Overview
Possessive determiners (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) come before a noun to show ownership or relationship. Unlike possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his), possessive determiners are always followed by a noun. Example: This is my book (determiner) vs. This book is mine (pronoun).
Forms
- 1stmy (singular) · our (plural)
- 2ndyour (both)
- 3rdhis (masc) · her (fem) · its (neuter)
- 3rd pltheir (plural) · their (singular gender-neutral)
Key Rules
- Possessive determiners agree with the owner, not the thing owned.
- Tom loves his cat. · Sara loves her cat.
- The dog wags its tail. (NOT it's)
- No apostrophe — they are not contractions.
Common Mistakes
- ❌ The team lost it's match → ✅ its match (possessive, no apostrophe)
- ❌ Everyone should bring his book → ✅ their book (inclusive)
- ❌ Her and my idea → ✅ our idea / her idea and mine
When to use
Personal items
I forgot my keys again.
Shared things
Our flat is on the third floor.
Animals / things
The dog injured its paw.
Family/group
They sold their house last spring.