What Are Possessive Adjectives?
Possessive adjectives are words that come before nouns to show who or what owns something. These include my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. Unlike possessive pronouns, they must be followed by a noun — they describe whose noun it is.
Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) show ownership and come before nouns. They match the possessor, not the thing possessed.
- •1st: my (singular), our (plural)
- •2nd: your (singular & plural)
- •3rd: his, her, its (singular), their (plural)
- •Always + noun (my book)
- •Match the owner, not object
- •No apostrophe
- •Cannot stand alone
Step-by-step worked examples
Fill: 'I have a pen. ___ pen is blue.'
I = owner Possessive adjective = my Answer: My pen is blue.
Fill: 'They have a dog. ___ dog is big.'
They = owners (plural) Possessive adjective = their Answer: Their dog is big.
Fill: 'She is here. ___ bag is on the table.'
She = owner (female singular) Possessive adjective = her Answer: Her bag is on the table.
Flashcards
Quick quiz
Q1.Fill: 'We have a house. ___ house is nice.'
Q2.Fill: 'You are smart. ___ sister is also smart.'
Q3.Possessive adjective vs. pronoun: 'This book is ___.'
Q4.Fill: 'The cat likes ___ toy.'
The full card deck, worked steps and AI-tutor support for “What Are Possessive Adjectives?” are in Notek — study by hand before your exam.
Common mistakes
Using apostrophes (his's, her's, its'). — Correct: Possessive adjectives have NO apostrophe (his, her, its).
Confusing possessive adjective and pronoun (This is your pen. This is your). — Correct: Adjective + noun (your pen); pronoun alone (yours).
Using 'its' with apostrophe as possessive. — Correct: 'Its' = possessive adjective; 'it's' = it is (contraction).
Forgetting the noun after possessive adjective. — Correct: Always use a noun (my book, not just my).
FAQ
What are possessive adjectives?
Words that show who owns something: my, your, his, her, its, our, their.
Possessive adjective or possessive pronoun?
Adjective comes before a noun (my pen); pronoun stands alone (mine).
Do possessive adjectives change?
Yes — they match the owner (my, your, his, her, its, our, their), not what's owned.
Why no apostrophe in possessive adjectives?
Apostrophes are for contractions (it's = it is) or possessive nouns (John's book), not possessive adjectives.