Possessive adjectives are used to show possession of an item or an idea. Possessive adjectives are similar to possessive pronouns, and the two are frequently confused. Take a look at these examples of adjectives immediately followed by possessive pronouns used similarly.

Possessive Adjective Examples

• My dog is amiable.
• Her book is red.
• Our house is painted yellow.

Possessive Pronouns Examples

• That friendly dog is mine.
• The red book is hers.
• That yellow house is ours.

If unsure, focus on the position of possessive adjectives before the noun they alter.

Possessive Adjectives Utilization

Possessive adjectives are utilized when the reference to which individual or thing is understood. For instance:

• Mack lives on this street. His house is over there.

The possessive adjective ‘his’ refers to Mack because of the context. Possessive adjectives appear in front of the noun they change. Below you will find a general list of possessive adjectives:

Possessive Adjectives

• I – my car
• You – your dog
• He – his boat
• She – her family
• It – its fabric (NOT it’s!)
• We – our class
• You – your jobs
• They – their toys

Case in point:

• I took my daughter to the movies.
• Where is your house?
• I picked up his book yesterday.
• That’s her car over there.
• Its color is red!
• Our company is doing very well.
• Your bicycles are located in the basement.
• Their toys are in the closet.

Possessive Adjective Facts

• Possessive adjectives are employed in place of proper names
• Place adjectives before the noun they modify
• Possessive adjectives are similar in usage to possessive pronouns
• Possessive adjectives are employed when the context is clear who has an object
• Note the resemblance in form between possessive adjectives and pronouns