Possessive Adjectives: Showing Ownership in English

What are Possessive Adjectives?

Possessive adjectives are words that indicate ownership or possession. They come before a noun to show to whom or what the noun belongs. Unlike possessive pronouns, they always modify a noun.

Key Possessive Adjectives

• My: Indicates possession by the speaker (e.g., my book).
• Your: Indicates possession by the listener (e.g., your car).
• His: Indicates possession by a male (e.g., his hat).
• Her: Indicates possession by a female (e.g., her idea).
• Its: Indicates possession by a non-human entity (e.g., its tail).
• Our: Indicates possession by a group including the speaker (e.g., our home).
• Their: Indicates possession by a group or multiple people/things (e.g., their garden).

Deep Dive into Usage

Possessive adjectives are crucial for clarity. They answer the question ‘Whose?’. For example, ‘Is this your pen?’ clarifies ownership.

Common Mistakes

A frequent error is confusing possessive adjectives with possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs). Possessive pronouns stand alone, while possessive adjectives modify nouns.

Correct: This is her bag. (Her modifies bag)
Incorrect: This is hers bag.
Correct: The bag is hers. (Hers stands alone)

Applications in Sentences

Possessive adjectives are used in countless everyday sentences:

• ‘I lost my keys.’
• ‘We are proud of our team.’
• ‘The cat licked its paw.’

Challenges and Misconceptions

The main challenge lies in distinguishing them from possessive pronouns and understanding the correct use of ‘its’ versus ‘it’s’ (it is).

FAQs

1. What is the difference between a possessive adjective and a possessive pronoun?Possessive adjectives modify nouns (e.g., my book), while possessive pronouns replace nouns (e.g., the book is mine).
2. When do I use ‘its’ vs. ‘it’s’?‘Its’ is the possessive form. ‘It’s’ is a contraction of ‘it is’ or ‘it has’.