Possessive Pronouns | Examples, Definition & List
A possessive pronoun is a type of pronoun that is used to demonstrate ownership of something. In English, there are seven possessive pronouns: “mine,” “ours,” “yours,” “his,” “hers,” “theirs,” and “whose.”
Possessive pronouns are very similar to possessive determiners, but there are differences between the two:
- Possessive pronouns replace a noun and are used on their own.
- Possessive determiners (“my,” “our,” “your,” “his,” “her,” “its,” “their,” and “whose”) appear before the noun they modify.
| Possessive pronouns | Possessive determiners |
|---|---|
| That coat is not mine. | My coat has silver buttons. |
| I think these seats are ours. | Our seats are in the back. |
| Is this car yours? | Your car is very nice. |
| That stuff is his. | His stuff is all over the living room. |
| That cat of hers is always causing problems. | Her cat is so aggressive. |
| – | This building is very large; its elevator holds fifty people. |
| Theirs is the best pizza in the city. | Their pizza has a cornmeal crust. |
| Whose is this? | Talia, whose laptop was stolen yesterday, is filing a police report. |
How to use possessive pronouns
Possessive pronouns replace nouns to indicate ownership without repeating the nouns indicating the possessor and the possession (e.g., “Dante says that the book is Dante’s book” becomes “Dante says that the book is his”).
Both possessive pronouns and possessive determiners can indicate literal ownership of an object (e.g., “my bag”) or ownership in a metaphorical sense, such as a relationship with a person or a place (e.g., “my mom”).
Please say you’ll be mine.
Shauna can’t wait to go back to her hometown.
The house is all yours. We’ll be gone until next week.
Pronoun-antecedent agreement
A possessive pronoun’s antecedent is the person or thing that possesses something or someone. For example, if we say, “Amos claims that the ticket is his,” “Amos” is the antecedent of the pronoun “his.”
Possessive pronouns (and determiners) must agree with their antecedent in terms of person, number, and gender. In the example above, the possessive pronoun “his” is used because “Amos” is used in the third person, is singular, and is male.
Your apartment is so nice. I don’t like mine.
Subject-verb agreement
When a possessive pronoun is used as the subject of a sentence, it must follow the rules of subject-verb agreement. Thus, the verb following a possessive pronoun can be either singular or plural based on whether what is being possessed (not the possessor) is singular or plural.
His eyes are green, and hers are brown.
Possessive pronouns vs determiners
Possessive pronouns and possessive determiners are very similar and sometimes even have the same form, but they have different grammatical functions.
- Possessive pronouns always replace a noun and stand on their own.
- Possessive determiners (also known as possessive adjectives) always come before a noun, which they modify.
Possessive pronouns should only be used when the item being possessed has already been stated or is clear from the context. In cases where this is unclear, a possessive determiner should be used.
- After they had sold theirs, the price increased.
- After they had sold their shares, the price increased.
Its vs it’s
“Its” and “it’s” are very frequently confused, but their meanings are completely different.
- Its is the possessive determiner that is used when discussing something that belongs to a thing or animal.
- It’s is a contraction that is used for the phrase “it is” or “it has.” The apostrophe indicates that the word has been contracted, not that the word shows ownership.
It’s a beautiful day outside.
People sometimes confuse these words because possessive nouns use an apostrophe to show possession (e.g., “Davina’s sister’s house”). However, possessive pronouns are not formed with apostrophes, so forms like “your’s,” “our’s,” “her’s,” and “their’s” are incorrect.
Whose
The other possessive pronouns are personal pronouns, but “whose” is a relative pronoun or interrogative pronoun. It is also used as a relative determiner or interrogative determiner.
- Relative pronouns and determiners are used at the beginning of relative clauses, which give more information about noun phrases.
- Interrogative pronouns and determiners are used at the beginning of questions, whether direct or indirect.
The team, one of whose members is injured, lost the game.
Whose are these keys?
They wondered whose idea it was to host a picnic in January.
Frequently asked questions about possessive pronouns
- Is “my” a pronoun?
-
“My” is a possessive determiner (sometimes called a possessive adjective), which is a word that precedes a noun and indicates possession (e.g., “my book”).
“My” is not typically classified as a pronoun because it does not take the place of a noun. The related word “mine” is used as a possessive pronoun (e.g., “That one’s mine”).
Some sources do categorize “my” and other possessive determiners as “weak possessive pronouns,” but they are more accurately categorized as determiners.
- Is “our” a pronoun?
-
“Our” is a possessive determiner (sometimes called a possessive adjective), which is a word that comes before a noun and shows possession (e.g., “our house”).
“Our” does not take the place of a noun, so it is not typically classified as a pronoun. Instead, “ours” is used as a possessive pronoun (e.g., “Ours is worth more”).
Some sources do categorize “our” and other possessive determiners as “weak possessive pronouns,” but they are more accurately categorized as determiners.
