Possessive Adjectives

by | May 13, 2024 | Adjectives

In English, possessive adjectives are type of adjectives used to show ownership or possession of something. These words are commonly used in language and their purpose of using to modify nouns in the sentence. They also correspond to possessive pronouns in the sentence.

In this article, you will learn what possessive adjectives are, list of possessive adjectives and some examples of sentences using possessive adjectives.

What are possessive adjectives?

A possessive adjective is a type of adjective that shows possession or ownership by modifying nouns in the sentence. It provides more detail by telling us that the thing belongs to the noun it is modifying.

For example, in the sentence Ali lost his wallet, the word he is a possessive adjective that shows that the wallet belongs to Ali.

Examples:

  • I am looking for my bag.
  • Where is your English grammar book?
  • He is getting his car repaired. 

The most commonly used possessive adjectives are his, her, its, your, my, our, their, and whose.

  • I am looking for my shoes.
  • Do you commute with your car?
  • We prefer to stay in our house overseas.
  • He put his room on rent.
  • She is talking on her phone.
  • You need to replace its parts.
  • Whose pen is this?

In the sentence, Possessive adjectives also correspond to their related pronouns such as I, we, you, they, he, she, it, they, and who.

  • He is selling his car.
  • She is preparing for her bar exam.
  • It goes on its speed. 
  • They take care of their parents.
  • I am looking for my book.
  • We are working hard on our project.

List of Possessive Adjectives

As mentioned earlier, the most common possessive adjectives are:

  • my 
  • you
  • her
  • his
  • its
  • our
  • their
  • whose

Examples of Predicate Adjective

  • Where is my wallet?
  • They are furnishing their house.
  • She always put her keys on the dresser.
  • We were supporting our team in the final.
  • She is looking for her pet iguana.
  • She went to the store with her daughter. 

Conclusion

Possessive adjectives show possessions in the sentence. They come right before the nouns that they intend to modify. They also correspond to the related pronoun in the sentence. The purpose of using possessive pronouns is to add more detail to the sentence by showing possession of ownership. In simple words, a possessive adjective tells us who owns the thing in the sentence.

Possessive Adjectives FAQs

What is a possessive adjective in grammar?

A possessive adjective is an adjective that modifies or describes nouns to show possession or ownership. 

What are examples of possessive adjectives?

Examples of possessive adjectives are his, her, our, yours, their, and its.

What is the difference between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns?

Possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns both modify nouns. However, possessive pronouns replaces noun in the sentence. Whereas possessive adjectives don’t replace nouns, but they come right before the noun they modify in the sentence.

I hope this article helped you learn about possessive adjectives, their use, and examples of sentences using them. If you liked it, please subscribe to our newsletter for more updates and the latest blog posts.

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More on Adjectives

  • A useful guide on adjectives in English
  • Degrees of comparison of adjectives
  • Possessive adjectives 
  • Predicate Adjectives
  • Quantitative adjectives
  • Comparative adjectives
  • Distributive adjectives
  • Absolute adjectives: definition & examples
  • Coordinate adjectives: Definition & examples
  • Descriptive adjectives
  • Cumulative adjectives
  • Compound adjectives
  • Proper adjectives
  • Demonstrative adjectives
  • Indefinite adjectives
  • Interrogative adjectiveses
  • Adjective order in English
  • What do adjectives modify?
  • Types of adjectives: 12 different forms that you need to know
  • Superlative adjectives: definition & examples
  • Adjectives and adverbs: what is the difference?
  • Comparative and superlative adjectives
  • Comparative & superlative adjectives: Rules for degree of comparison
  • List of adjectives

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