet off the table. It / Its legs aren't very strong.
The Whartons are staying in our / ours flat. We're borrowing their / theirs.
That's my / mine coat, and the scarf is my / mine too.
Your / Yours eyes are blue and her / hers are brown.
They claim the money is all their / theirs.
Unfortunately, the town has lost it's / its only cinema.
Rachel has got her / hers own calculator. She doesn't borrow my / mine.
Answer Key:
your
yours – hers
Whose – ours
your – Its
our – theirs
my – mine
Your – hers
theirs
its
her – mine
Master Possessive Pronouns with IDP
Possessive pronouns are essential in English grammar. They make your sentences more concise and help avoid repetition. In the IELTS Writing test, using synonyms and grammar variety effectively can boost your score.
Explore IDP’s study resources to apply this knowledge in real test scenarios. In addition to grammar, review the IELTS scoring criteria to plan your preparation better. Whether you choose IELTS Academic or IELTS General, IDP offers computer-based test formats for convenience.
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