What are Possessive Adjectives?
Possessive adjectives show who something belongs to. They come before a noun and answer the question “Whose is it?”
I → my
My name is Anna.
you → your
What is your job?
he → his
His car is red.
she → her
Her sister is a nurse.
it → its
The dog hurt its paw.
we → our
Our house is big.
they → their
Their children are young.
Common Mistakes
✗ Wrong
The cat hurt it’s paw.
it’s = it is (NOT possessive!)
✓ Correct
The cat hurt its paw.
its (no apostrophe) = possessive
✗ Wrong
She lost her’s keys.
Possessive adj. has no apostrophe
✓ Correct
She lost her keys.
her = adjective, before noun
Key difference: possessive adjective vs possessive pronoun
my book (adj)
mine (pronoun)
your bag (adj)
yours (pronoun)
his car (adj)
his (pronoun)
mine (pronoun)
your bag (adj)
yours (pronoun)
his car (adj)
his (pronoun)
💡 Memory Hack
Its vs It’s — the apostrophe test
Whenever you write it’s, replace it with it is in your head. “The dog hurt it is paw” — sounds wrong? Then you need its (no apostrophe). “It is a beautiful day” — sounds right? Then it’s is correct. The apostrophe always means a letter is missing.