Difference between Possessive Pronoun AND Possessive Adjectives

Sometimes the same, or very similar, words are used as both pronouns and adjectives in English, and in very similar looking constructions, which can cause a lot of confusion for learners. Here we’ll look at the difference between possessive pronoun and possessive adjectives. 

See also:

Demonstrative Pronouns and Demonstrative Adjectives
Interrogative Pronouns and Interrogative Adjectives

Both possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives are used to indicate ownership or possession.

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

Possessive adjectives are used with the noun.

possessive pronoun + noun

This is my house.
It’s your tea.
Which is our car?

POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

Possessive pronouns replace the noun – they stand instead of the noun, so they are not used with a noun.

possessive adjective + noun → possessive pronoun

This is my house. →  This is mine.
It’s your tea. → It’s yours
Which is our car? → Which is ours?

or

This house is my house. →
This house is mine.
The milky tea is your tea. → The milky tea is yours
The smallest car is our car. → The smallest car is ours

PRACTICE EXERCISES

1. Choose the correct word in italics to complete the sentence.
This is ____ house.  your / yours
This dog is ____.   their / theirs
I lent my pen to David because he left ____ at home.   his / his
Angela finished her homework before Tilly finished ____.  her / hers
Sarah is wearing ____ new shoes.  her / hers

2. Change the underlined possessive adjective into a possessive pronoun.
His car is faster than your car.
I asked Laura to swap her shift with my shift.
Her shoes were wet from the rain.
This is not our food, we ordered pizzas.
He was cross when he learned his holiday had cost more than hers.

Answers
1. your, theirs, his, hers, her
2. yours, mine, hers, ours, his