Identify possessive pronouns
Key Notes:
1. What are Possessive Pronouns?
- Possessive pronouns are words that show ownership or possession of something. They replace nouns to show who something belongs to.
- Examples: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs
2. Common Possessive Pronouns
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| mine | ours |
| yours | yours |
| his | theirs |
| hers | theirs |
| its |
3. How to Use Possessive Pronouns
- Possessive pronouns do not need an apostrophe. They already show ownership on their own.
Examples:
- This book is mine.
- (“mine” shows that the book belongs to me)
- That backpack is yours.
- (“yours” shows that the backpack belongs to you)
- The house is theirs.
- (“theirs” shows that the house belongs to them)
4. Difference Between Possessive Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives
- Possessive pronouns replace the noun completely.
- Example: This pencil is mine.
- Possessive adjectives come before a noun to describe ownership but don’t replace the noun.
- Example: This is my pencil.
5. Practice Identifying Possessive Pronouns
- Ask students to find and replace nouns with possessive pronouns in sentences.
Examples:
- This is Sarah’s toy. → This is hers.
- The cat’s tail is fluffy. → The tail is its.
- The books belong to us. → The books are ours.
6. Key Tips to Remember
- Use possessive pronouns when you want to avoid repeating the noun that shows possession.
- Make sure not to confuse its (possessive pronoun) with it’s (contraction of “it is”).
