Possessive Adjective vs Possessive Pronoun

My or Mine?

This small rule changes the whole sentence!

Possessive Adjective

A possessive adjective shows ownership and comes before a noun.

  • my book
  • your pen
  • his bag
  • her dress
  • its tail
  • our school
  • their house
Possessive adjective + noun

Possessive Pronoun

A possessive pronoun shows ownership but stands alone.

  • mine
  • yours
  • his
  • hers
  • ours
  • theirs
Possessive pronoun = no noun after it

Quick Comparison

Possessive AdjectivePossessive Pronoun
This is my book.This book is mine.
That is her bag.That bag is hers.
We like our classroom.The classroom is ours.
Memory Trick:
  • before a noun = possessive adjective.
  • Alone = possessive pronoun.

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