English grammar: Possessive adjectives

What this grammar point covers

Possessive adjectives are words like my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. They show who owns or has something.

When to use it

Use possessive adjectives before a noun to show who something belongs to. For example, use 'my' before 'book' to show the book belongs to you.

Key forms

• my
• your
• his
• her
• its
• our
• their

Examples

Tips

• Possessive adjectives always come before a noun.
• Do not use an apostrophe (') with possessive adjectives.
• Be careful: 'its' (possessive) is different from 'it's' (it is).

Exceptions and edge cases

• ‘Its’ is used for things or animals (not people).
• ‘His’ and ‘her’ are used for people, depending on gender.