Possessive Pronoun - A Beginner Guide

What is a possessive pronoun? A possessive pronoun is a type of pronoun which is used in place of a noun or noun phrase to show ownership. Possessive pronouns are used in place of nouns to avoid repeating the same noun or noun phrase. The use of possessive makes our speech or writing beautiful. The most common possessive pronouns are mine, yours, hers, his, its, theirs, ours, one's, someone's, etc.

What is possession or ownership?, how do we use possessive pronouns in place of nouns?, what are some of the common mistakes made when using possessive pronouns? are the questions discussed in this post. Give it a full reading to learn possessive pronoun definition, meaning, examples with clear explanations.

This article covers:

• Possessive Pronoun - Meaning and Definition 
• Possessive Pronoun Examples
• Possessive Pronoun Worksheet and Exercises
• FAQs - Possessive Pronoun

Possessive Pronoun - Meaning and Definition

What does a possessive pronoun mean? The word "possessive" in the phrase "possessive pronoun" means "relating to" or belonging to; that is, the word "possessive" suggests that something belongs to someone or something. On the other hand, the word "pronoun" means something that is placed instead of a noun to refer back to it.

In short, the phrase "possessive pronoun" means a word, whose grammatical rank or category is pronoun, that is used in a place of a noun or noun phrase to indicate that something belongs to someone or something. 

What is the definition of a possessive pronoun? By definition, a possessive pronoun is a type of pronoun which is used in place of a noun or noun phrase to show ownership.

According to the definition, we have come to know the following facts about a possessive pronoun:

1. A possessive pronoun is a pronoun: The fact that a possessive pronoun is a pronoun means that it is used in place of a noun or noun phrase so as to avoid repeating same noun or noun phrase.

2. A possessive pronoun is possessive: Its being a possessive means that a possessive pronoun shows ownership or possession; that is, it tells us that something belongs to someone or something.

3. The use of a possessive pronoun makes speech or writing beautiful: Repeating the same thing again and again is something that we consider not to be good habit. The repetition of a noun or noun phrase is uprooted when we use a possessive pronoun in its place. So, the use of possessives makes our speeches and writings beautiful.

4. The personal possessive pronouns include mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours and theirs. These possessives are used in agreement with their antecedents or referents.

5. Possessive pronouns don't accept an apostrophe plus an -s ('s) which means "mine's," "your's," "her's," "hi's," "it's," "their's," and "our's" are grammatically incorrect. 

  

Possessive Pronoun Examples in Sentences

1. This book is mine.

2. That pen is yours.

3. You are a friend of his.

4. This notebook is hers.

5. That house is ours.

6. That company is theirs.

Possessive Pronoun Worksheet and Exercises

Check your understanding of possessive pronouns by taking the following tests.

Question 1: Identify the possessive pronouns.

1. This is my book.

2. That pen is mine.

3. He is a friend of mine.

4. It's ours.

5. That room is theirs.

6. This is their room.

Question 2: Mark the following statements as true or false.

1. A possessive pronoun can be used as a possessive adjective.

2. A possessive pronoun is used to show ownership.

3. A possessive pronoun is used to avoid repeating the same noun.

4. A possessive pronoun is an adjective word.

5. A possessive pronoun a grammatical category.

FAQs - Possessive Pronoun

What is a possessive pronoun?

What is the definition of a possessive pronoun? By definition, a possessive pronoun is a type of pronoun which is used in place of a noun or noun phrase to show ownership.

What are the 7 possessive pronouns?

Mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours and theirs are the 7 possessive pronouns.

Possessive pronoun sentences

1. This book is mine.

2. That pen is yours.

3. You are a friend of his.

4. This notebook is hers.

5. That house is ours.

6. That company is theirs.

Possessive pronoun of we

The possessive pronoun of we is ours as in "this house is ours."

Possessive pronoun of they

The possessive pronoun of they is theirs as in "that company is theirs."

Is your a possessive pronoun?

No, "your" is not a possessive pronoun, but rather it's a possessive adjective as in "this is your book."

Is my a possessive pronoun?

No, "my" is not a possessive pronoun, but rather it's a possessive adjective as in "this is my pen."

Is mine a possessive pronoun?

Yes, "mine" is a possessive pronoun as in "it's mine."

Is our a possessive pronoun?

No, "our" is not a possessive pronoun, but rather it's a possessive adjective as in "This is our house."

Is I a possessive pronoun?

No man, "I" is a subject pronoun as in "I am the boss."

Is his a possessive pronoun?

"His" can be used as both a possessive pronoun and a possessive adjective as in "this is his book - possessive adjective" and "this book is his - possessive pronoun."