Possessives

Possessives take many forms in English.

Pronouns in the possessive case can be used as adjectives to modify nouns or stand alone as subjects, objects or complements. For example,

My book is on the table. Mine is on the table. I put mine in the refrigerator. The red one is mine.

(used to modify a noun) (used as a subject) (used as an object) (used as a complement)

See the table below.

Pronouns as adjectives my his her its your our their

Pronouns as subjects, objects and complements mine his hers its (not common) yours ours theirs

The possessive is formed by adding ?s to singular nouns and plural nouns not ending in s. Such possessives can be used as modifiers, or they can stand alone.

It is John's bicycle.

Those are the children's toys.

Jack's is the white one.

I'm going to Joe's.

With plural nouns ending in ?s, only an apostrophe (?) is used to form the possessive.

The girls' bicycles are in the repair shop.

All the students' books were stolen.

For Practice: See
Possessive Pronouns (from The Internet TESL Journal)

See also: Grammar: Pronouns

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