What Is a Possessive Pronoun?

In the classroom setting, learning the different kinds of pronouns in the English language can leave students confused and wondering what is a possessive pronoun. There are so many different kinds of possessive pronouns, it can take a lot of effort to memorize them and to distinguish which ones are which. The best way to memorize possessive pronouns is to not just learn which ones they are, but to learn how they function and what they mean. Below is information about the definition of possessive pronouns, examples of what is a possessive pronoun, and practice exercises to help you determine which pronouns are possessive.

Defining Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are, in short, exactly that: they are the pronouns that help us show possession in the English language. Usually to show possession, we have two options that are grammatically correct. First, we can use an apostrophe and an s: 

• Sarah’s brother was named Alex.

Or, we can use of: 

• The brother of Sarah was named Alex.

However, when we want to use a pronoun to show possession, we cannot use subject pronouns. Does the following sentence make sense? 

• He name was Alex.

No: the reason is this. “He” is a subject pronoun. Replace it with the appropriate possessive pronoun, and it will make a lot more sense: 

• His name was Alex.

Keep reading below to learn more about what is a possessive pronoun. 

What Is a Possessive Pronoun

Using possessive pronouns helps English speakers and writers to be more concise and use less words to explain the same idea. You have to consider that the more concise you can be, the greater the chance that the readers will understand.  Look at the examples below and see if you can understand one more than the other: 

• My mother’s best friend’s neighbor’s dog that is named Pookie had a heart attack yesterday.
• It had a heart attack yesterday.

Often, you will use a possessive pronoun to talk about a person, place, or thing that has been explained in another sentence. In the first example above, you could have explained the complex relationship of the speaker to Pookie’s owner in a few simpler sentences, and then explain that the dog had a heart attack in a separate sentence, using a possessive pronoun. 

Now that you understand how they work, try using some possessive pronouns in a sentence.  “I” becomes “my,” “you” becomes “your” or “yours,” “he” becomes “his,” “her” becomes “hers,” and “it” becomes “its.” Keep reading for some more practice with understanding what is a possessive pronoun. 

Examples of Pronouns that Are Possessive in Nature

Practicing using possessive pronouns is the best way to get better at using them in English speaking and writing. Here are some examples that use possessive pronouns correctly: 

• My cat is the most adorable cat in the world.
• Her jeans are ripped on the knees.
• The jewelry that the police accused her of stealing turned out to be in fact hers all along.
• After spending hours of his time in the kitchen, he realized he had burned his dinner.

Notice that some of these examples do in fact have many kinds of pronouns in them. Can you determine which ones are the possessive pronouns? 

Below are some sentences that contain possessive pronoun mistakes. Can you fix them? 

• His paintings were very colorful, but I liked hers paintings better.
• Mine eyes are the color blue.
• I like listening to Madonna’s voice more than Michael Jackson’s, but he dance moves are far more iconic.

To Learn More About Possessive Pronouns

Practice replacing complex possessive structures with simpler possessive pronouns in your everyday speech and writing. Use worksheets or make flash cards to help you memorize the possessive pronouns faster. Speak to your English teacher for more information about what is a possessive pronoun and for more examples to practice using possessive pronouns correctly.