9. POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

What are possessive adjectives?

Possessive adjectives - my, your, his, her, its, our, your, their - modify the noun following it in order to show possession.

Examples:

· I'll get my bag.

· Is this your luggage?

Possessive adjectives are often confused with possessive pronouns.

Examples:

· Your bike is blue. (your is an adjective which modifies bike)

· Mine is yellow. (mine is a pronoun which functions as the subject of the verb is)

Examples

Examples:

· Why didn't you clean your room?

(your modifies the noun room)

· Mary doesn't like her dress.

(her modifies the noun dress)

· The chameleon can change its color.

(its modifies the noun color)

Her hair is long.

His hair is short

Things to remember:

1. Possessive adjectives are different from possessive pronouns.

· This is your (possessive adjective) book and this is mine (possessive pronoun).

2. its, their are possessive adjectives.

· Its color is beautiful.

· Their car is in their garage.

3. it's, they're and there are not possessive adjectives — its is a contraction of it is or it has; they're is a contraction of they are; thereis an adverb of place.

· It's not my book = It is not my book.

· My house is big. It's got five bedrooms = It has got five bedrooms.

· Nancy and Alan are from New York. They're my friends = They are my friends.

· Please, put the chair there. (adverb)