Definition
Adjectives that indicate possession or ownership are called possessive adjectives. They alter nouns to specify what or to whom something belongs.
Types
The primary English possessive adjectives are broken down as follows:
My: Expresses ownership of something by the speaker. For instance, “This is my book.” (The book belongs to me.)
Your: Refers to an object that is the subject of the conversation. For instance, “Is this your pen?” (You are the owner of the pen.)
His: Denotes a masculine individual’s possession. For instance, “That is his automobile.” (He owns the vehicle.)
Her: Denotes a woman’s ownership. For instance, “This is her bag.” (She is the owner of the bag.)
Its: Used to denote possession for non-human subjects (i.e., things or animals). “The dog wagged its tail,” as an example. (The doggy owns the tail.)
Our: Denotes that the speaker and at least one more person own something. “This is our house,” for instance. (The residence is ours.)
Their: Describes anything that is shared by several individuals. “Those are their shoes,” for instance. (The shoes are theirs.)
Important Points:
Adjectives of possession are always used before nouns. By elaborating on ownership and relationships, they help words become more precise. Possessive adjectives are used with nouns, in contrast to possessive pronouns (my, yours, his, and hers).
Kinds of possessive adjectives
,Adjectives that are possessive can be grouped according to their relationship or subject. The primary categories are as follows:
1. Possessive first-person adjectives My:
Denotes the speaker’s possession. “This is my notebook,” for instance.
2. Adjectives in the Second Person Possessive Your:
Expresses possession on the part of the speaker. “Is this your phone?” is an example.
3. Possessive Adjectives in the Third Person His:
Denotes a male’s possession. For instance, “That is his clothing.”
Her: Denotes a female’s possession. “Her keys are these,” for instance. Its: Applies to non-human subjects (i.e., objects or animals). For instance, “The cat licked its paw.” Our: Denotes ownership by the speaker and one or more additional individuals. “This is our project,” for instance.
Their: Denotes the possession of several individuals. “Those are their bicycles,” for instance.
Rules
Rules for employing possessive adjectives are as follows: 1. Placement Prior to Nouns: Possessive adjectives are always positioned prior to the nouns that they describe. For instance, “This is my book.” 2. Agreement with the Possessor Complement the Subject: The possessor, not the noun, must be the subject of the possessive adjective’s form. For instance, “That is her dog.” (Talking about a female owner who does not care what gender the dog is.) 3. Absence of an apostrophe No Possessive Form: Possessive adjectives do not employ an apostrophe, in contrast to possessive nouns (e.g., “John’s book”). Right: “It is my pen.” That is not correct: “That is my pen.” Usage on Non-Human Subjects Intended for Items/Animals: For non-human subjects, use “its” to denote possession. For instance, “The tree’s leaves fell off.” 5. Plural Forms Theirs and Ours: Whenever the speaker uses “our”
Examples
| Subject Pronoun | Possessive Adjective | Example Sentences |
| I | my | This is my car |
| You | your | Is this your house? |
| He | his | That is his pen. |
| She | her | Her dress is clean. |
| It | Its | The cat beat its foot. |
| We | Our | Our team won the match. |
| They | Their | Their house is beautiful. |