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English grammar

Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, hers

Updated 27 Oct 2026 4 min read LingoLadder Editorial Team
Cover: English possessive pronouns mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs, with the example this book is mine
Short answer

A possessive pronoun replaces a noun and stands alone, with nothing after it: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs. 'This book is mine' says the same as 'my book' but drops the noun.

On this page10 sections · tap to jump
  1. 01The rule
  2. 02The forms
  3. 03Example sentences
  4. 04Common mistakes
  5. 05A short conversation
  6. 06Usage notes
  7. 07Compared with…
  8. 08Practice
  9. 09Quiz
  10. 10Recap cheat-sheet

Level: A2. A possessive pronoun is a word that shows who owns something without repeating the noun. Instead of saying my car again, you just say mine. There are six common ones, and none of them takes an apostrophe.

The rule

A noun is a word for a person, place or thing (bag, car, keys). A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun so you do not have to repeat it. A possessive pronoun does two jobs at once: it shows ownership and replaces the noun.

Compare the two tools English gives you. A possessive adjective (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) always sits before a noun: my car. A possessive pronoun (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs) stands alone and the noun disappears: The car is mine.

Each possessive pronoun matches a subject pronoun, just like the adjectives do: I → mine, you → yours, he → his, she → hers, we → ours, they → theirs. You use one when the owner is already clear and repeating the noun would sound clumsy: “Is this your pen? No, mine is blue” instead of “my pen is blue.”

Two forms deserve a warning. His is identical whether it comes before a noun (his book) or stands alone (The book is his). And its is almost never used as a standalone possessive pronoun — English simply avoids it, so you will not usually need it here.

The forms

Subject pronoun Possessive adjective (+ noun) Possessive pronoun (alone)
I my (bag) mine
you your (bag) yours
he his (bag) his
she her (bag) hers
it its (bag) (its — rarely used)
we our (bag) ours
they their (bag) theirs

Example sentences

  1. This book is mine.
    'Mine' replaces 'my book'.
  2. Is this pen yours?
    'Yours' replaces 'your pen'.
  3. The red car is his.
    'His' stands alone here — no noun after it.
  4. That seat is hers.
    'Hers' for a female owner; no apostrophe.
  5. The big house on the corner is ours.
    'Ours' replaces 'our house'.
  6. These keys are theirs.
    'Theirs' for 'they'; one word, no apostrophe.
  7. Your bag is black and mine is brown.
    Adjective 'your' + noun, then pronoun 'mine' alone.
  8. My phone is broken, so I borrowed hers.
    'Hers' = her phone.
  9. Our garden is small, but theirs is huge.
    Contrast: 'ours' idea, then 'theirs'.
  10. Whose coat is this? It's mine.
    Answer a 'whose' question with a possessive pronoun.
  11. I forgot my umbrella, so she lent me hers.
    'Hers' avoids repeating 'umbrella'.
  12. Their flat is bigger than ours.
    Comparing two homes without repeating the noun.
  13. This isn't my jacket; mine has a hood.
    'Mine' points back to 'my jacket'.
  14. He's a friend of mine.
    Fixed pattern 'of mine' = one of my friends.
  15. Are these gloves yours or his?
    Two pronouns side by side, both standing alone.
  16. The decision is yours.
    'Yours' = your decision to make.
  17. We painted our room; they painted theirs.
    'Theirs' = their room.
  18. The fault was entirely mine.
    'Mine' after the verb 'be'.
  19. That dog is ours, not yours.
    Two possessive pronouns contrasted.
  20. Her idea was good, but his was better.
    'His' stands alone after 'be'.

Common mistakes

  • ❌ This is her’s. → ✅ This is hers. No possessive pronoun takes an apostrophe.
  • ❌ The book is mine book. → ✅ The book is mine. / It is my book. Mine stands alone; do not add a noun.
  • ❌ Is this yours’? → ✅ Is this yours? Yours already ends in -s; never add an apostrophe.
  • ❌ He is a my friend. → ✅ He is a friend of mine. Use of + mine, not a my.
  • ❌ Their’s is the blue one. → ✅ Theirs is the blue one. Theirs is one word, no apostrophe.
  • ❌ This seat is her. → ✅ This seat is hers. The possessive pronoun of she is hers, not her.

A short conversation

A: Is this phone yours? B: No, mine is in my bag. I think it’s hers — Mia was sitting here. A: And whose jacket is on the chair? B: That one is his. The red bag is ours, though.

Usage notes

  • Replace, don’t repeat. The whole point is to avoid saying the noun twice. “Your car is fast, but mine is faster” sounds natural; “my car is faster” repeats the noun and feels heavier.
  • After the verb be. Possessive pronouns very often come after is / are / was: “The choice is yours”, “The mistakes were ours.”
  • The of mine pattern. To say one of my…, English uses a/an/this/some + noun + of + possessive pronoun: a friend of mine, that cousin of yours, some books of hers. Never a my friend.
  • Questions with whose. Whose asks who the owner is, and the natural answer is a possessive pronoun: “Whose is this? — It’s mine.”

Compared with…

  • Possessive adjectives. A possessive adjective (my, your, her) must have a noun right after it: my bag. A possessive pronoun (mine, yours, hers) replaces that whole phrase and stands alone: The bag is mine. The adjective points forward to a noun; the pronoun sends you back to one already mentioned. See Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her.
  • Possessive ’s. The possessive ’s names an owner with a noun or name (Sara’s bag), while a possessive pronoun uses no name and no noun at all (The bag is hers). Use ’s when you say who; use the pronoun when the owner is already known. See Possessive ‘s and s’.

Recap card for the English possessive-pronouns lesson showing each subject pronoun and its possessive pronoun

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Practice

Possessive pronouns practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Choose the correct word: 'This isn't my pen. ___ is blue.'
Show answer

Mine — The noun is gone and the word stands alone, so use the pronoun 'mine'.

Hint: no apostrophe

Show answer

hers — The possessive pronoun of 'she' is 'hers' — never 'her's' or 'her'.

3 Put the words in order to make a correct sentence.

Show answer

These keys are theirs — The possessive pronoun 'theirs' stands alone at the end.

4 Match each subject pronoun to its possessive pronoun.

  • I
  • you
  • she
  • they
Show answer
  • I → mine
  • you → yours
  • she → hers
  • they → theirs

I → mine, you → yours, she → hers, they → theirs.

5 Which sentence is correct?
Show answer

He is a friend of mine. — Use the fixed pattern 'a friend of mine', not 'a my friend'.

Hint: one word, no apostrophe

Show answer

theirs — 'Theirs' is the possessive pronoun of 'they' — no apostrophe.

Quiz

Check yourself

Possessive pronouns quiz

12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/12 0 answered
  1. 1Which is the possessive pronoun for 'I'?
    Show answer

    mine — I → mine; 'my' needs a noun after it and 'mines' is not a word.

  2. 2Complete: 'Is this your coat? No, ___ is longer.'
    Show answer

    mine — The noun 'coat' is dropped, so use the pronoun 'mine'.

  3. 3Which word is spelled correctly?
    Show answer

    hers — The possessive pronoun of 'she' is 'hers', with no apostrophe.

  4. 4Complete: 'Our garden is small, but ___ is huge.' (they)
    Show answer

    theirs — 'Theirs' stands alone and takes no apostrophe.

  5. 5Which sentence is correct?
    Show answer

    This book is mine. — 'Mine' replaces the noun and stands alone — don't add 'book'.

  6. 6Complete: 'Whose phone is this?' '___.'
    Show answer

    It's mine — Answer a 'whose' question with a possessive pronoun: 'It's mine.'

  7. 7Which word matches 'we'?
    Show answer

    ours — We → ours; 'our' needs a noun and 'our's' is never correct.

  8. 8Choose the correct form: 'Are these gloves ___?' (you)
    Show answer

    yours — 'Yours' stands alone with no apostrophe.

  9. 9Which sentence is WRONG?
    Show answer

    That seat is her. — The pronoun of 'she' is 'hers', so it should be 'That seat is hers.'

  10. Show answer

    his — 'His' is the same whether it stands alone or comes before a noun.

  11. 11Complete the natural phrase: 'She's a cousin ___ mine.'
    Show answer

    of — The fixed pattern is 'of mine': a cousin of mine.

  12. 12Which pair is correct (adjective / pronoun)?
    Show answer

    my / mine — The adjective 'my' comes before a noun; the pronoun 'mine' stands alone.

Recap cheat-sheet

Subject Possessive pronoun Example
I / you mine / yours It’s mine. Is it yours?
he / she his / hers The pen is his. The bag is hers.
we / they ours / theirs Ours is here. Theirs is there.

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All English grammar topics

Every grammar point in order, from your first sentence to advanced structures. Pick one and go straight to it. New lessons go live every day, so topics marked Coming soon fill in over the next weeks.

Grammar path

125 topics 125 ready now
A1 30 topics · 30 ready
  1. 01 Verb 'To Be' in the Present (am, is, are)
  2. 02 Subject Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, They
  3. 03 Present Simple: Affirmative and the -s Ending
  4. 04 Present Simple: Negatives and Questions (do/does)
  5. 05 Articles: a / an and When to Use Each
  6. 06 The Definite Article 'The': When to Use It
  7. 07 Zero Article: When to Use No Article
  8. 08 Plural Nouns: Regular and Irregular Forms
  9. 09 This, That, These, Those (Demonstratives)
  10. 10 Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her
  11. 11 Possessive 's and s' (Showing Belonging)
  12. 12 There Is / There Are (Saying What Exists)
  13. 13 Have Got: Talking About Possession
  14. 14 Can and Can't for Ability
  15. 15 Present Continuous (am/is/are + -ing)
  16. 16 Imperatives: Giving Orders and Instructions
  17. 17 Adjectives: Position and Basic Use
  18. 18 Prepositions of Place: in, on, at
  19. 19 Prepositions of Time: in, on, at
  20. 20 Question Words: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How
  21. 21 How Much vs How Many
  22. 22 Countable and Uncountable Nouns
  23. 23 Some and Any: Which One to Use
  24. 24 Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, them
  25. 25 Adverbs of Frequency and Their Position
  26. 26 Like, Love, Hate + -ing (Expressing Preferences)
  27. 27 Would Like: Polite Wants and Offers
  28. 28 Making Requests: Can, Could, May I
  29. 29 Past Simple of 'To Be' (was / were)
  30. 30 Let's and Shall We: Making Suggestions
A2 25 topics · 25 ready
  1. 31 Past Simple: Regular Verbs and -ed Spelling
  2. 32 Past Simple: Irregular Verbs (go, see, have)
  3. 33 Past Simple: Negatives and Questions (did)
  4. 34 Comparative Adjectives (bigger, more expensive)
  5. 35 Superlative Adjectives (the biggest, the most)
  6. 36 Going To: Plans and Predictions
  7. 37 Will: Predictions, Decisions and Offers
  8. 38 Present Continuous for Future Arrangements
  9. 39 Present Perfect for Experience (ever / never)
  10. 40 Present Perfect with just, already, yet
  11. 41 Present Perfect vs Past Simple
  12. 42 Have To and Don't Have To (Obligation)
  13. 43 Should and Shouldn't for Advice
  14. 44 Could: Past Ability and Polite Use
  15. 45 Much, Many, A Lot Of
  16. 46 A Few, A Little, Few, Little
  17. 47 Adverbs of Manner (quickly, well, hard)
  18. 48 Verb + -ing or Verb + to (Introduction)
  19. 49 Zero Conditional (Facts and Rules)
  20. 50 First Conditional (Real Future Possibility)
  21. 51 Prepositions of Movement (to, into, through)
  22. 52 Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, hers You are here
  23. 53 Past Continuous (was/were + -ing)
  24. 54 Too and Enough (Degree)
  25. 55 Order of Adjectives Before a Noun
B1 27 topics · 27 ready
  1. 56 Past Continuous vs Past Simple
  2. 57 Used To and Would for Past Habits
  3. 58 Present Perfect Continuous (have been -ing)
  4. 59 Present Perfect: Simple vs Continuous
  5. 60 Past Perfect (had + past participle)
  6. 61 Second Conditional (Unreal Present/Future)
  7. 62 Third Conditional (Unreal Past)
  8. 63 Reported Speech: Statements (Backshift)
  9. 64 Reported Questions
  10. 65 Reported Commands and Requests
  11. 66 Passive Voice: Present and Past Simple
  12. 67 Must and Mustn't (Strong Obligation)
  13. 68 May, Might, Could for Possibility
  14. 69 Defining Relative Clauses (who, which, that)
  15. 70 Non-Defining Relative Clauses (with commas)
  16. 71 Gerunds and Infinitives: Full Verb Patterns
  17. 72 Verbs Where -ing vs to Changes Meaning
  18. 73 Future Continuous (will be -ing)
  19. 74 So and Such (Emphasis)
  20. 75 As...As Comparisons (equality)
  21. 76 Question Tags (isn't it? do you?)
  22. 77 Phrasal Verbs: Separable and Inseparable
  23. 78 Linking Words: because, so, although, but
  24. 79 Infinitive of Purpose (to / in order to)
  25. 80 Indirect Questions (Can you tell me...)
  26. 81 Make, Let, Allow, Help (Causatives Intro)
  27. 82 Be Used To and Get Used To (+ -ing)
B2 25 topics · 25 ready
  1. 83 Narrative Tenses for Storytelling
  2. 84 Past Perfect Continuous (had been -ing)
  3. 85 Mixed Conditionals
  4. 86 Wish and If Only (Regrets and Wishes)
  5. 87 Wish/If Only + would (Complaints)
  6. 88 Passive Voice: All Tenses and Modals
  7. 89 Reporting Passive (It is said that / is said to)
  8. 90 Causative: Have/Get Something Done
  9. 91 Reduced Relative Clauses (Participles)
  10. 92 Modals of Deduction: Present and Past
  11. 93 Needn't Have vs Didn't Need To
  12. 94 Future Perfect (will have done)
  13. 95 Participle Clauses (-ing / -ed / having done)
  14. 96 Advanced Comparatives (far/much + er, the more)
  15. 97 Conditional Alternatives: unless, as long as, provided
  16. 98 Advanced Determiners: each, every, either, neither
  17. 99 Intensifiers and Adverbs of Degree
  18. 100 Advanced Contrast: despite, in spite of, however
  19. 101 Advanced Linkers: therefore, moreover, consequently
  20. 102 Advanced Article Use (generalisations, names)
  21. 103 Verb + Preposition and Adjective + Preposition
  22. 104 Relative Clauses: whose, where, when, quantifier + whom
  23. 105 Subject-Verb Agreement: Tricky Cases
  24. 106 Emphatic Do (I do like it)
  25. 107 Would for Past Habits (Formal Narrative)
C1 18 topics · 18 ready
  1. 108 Inversion with Negative Adverbials
  2. 109 Inversion in Conditionals (Had I known)
  3. 110 Cleft Sentences (It was... / What I need is...)
  4. 111 Fronting and Emphasis (Word Order)
  5. 112 Subjunctive and Mandative (I suggest he be)
  6. 113 Ellipsis and Substitution (so, do, one)
  7. 114 Hedging and Cautious Language
  8. 115 Nominalisation (Academic Noun Style)
  9. 116 Advanced Discourse Markers (Spoken & Written)
  10. 117 Advanced Passive (passive + infinitive, get-passive)
  11. 118 Advanced Comparative Structures (no sooner...than)
  12. 119 Future in the Past (was going to / would)
  13. 120 Advanced Modals (may well, might as well, would rather)
  14. 121 Advanced Reported Speech (Reporting Verbs + Patterns)
  15. 122 Advanced and Idiomatic Phrasal Verbs
  16. 123 Collocation and Colligation (Natural Combinations)
  17. 124 Advanced Concession (much as, whatever, however + adj)
  18. 125 Absolute and Non-Finite Clauses (Formal)