Possessive pronouns
A possessive pronoun is a word that shows ownership or belonging without repeating the noun it refers to. The main possessive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours and theirs. For example, instead of saying "This book is my book," you say "This book is mine," where "mine" replaces "my book" entirely.
Types of possessive pronouns
Singular possessive pronouns
Used for one owner, matching the person of that owner.
e.g. mine, yours, his, hers
Plural possessive pronouns
Used when the owner is more than one person or thing.
e.g. ours, yours, theirs
Possessive determiners (related form)
These sit before a noun rather than replacing it, so they are often confused with possessive pronouns.
e.g. my book, her car, their house
Independent possessive pronouns
Stand completely alone in a sentence, functioning as the subject or object.
e.g. Yours is bigger., That desk is theirs.
Rules to remember
- A possessive pronoun replaces a noun phrase entirely; it never sits directly before another noun.
- Possessive pronouns never take an apostrophe: write yours, hers, its and theirs, not your's, her's, it's or their's.
- Choose the pronoun that matches the number and person of the owner, not the object owned.
- Use 'its' (no apostrophe) for possession and 'it's' only as a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has'.
- Possessive pronouns can function as the subject, object or complement of a sentence.
Examples in sentences
| Example | How it works |
|---|---|
| This laptop is mine, not yours. | Mine and yours both replace noun phrases (my laptop, your laptop). |
| Is that red car his or hers? | His and hers show ownership without naming the object again. |
| Our team scored more points than theirs. | Theirs replaces 'their team' at the end of the sentence. |
| The dog wagged its tail happily. | Its (no apostrophe) is a possessive form, though technically a determiner here, often confused with the pronoun. |
| These seats are ours; those are yours. | Ours and yours act as complements identifying ownership. |
| Yours is the best essay in the class. | Yours functions as the subject of the sentence. |
| I found a phone, but I am not sure if it is hers. | Hers replaces 'her phone' after the linking verb 'is'. |
Common mistakes
Incorrect: This bag is your's.
Correct: This bag is yours.
Incorrect: The cat licked it's paw.
Correct: The cat licked its paw.
Incorrect: That house is theirs' house.
Correct: That house is theirs.
Why this matters for IELTS
Using possessive pronouns accurately, especially avoiding the common apostrophe errors with its, yours and theirs, shows examiners solid control of basic grammar, which supports a higher score in Grammatical Range and Accuracy. In Speaking and Writing, varying sentence structure with possessive pronouns (for example, "Mine differs from his") instead of always repeating full noun phrases also demonstrates natural, fluent style rather than mechanical repetition.
Frequently asked questions
What is a possessive pronoun?
A possessive pronoun is a word such as mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours or theirs that shows ownership and completely replaces a noun phrase, so you do not need to repeat the noun.
What is the difference between possessive pronouns and possessive determiners?
Possessive determiners like my, your, his, her, its, our and their come directly before a noun (my car), while possessive pronouns like mine, yours and his stand alone and replace the noun phrase entirely (This car is mine).
Do possessive pronouns ever use an apostrophe?
No. Possessive pronouns never take an apostrophe. Forms like your's, her's, it's (meaning belonging to it) and their's are always incorrect; the correct forms are yours, hers, its and theirs.
Put your grammar to the test
Take a free IELTS practice test and get instant band scores with expert feedback.
Try a free Writing test