A Guide to Possessive Determiners in the English Language

Possessive determiners are a key part of English grammar. They are used to show possession or ownership, and they come before nouns. The English language has seven possessive determiners: my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. In this post, we will take a closer look at possessive determiners in English Grammar. We will discuss their definition, usage, and some common mistakes to avoid.

The post includes:

• What are possessive determiners in English?
• Usage of possessive determiners with examples
• Possessive determiners vs. possessive pronouns
• Placement of possessive determiners
• Possessive determiners with singular and plural Nouns
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Examples in sentences of possessive determiners
• Practice exercises
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Possessive Determiners in English?

Possessive determiners are words in English that show who something belongs to. They help us express ownership or possession of something. The most common possessive determiners are:

1. My: Shows something that belongs to the speaker. For example, “This is my book.”

2. Your: Indicates something belongs to the person you’re talking to. For example, “Is this your pen?”

3. His: Shows something belongs to a boy or a man. For example, “That’s his bike.”

4. Her: Indicates something belongs to a girl or a woman. For example, “This is her cat.”

5. Its: Shows something belongs to an animal or thing. For example, “The tree lost its leaves.”

6. Our: Indicates something belongs to a group that includes the speaker. For example, “We’re going to our favorite restaurant.”

7. Their: Shows something that belongs to a group that doesn’t include the speaker. For example, “Those are their toys.”

Read about Determiners

Usage of Possessive Determiners with Examples

Possessive Determiners are placed before nouns and show who owns or possesses something. Here’s how to use possessive determiners in English:

Before Nouns: Possessive determiners always come before nouns. They directly modify the noun to indicate possession. For example:

• “This is my house.”
• “Is this your car?”
• “That’s his phone.”

Agreement with Nouns:

Singular Nouns: Use the appropriate possessive determiner based on the gender and number of the noun.

• “This is my book.” (singular, first-person)
• “That’s her cat.” (singular, feminine)
• “It’s its nest.” (singular, neuter)

Plural Nouns: Use the same possessive determiners for plural nouns, regardless of gender.

• “These are our bikes.” (plural, first-person)
• “Those are their dogs.” (plural)

Ownership Clarity: Possessive determiners help clarify ownership in a sentence and prevent ambiguity. They answer questions like “Whose?” or “To whom does it belong?”

• “The keys are my keys.” (Showing ownership)
• “This is his idea.” (Indicating possession)

No Apostrophes: Unlike possessive pronouns (e.g., his, hers, its), possessive determiners do not use apostrophes to indicate possession. The form of the word is already possessive.

• Correct: “That’s my book.” (Not “That’s my’s book.”)

With Demonstratives: Possessive determiners can be used with demonstratives (this, that, these, those) to specify which thing is possessed.

• “This is my laptop.” (Clarifying possession)

Emphasizing Ownership: In some cases, possessive determiners can be used to emphasize ownership or possession.

• “This is my own decision.” (Emphasizing personal ownership)

Ownership in Context: Consider the context of the conversation to determine the appropriate possessive determiner. Is the possession in question yours, someone else’s, or shared among a group?

Avoiding Redundancy: In English, possessive determiners are often used instead of repeating the noun to avoid redundancy. For example:

Instead of saying, “The dog is John’s dog,” you can say, “The dog is his.”

Possessive Determiners vs. Possessive Pronouns

Possessive determiners and possessive pronouns are related to grammatical elements in English, but they serve different functions and have distinct forms. Here’s a comparison between possessive determiners and possessive pronouns:

Placement of Possessive Determiners

Possessive determiners in English are placed directly before the noun they modify. This placement is consistent and helps specify ownership or possession clearly. Here’s how possessive determiners are typically positioned:

Possessive Determiner + Noun

Examples:

“This is my book.” (The possessive determiner “my” comes before the noun “book” to show ownership.)

“Is this your laptop?” (The possessive determiner “your” directly precedes the noun “laptop” to indicate possession.)

“That’s his phone.” (The possessive determiner “his” is placed before the noun “phone” to specify ownership.)

“This is our house.” (The possessive determiner “our” is positioned before the noun “house” to show joint possession by a group.)

“Those are their bikes.” (The possessive determiner “their” comes before the noun “bikes” to indicate ownership by a group of people.)

Possessive Determiners with Singular and Plural Nouns

Possessive determiners are used with both singular and plural nouns in English. Their form may change slightly to agree with the number of the noun they modify. Here’s how possessive determiners work with singular and plural nouns:

Singular Nouns:

1. My: Used when you’re talking about something owned by the speaker. “This is my car.”

2. Your: Used when you’re talking about something owned by the person you’re addressing. “Is this your phone?”

3. His: Used to indicate ownership by a boy or a man. “That’s his book.”

4. Her: Used to indicate ownership by a girl or a woman. “This is her cat.”

5. Its: Used for possession by an animal or inanimate object (neuter gender). “The dog wagged its tail.”

Plural Nouns:

1. Our: Used when something is owned by a group that includes the speaker. “These are our bicycles.”

2. Your: Used when something is owned by the group you’re addressing. “Are these your keys?”

3. Their: Used when something is owned by a group that does not include the speaker. “Those are their houses.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using possessive determiners correctly in English is important for clear communication. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when using possessive determiners:

1. Misusing “it’s” and “its”:

“It’s” is a contraction of “it is” or “it has” and should not be used as a possessive determiner. Use “its” to indicate possession by an inanimate object or animal.

Incorrect: “The cat wagged it’s tail.”

Correct: “The cat wagged its tail.”

2. Confusing “your” and “you’re”:

“Your” is a possessive determiner indicating ownership. “You’re” is a contraction of “you are.”

Incorrect: “You’re book is interesting.”

Correct: “Your book is interesting.”

3. Overusing possessive determiners:

You don’t always need to use a possessive determiner when ownership is clear from the context.

Incorrect: “This is my book, and this is my pen, and this is my desk.”

Correct: “This is my book, pen, and desk.”

4. Using possessive determiners with inanimate objects unnecessarily:

In some cases, it’s more common to use definite articles (the) or demonstratives (this, that) instead of possessive determiners when referring to inanimate objects.

Incorrect: “I love my weather in this city.”

Correct: “I love the weather in this city.”

5. Misusing possessive determiners with plural nouns:

Remember that possessive determiners like “our” and “their” are used with plural nouns, not singular ones.

Incorrect: “This is our cat’s toy.”

Correct: “This is our cats’ toy.”

6. Forgetting to use a possessive determiner:

Sometimes, not using a possessive determiner can create confusion.

Incorrect: “I saw sister car.”

Correct: “I saw my sister’s car.”

7. Confusing “their” and “there” or “they’re”:

“Their” is a possessive determiner. “There” indicates a place, and “they’re” is a contraction of “they are.”

Incorrect: “They’re dog is over there.”

Correct: “Their dog is over there.”

Examples in Sentences of possessive determiners

Here are some examples of possessive determiners used in sentences:

First Person Singular (Speaker’s Ownership):

• “This is my house.”
• “I found my keys.”

Second Person Singular (Ownership of the Person You’re Addressing):

• “Is this your laptop?”
• “Can I borrow your pen?”

Third Person Singular (Ownership by He, She, or It):

• “That’s his car.” (He owns the car.)
• “This is her phone.” (She owns the phone.)
• “It’s its nest.” (The bird owns the nest.)

First Person Plural (Ownership by the Speaker and Others):

• “These are our children.” (Ownership shared among a group.)
• “We built our dream house.” (The house belongs to the speaker and others.)

Second Person Plural (Ownership by the Group You’re Addressing):

• “Are these your backpacks?” (Ownership is being asked of a group.)
• “I love your family.” (Referring to the family of the person you’re addressing.)

Third Person Plural (Ownership by They or a Group):

• “Those are their bikes.” (Ownership by a group of people.)
• “The birds built their nests.” (Ownership by multiple birds.)

Possessive Determiners with Demonstratives:

• “This is my dog.” (Ownership is specified by the possessive determiner “my.”)
• “Those are your shoes.” (Ownership is indicated by “your.”)

Emphasizing Ownership:

• “This is my own decision.” (Emphasizing personal ownership.)
• “She fixed the car herself.” (Emphasizing that she did it alone.)

Possessive Determiners with Non-Specific Nouns:

• “I need to find my keys.” (Ownership of keys in general.)
• “He lost his patience.” (Referring to patience without specifying what caused it.)

Practice exercises

Here are some practice exercises to help reinforce your understanding of possessive determiners. Choose the correct possessive determiner for each sentence:

1. Sarah bought _______ dog a new collar.
2. They decided to paint _______ house this weekend.
3. My sister borrowed _______ dress for the party.
4. Paul and Alice are going on _______ honeymoon to Italy.
5. The teacher praised _______ students for their hard work.
6. The cat curled up on _______ favorite chair.
7. I found _______ wallet in the park yesterday.
8. We’re going to visit _______ grandparents next month.
9. Can you pass _______ phone, please?
10. The children are excited to see _______ grandparents this summer.

Answers:

Here are the answers for the exercises:

1. her
2. their
3. my
4. their
5. his
6. its
7. my
8. our
9. me
10. their

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to possessive determiners, along with their answers, to address additional doubts:

Explore more:

• Uses of Quantifiers in English
• What Are Quantifiers in English
• Examples of Demonstrative Determiners
• Articles Practice Exercises

Additional Resources & References:

1. Possessive Determiners – Definition, List, Examples and Exercises – Teaching Banyan
2. Possessive Determiners – Magnet Brains
3. What are Possessive Determiners in English? – Lingoda
4. Possessive determiners: explanation, examples – Lingbase
5. Possessive Determiners and Possessive Pronouns – Single Step English