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Possessive Pronouns in English: Mine, Yours, His, Hers

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Possessive pronouns are words like mine, yours, his and theirs that show ownership. They replace a noun and the word before it, so you do not repeat yourself: instead of “the red pen is my pen”, you say “the red pen is mine“.

This guide is for A1 to B1 learners. It covers all the possessive pronouns, how they differ from possessive adjectives (my, your, his…), and the two mistakes learners make most. Three exercises let you practise straight away.

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What are possessive pronouns?

A possessive pronoun shows that something belongs to someone, and it stands alone: “This seat is mine.” It replaces both the owner and the thing owned, so you do not say the noun again.

This is what makes them useful: they help you avoid repetition. Instead of “the red pencil is my pencil, and the blue pencil is your pencil”, you can say “the red pencil is mine and the blue pencil is yours“.

The full table of possessive pronouns

Read across each row. The possessive adjective (my, your…) always comes before a noun; the possessive pronoun (mine, yours…) stands alone.

Subject pronoun Possessive adjective Possessive pronoun
I my mine
you your yours
he his his
she her hers
it its —
we our ours
you (plural) your yours
they their theirs
There is no possessive pronoun for it. And his is both the adjective and the pronoun (his book / the book is his).

Mixing up its and it’s, or your and yours, is easy to do. Book a free trial lesson and get your writing checked by an experienced native teacher, no credit card needed.

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Common mistakes with possessive pronouns

  1. Using a possessive adjective on its own. “I found a bag. Is it your?” is wrong; your needs a noun. Say “Is it yours?” (pronoun) or “Is it your bag?” (adjective + noun).
  2. Confusing its and it’s. Its shows possession (“the dog wagged its tail”). It’s with an apostrophe means “it is” (“it’s raining”).
  3. Adding an apostrophe to possessive pronouns. Yours, hers, ours and theirs never take an apostrophe. “The house is theirs“, not “their’s”.
  4. Repeating the noun. The whole point is to avoid it: say “the blue one is hers“, not “the blue one is her one”.

Practice exercises on possessive pronouns

Exercise 1. Complete each sentence with the correct possessive pronoun. The subject is given in brackets.

Exercise 2. Sort the words into subjects and possessive pronouns. Some are possessive adjectives, so you will not use them all.

Exercise 3. Rewrite each sentence with a possessive pronoun to remove the repeated words.

Quick self-check

Fix or complete each sentence, then reveal the answers.

1. This book is (I) ___.
2. Choose: The cat licked (its / it’s) paw.
3. Correct this: Is this pen your?

Show answers

1. mine.   2. its.   3. Is this pen yours? (or Is this your pen?)

How did that feel? Choosing the right form in an exercise is one thing; using it without hesitation as you speak is the goal. In a free trial lesson, an experienced native teacher will help you get there.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a possessive adjective and a possessive pronoun?
A possessive adjective (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) comes before a noun: “That is my book.” A possessive pronoun (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs) stands alone and replaces the noun: “That book is mine.”
What are the possessive pronouns in English?
They are mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs. There is no possessive pronoun for “it”, and “his” works as both a possessive adjective and a possessive pronoun.
Is it its or it’s?
“Its” (no apostrophe) shows possession: “the dog wagged its tail.” “It’s” (with an apostrophe) means “it is” or “it has”: “it’s raining.”
Do possessive pronouns take an apostrophe?
No. Yours, hers, ours and theirs are never written with an apostrophe. “Their’s” and “your’s” do not exist.
Why use possessive pronouns at all?
They let you avoid repeating a noun. Instead of “my car is faster than your car”, you say “my car is faster than yours”, which sounds more natural.

Key takeaways

  • Possessive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs.
  • A possessive adjective needs a noun (my car); a possessive pronoun stands alone (mine).
  • There is no possessive pronoun for “it”; “his” serves as both forms.
  • Its shows possession; “it’s” always means “it is”.
  • Possessive pronouns never take an apostrophe.

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Written and reviewed by the experienced native English teachers at Live English, online since 2007.