Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns — English Grammar Exercises
my/mine, your/yours, their/theirs — know the difference
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Possessive adjectives and pronouns
| Person | Adjective (+ noun) | Pronoun (alone) |
|---|---|---|
| I | my | mine |
| you | your | yours |
| he | his | his |
| she | her | hers |
| it | its | — |
| we | our | ours |
| they | their | theirs |
✅ A possessive adjective comes before a noun: my book, her car.
✅ A possessive pronoun stands alone: This book is mine. The car is hers.
No apostrophe on possessive pronouns
yours, hers, ours, theirs, its — never write your's, her's, their's.
its vs it's
- its = possessive: The dog wagged its tail.
- it's = it is or it has: It's raining. It's been a long day.
whose vs who's
- whose = possessive: Whose bag is this?
- who's = who is or who has: Who's coming?
of mine, of yours; own
The double genitive: a friend of mine, that idea of yours. Use my own, her own for emphasis: She has her own car.
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
| The cat licked it's paw. | The cat licked its paw. |
| This book is your's. | This book is yours. |
| Who's car is this? | Whose car is this? |
| a friend of me | a friend of mine |
| mine own room | my own room |
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Yolanda loves ___ son very much.
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her
Before a noun, use the possessive adjective — 'her son'.
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Daniel always parks ___ car in the garage.
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his
Before a noun, use the possessive adjective — 'his car'.
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The children have finished ___ homework.
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their
Before a noun, use the possessive adjective — 'their homework'.
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We painted ___ kitchen a bright yellow last weekend.
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our
Before a noun, use the possessive adjective — 'our kitchen'.
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I can't find ___ keys anywhere this morning.
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my
Before a noun, use the possessive adjective — 'my keys'.
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Is this ___ coat? It was lying on the floor.
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your
Before a noun, use the possessive adjective — 'your coat'.
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The happy dog was wagging ___ tail.
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its
'Its' is the possessive adjective. 'It's' means 'it is'.
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This coffee isn't yours — it's ___.
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mine
A possessive pronoun stands alone, with no noun after it — 'it's mine'.
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That umbrella is ___ — I saw you buy it.
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yours
A possessive pronoun stands alone — 'that umbrella is yours'.
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Our garden is quite small, but ___ is huge.
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theirs
A possessive pronoun stands alone — 'theirs is huge'.
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My bag is the black one; ___ is the brown one.
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hers
A possessive pronoun stands alone — 'hers is the brown one'.
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Your team played well, but the trophy is ___.
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ours
A possessive pronoun stands alone — 'the trophy is ours'.
Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns: Complete Reference
Possessive adjectives and pronouns are among the earliest grammar points English learners encounter — and among the most persistently confused at intermediate level. Analysis of the Cambridge Learner Corpus shows that possessive form errors rank in the top 10 most frequent grammar mistakes at B1–B2, with adjective-pronoun confusion (using 'your' where 'yours' is required, or vice versa) accounting for a substantial share. The problem is compounded by homophones: its/it's, whose/who's, and their/there/they're are consistently among the highest-frequency spelling and grammar errors in learner writing. These 45 questions across 3 practice blocks address every aspect of the possessive system systematically.
Adjective vs Pronoun: The Core Rule
Use the adjective form (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) directly before a noun. Use the pronoun form (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs) when the noun is omitted.
I forgot mine. Can I borrow yours? (no noun follows → pronoun)
My score was 80. His was even higher. (his = his score — pronoun)
She said the idea was hers, but it was his. (both stand alone → pronouns)
Note: his and its have identical adjective and pronoun forms, which removes one source of confusion but creates another (see the its/it's section below).
The Double Possessive: 'a friend of mine'
English allows — and often prefers — the double possessive construction when referring to one of several people or things. The structure is: indefinite article + noun + of + possessive pronoun.
I bumped into a neighbour of hers at the supermarket.
That brilliant idea of his saved the whole project.
Some friends of ours are coming to dinner tonight.
After 'of', always use the pronoun form: 'of mine/yours/his/hers/ours/theirs' — never 'of my/your/her/our/their'. 'A my friend' and 'a friend of me' are both ungrammatical in English.
Own: Emphasis and Independence
'Own' follows a possessive adjective to stress exclusive possession, personal responsibility, or independence. It never stands alone without a possessive form before it.
I'd love to have my own flat one day.
He did it on his own. (= alone, without help)
She travelled across Asia on her own.
They want a house of their own. (= a house that belongs to them personally)
Critical pattern: the idiom for 'alone/independently' is on + possessive + own. 'By his own' is a persistent error — the correct alternatives are 'on his own' or 'by himself'.
Possessives with Body Parts
English uses possessive adjectives with body parts and clothing where other languages use definite articles. This is a common transfer error for speakers of Russian, Spanish, French, and other European languages.
He put his coat on and went outside. (not: the coat)
She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The doctor told me to open my mouth.
The rule: whenever the context makes clear whose body part or item of clothing is meant, English uses a possessive adjective, not the definite article. 'She washed the hair' sounds unnatural; 'She washed her hair' is the standard form.
its vs it's — Whose vs Who's
These homophones are among the most common errors in all English writing, not just among learners. Corpus data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) confirms that its/it's confusion appears in approximately 1 in 25 uses of the possessive 'its' in informal digital writing.
It's raining. (= It is — contraction — apostrophe needed)
The company changed its logo. (possessive)
It's been a long day. (= It has — contraction)
Whose car is parked outside? (= belonging to whom — possessive)
Who's coming to the party? (= Who is — contraction)
Test for it's: expand to 'it is' or 'it has'. If it makes sense, use it's. If not, use its. Test for who's: expand to 'who is' or 'who has'. If it makes sense, use who's. If not, use whose.
Common Mistakes
✗ Is this yours jacket? → ✓ Is this your jacket?
✗ Is it a photo of your? → ✓ Is it a photo of yours?
✗ I saw a friend of her at the concert. → ✓ I saw a friend of hers at the concert.
✗ She did the project by her own. → ✓ She did the project on her own.
✗ He bought an own car. → ✓ He bought his own car.
✗ She washed the hair. → ✓ She washed her hair.
✗ He broke the arm playing football. → ✓ He broke his arm playing football.
✗ The city is famous for it's architecture. → ✓ The city is famous for its architecture.
✗ Whose going to tell the boss? → ✓ Who's going to tell the boss?
✗ Your idea was brilliant, but her was better. → ✓ Your idea was brilliant, but hers was better.
✗ My phone is old but your is brand new. → ✓ My phone is old but yours is brand new.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns?
Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) come before a noun and modify it: 'Is this your bag?' Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs) stand alone and replace the noun to avoid repetition: 'I forgot my umbrella. Can I borrow yours?' The key test: if a noun follows immediately, use the adjective form. If the noun is omitted, use the pronoun form. Note that 'his' and 'its' serve as both adjective and pronoun.
What does 'a friend of mine' mean, and why not 'a my friend'?
'A friend of mine' is the double possessive (or post-genitive) construction meaning 'one of my friends'. English does not allow a possessive adjective after an indefinite article: 'a my friend' is ungrammatical. The pattern is: indefinite article + noun + of + possessive pronoun (mine/yours/his/hers/ours/theirs). Compare: 'I bumped into a colleague of hers' (one of her colleagues). After 'of', always use the pronoun form, not the adjective: 'of mine', not 'of my'.
What is the difference between 'its' and 'it's'?
'Its' (no apostrophe) is the possessive adjective, showing that something belongs to it: 'The company changed its logo.' 'It's' (with apostrophe) is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has': 'It's raining' (= it is raining); 'It's been a long day' (= it has been). The test: expand the contraction. If 'it is' or 'it has' makes sense, write 'it's'. If not, write 'its'. This is one of the most common spelling errors at B1–B2 level in learner corpora.
How do I use 'own' in English — 'my own', 'on my own', or 'of my own'?
'Own' always follows a possessive adjective and adds emphasis on exclusive or personal possession. Three patterns: (1) possessive + own + noun for emphasis: 'She has her own room' (not shared); (2) on + possessive + own = alone, without help: 'He did it on his own' (never 'by his own'); (3) a/some + noun + of + possessive + own = something that personally belongs to someone: 'They want a house of their own'. Note: 'an own car' is wrong — 'own' always needs a possessive adjective before it.
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