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Rules›Possessive Determiners

Possessive Determiners

A1

Use my, your, his, her, its, our, and their before nouns to show who something belongs to: my phone, their house.

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What you'll learn

  • Put a possessive word directly before a noun.
  • Choose the possessive word that matches the owner.
  • Avoid a and the before the same noun after a possessive word.
  • Use its for possession by one thing or animal.

Structure

possessive determiner + noun

Put the possessive word immediately before the noun it describes.

owner → matching possessive determiner + noun

Choose the possessive word from the owner: he → his, we → our, they → their.

Build a sentence

Owner
Noun
herbook

Her book is on the desk.

Match she → her.

When to use

People and family

Use possessive words to show who a person or thing belongs to: her sister, his keys, their parents.

Personal things

Talk about everyday objects with the owner first: my phone, your coat, our car.

Animals and things

Use its when one animal or thing is the owner: the company changed its logo, the cat ate its food.

Markers

my nameyour turnhis friendher bagits colorour housetheir teacher

Spelling

possession with it→ itsThe dog ate its food.
do not use apostrophe for possession→ it's → itsThe company changed its name.

Common mistakes

Wrong
This is my.
Correct
This is my bag.
A possessive determiner goes before a noun. It cannot stand alone here.
Wrong
Maria is here with his brother.
Correct
Maria is here with her brother.
Match the possessive word to the owner. Maria is she, so use her.
Wrong
She opened the her bag.
Correct
She opened her bag.
Do not use the and a possessive word before the same noun.
Wrong
The cat is in it's bed.
Correct
The cat is in its bed.
Use its for possession. It's means it is.

Common misconceptions

❝ I choose his, her, or their from the noun after it. ❞

Choose from the owner, not from the noun. The car can be his car, her car, or their car depending on who owns it.

❝ I need the before a noun, so I can say the my phone. ❞

A possessive word already fills that position. Say my phone, not the my phone.

Skills in this rule (5)

PUT_BEFORE_NOUNw5

Put my, your, his, her, its, our, and their before a noun

Use a possessive word directly before the thing: my bag, her phone, their car. Do not use it alone when a noun must follow.

CHOOSE_BY_OWNERw5

Choose the possessive word that matches the owner

Match the word to the owner, not to the thing owned: he → his, she → her, they → their. The noun after it can be singular or plural.

NO_ARTICLE_AFTER_POSSESSIVEw5

Use a possessive word without a or the before the same noun

Say my book or the book, not the my book. A possessive word already fills that place before the noun.

ITS_FOR_THINGS_AND_ANIMALSw4

Use its for a thing or animal as the owner

Use its when the owner is one thing or animal: the company changed its name, the dog ate its food. Do not add an apostrophe.

RECOGNIZE_OWNER_PATTERNSw3

Recognize who owns the noun in simple patterns

Look for the owner first, then choose the matching possessive word before the noun. This helps in phrases like my name, our house, their teacher.

Lock it in with practice
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