Possessives with Body Parts — English Grammar Exercises
my/mine, your/yours, their/theirs — know the difference
Possessives with Body Parts and Clothing
English consistently uses possessive adjectives with body parts and clothing items when the owner is already clear from context. This contrasts with Russian (where the reflexive possessive or definite article is used), French, and Spanish (where the definite article is standard). Research on cross-linguistic transfer shows that article-for-possessive substitution is one of the most persistent L1-transfer errors for Russian, French, and Spanish speakers learning English, and it typically persists well into B2 level.
The Pattern
Whenever the referent of a body part or clothing item is clear from context, English uses a possessive adjective. There is no reflexive possessive equivalent to Russian 'свой' — the personal possessive adjective does the job.
He put his coat on and went outside.
She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The little boy hurt his knee when he fell off the bike.
She brushed her teeth and hair.
Why 'the' Is Wrong Here
'She washed the hair' is awkward because the definite article does not specify whose hair. English speakers rely on the possessive to anchor ownership. In the rare case where the owner is genuinely ambiguous, English uses 'the' ('the hand reached out'), but whenever a subject is present and the body part clearly belongs to that subject, the possessive is required.
Common Mistakes
✗ He broke the arm playing football. → ✓ He broke his arm playing football.
✗ The doctor told me to open the mouth. → ✓ The doctor told me to open my mouth.
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.