What Are Possessive Adjectives?
Possessive adjectives are words that show ownership or belonging. They come before a noun and tell us who something belongs to. In English, the possessive adjectives are my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.
Possessive adjectives are one of the most frequently used structures in everyday English and are essential for clear communication.
List of Possessive Adjectives
1- I → my (This is my book.)
2- You → your (Your bag is on the chair.)
3- He → his (His name is Michael.)
4- She → her (Her office is on the third floor.)
5- It → its (The cat licked its paw.)
6- We → our (Our team won the competition.)
7- They → their (Their house is very large.)
Rules for Using Possessive Adjectives
Possessive Adjectives Come Before a Noun
Correct: My car is parked outside.
Incorrect: The car is my.
Possessive Adjectives Do Not Change Based on the Noun
His book, his books, his idea — his stays the same regardless of the noun.
Her cat, her cats, her idea — her stays the same regardless of the noun.
Its vs It Is
Its is a possessive adjective: The dog wagged its tail.
It’s is a contraction of it is: It’s raining outside.
Possessive Adjectives vs Possessive Pronouns
Possessive adjectives come before nouns. Possessive pronouns replace nouns.
1- This is my pen. (adjective — before noun)
2- This pen is mine. (pronoun — replaces noun)
3- Our house is big. (adjective)
4- The big house is ours. (pronoun)
5- That is her bag. (adjective)
6- That bag is hers. (pronoun)
Common Mistakes
Using Her’s Instead of Her
Incorrect: This is her’s book.
Correct: This is her book.
Confusing Its and It’s
Incorrect: The dog hurt it’s leg.
Correct: The dog hurt its leg.
Using My as a Pronoun
Incorrect: This bag is my.
Correct: This bag is mine.
Adding Apostrophe S to Their
Incorrect: They forgot their’s homework.
Correct: They forgot their homework.
Memory Tips
My, your, his, her, its, our, their = possessive adjectives (before a noun)
Mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs = possessive pronouns (replace a noun)
Its = possessive adjective (no apostrophe)
It’s = it is (with apostrophe)
Possessive adjectives never change based on the noun they describe
Conclusion
1- Possessive adjectives show ownership and always come before a noun.
2- The possessive adjectives are my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.
3- Possessive adjectives do not change based on the noun they describe.
4- Its is a possessive adjective while it’s means it is.
5- Possessive adjectives are different from possessive pronouns.
Mastering possessive adjectives will help you communicate ownership and belonging accurately and naturally in English.