Notes

Possessive Pronouns

English Grammar Rules

Possessive pronouns are used in English to avoid repeating information that is already clear. In general it makes the sentence less confusing because the same information is not being repeated.

This book is my book, not your book. (Sounds repetitive)

This book is mine, not yours. (Mine and yours are possessive pronouns)

In the sentence, mine is a possessive pronoun that replaces my book.

In the sentence, yours is a possessive pronoun that replaces your book.

The possessive pronouns in English are as follows:

Subject	Possessive Pronouns
I	Mine
You	Yours
He	His
She	Hers
It	Its
We	Ours
You (pl)	Yours
They	Theirs

Examples:

• I didn't have my umbrella so Marta lent me hers.
  (I didn't have my umbrella so Marta lent me her umbrella).
• Her car is faster than mine.
  (Her car is faster than my car).
• That food is ours and not theirs.
  (That food is our food and not their food).
• I know this drink is yours but I need to drink something.
  (I know this drink is your drink but I need to drink something).

Remember that with possessive pronouns there are no apostrophes (').

Of yours

It is also very common to say a friend/some friends + of + possessive pronouns.

• I saw one of your friends last night.
  I saw a friend of yours last night.

Both of these sentences are correct and both common in English.

Yours faithfully - Yours sincerely

Yours is also used in English with faithfully or sincerely at the end of a formal letter or e-mail. The two common expressions are:

• Yours faithfully (If it someone that you don't know)
• Yours sincerely (If it is someone that you know)

If you would like to play an interactive game to practice this topic, visit: Possessive Pronouns Game

Grammar Rule

Examples

We have a small car.
I saw a white bird.
She watched an old film.

Remember!

Adjectives don't have a plural form.
We have two small cars.
I saw five white birds.
She watched some old films.

Be careful!

Size before colour.
We have a small, blue car.
I saw a large, white bird.

We say...We don’t say...

We have a small, blue car. (NOT We have a small and blue car.)
I saw five large, white birds. (NOT I saw five large and white birds.)

  Grammar test – Adjectives                                      

 A. Choose the correct sentence! 

Read the sentences and underline the correct one. 

1. a. Look at that red, big bus!

    b. Look at that big, red bus!

    c. Look at that red and big bus! 

2. a. Do you like my news boots?

    b. Do you like my boots new?

    c. Do you like my new boots?

3. a. He’s got a cute, brown hamster. 

    b. He’s got a cute and brown hamster. 

    c. He’s got a cute and a brown hamster. 

4. a. Can I have the smalls, orange sweets please? 

    b. Can I have the smalls, oranges sweets please? 

    c. Can I have the small, orange sweets please? 

5. a. Their house hasn’t got a blue door. It’s got a green one. 

    b. Their house hasn’t got a blue door. It’s got a green. 

    c. Their house hasn’t got a door blue. It’s got a green one.

B. Find the mistake! 

Find the mistake, underline it and write the correct sentence.

a. I’ve got some red, new shoes. _____________________________________           

b. Where’s my old and blue T-shirt? _____________________________________                 

c. I saw some bigs spiders.

_____________________________________                     

d. She’s got a car red. _____________________________________                   

e. I want the purple, small crayon please.

_____________________________________

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