Possessive pronouns — Foreign languages, 7–10
You learn to say who something belongs to without repeating the noun: “This book is mine” or “That bag is hers.”
Belonging without repeating
A possessive pronoun replaces a noun phrase when the owner is already clear. “This is my pencil” names the pencil with “my”; “This pencil is mine” lets “mine” stand for “my pencil”. The pronoun can finish the sentence because it carries the idea of belonging.
Why we need them
Without possessive pronouns, a conversation quickly repeats the same nouns. Instead of “Is this your ruler? No, it is not your ruler; it is my ruler,” you can say “Is this yours? No, it is mine.” The shorter version keeps attention on the real question: who owns it?
Whose coat is it?
Sam has a blue coat and Mia has a red coat. You ask, “Whose coat is the blue one?” The full answer is “It is Sam’s coat,” but the noun is now obvious. Replace “Sam’s coat” with “his”: “It is his.” For Mia’s coat, say “It is hers.”
Mine is not my
A reasonable mistake is saying “This is mine book”. You may be carrying the owner idea in your head and put both forms together. English chooses one place: “my book” has the noun after “my”, while “The book is mine” has no noun after “mine”.
Sharing and finding things
You use these words when school things get mixed up, when you lend something or when a lost object is found. “Are these yours?” is quicker than repeating “Are these your gloves?” They also help you be clear and polite: “That seat is hers, but this one is mine.”
Keep exploring
Other languages
Loading MyLeoNes™…