Simple explanation
What are possessive adjectives? Possessive adjectives are words that show who something belongs to. They answer the question “Whose?”. In English, the main possessive adjectives are my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. They always come before a noun. The seven possessive adjectives I → my, You → your, He → his, She → her, It → its, We → our, They → their. The choice depends on the owner, not the thing that is owned. Where do possessive adjectives go? Possessive adjectives come before nouns. We say my phone, her bag, and their house. We do not put them after the noun or use them alone. Possessive adjectives vs possessive pronouns Possessive adjectives need a noun after them: This is my book. Possessive pronouns replace the noun: This book is mine. This lesson focuses on possessive adjectives.
Grammar formula
Positive sentence
Subject + verb + possessive adjective + nounI have my phone.
Sentence with be
Subject + be + possessive adjective + nounThis is her bag.
Question about ownership
Whose + noun + is this?Whose jacket is this?
Core rules
- 1
Use a possessive adjective before a noun
A possessive adjective normally comes directly before the noun it describes. Example: my friend, our school, their car.
- 2
Possessive adjectives do not change for singular or plural nouns
The form stays the same. We say my book and my books, not mys books.
- 3
Do not use articles before possessive adjectives
Do not use a or the before a possessive adjective. Correct: my house. Incorrect: the my house.
Useful examples
This is my book.
This book belongs to me.
My shows that the book belongs to the speaker.
Your car is very nice.
The car belongs to you and it is very nice.
Your is used for the person we are speaking to.
His name is Tom.
The name of that man is Tom.
His shows ownership by a male person.
Her phone is on the table.
The phone belongs to her and it is on the table.
Her refers to a female owner.
The dog is eating its food.
The food belongs to the dog.
Its is often used for animals and things.
Our house is near the park.
The house belongs to us and it is near the park.
Our shows something belongs to a group including the speaker.
Their children are very friendly.
The children belong to them and are friendly.
Their is used when the owners are more than one person.
I forgot my keys at home.
The keys belong to me and I left them at home.
My is commonly used for personal items.
She loves her job.
The job belongs to her and she likes it.
Her connects the job with a female owner.
We are visiting our friends today.
The friends belong to our social group.
Our shows a connection with the speaker and others.
Common mistakes
- ❌ This is mine book. ✅ This is my book. Mine is a possessive pronoun and cannot come before a noun.
- ❌ She likes his bag. ✅ She likes her bag. Her should be used when the owner is female.
- ❌ I have a my car. ✅ I have my car. Do not use a before a possessive adjective.
- ❌ They love they house. ✅ They love their house. They is a subject pronoun; their shows ownership.
- ❌ This is the my phone. ✅ This is my phone. Possessive adjectives already identify the owner, so no article is needed.
Learning tips
- Learn possessive adjectives together with subject pronouns: I-my, you-your, he-his.
- Ask yourself “Who owns it?” before choosing the possessive adjective.
- Remember that his and her depend on the owner, not the object.
Practise this topic
Interactive exercises for this topic are coming soon.
PlannedRelated grammar
Related dictionary words
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between my and mine?
My comes before a noun: This is my book. Mine replaces the noun: This book is mine.
Do possessive adjectives change in plural forms?
No. They stay the same. We say my book and my books.
When do we use its?
We usually use its for animals, objects, or things when we talk about what belongs to them.
Why can't we say the my car?
Because possessive adjectives already identify the owner, so we do not need another article.