Table 2.5 The different member possessive adjective and possessive pronoun
Forms Examples
Possessive Adjectives
My Your
His Her
Its Our
Your their
That is not my pen These are your clothes
It’s his problem Those are her flowers
Its tail is brown
Our seats are here
I am your teacher This is their car?
Possessive Pronoun
Mine yours
his Hers
ours Yours
theirs That pen is not mine
These shoes are yours The problem is his
The flowers is hers The seats are ours
I am yours The car is theirs
Sabin explained that the possessive adjective used when immediately precedes the noun it modifies. Example: this is my book, it was their
choice, George is her neighbor. Possessive adjective also used when modifies gerund a verbal noun ending in ing. Example: I appreciated
your shipping the order so promptly. Not: I appreciated you shipping the
order so promptly. Do not confuse certain possessive pronoun with contractions with other
phrases that sound like possessive pronoun: Your possessive
you’re you are
Their possessive they’re they are or there’re there are.
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d. Possessive Pronouns
According to Azar, a possessive pronoun is used alone, without a noun following it. A possessive adjective is used only with a noun following it. In
the possessive its is used only with a noun following it. Note that the possessive its has no apostrophe.
19
Langan wrote that a possessive pronoun never uses an apostrophe: Incorrect
Correct That earring is her’s
That earring is hers The orange cat is thei
r’s The orange cat is theirs
20
Walker differenced the different member between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns there are:
Possessive adjectives: my - your - his - her - its - our - your - their Possessive pronouns: mine - yours - his - hers - ours - yours - theirs
The possessive adjective is always followed by its noun:
Its my car. Thats his mother.
This is our house.
The possessive pronoun is never followed by its noun:
This is mine. Give it to Peter: its his.
The money is ours.
21
Rozakis wrote 3 important things about possessive, they are:
18
Sabin. Op.Cit. p.261
19
Betty Schrampfer Azar, Fundamentals of English Grammar: second edition, Jakarta: Binarupa Aksara, 1993. p. 79
20
John Langan, English Skills: Seven Editions, Boston: McGraw Hill, 2003. p. 485
21
Elaine Walker and Steve Elsworth, Grammar Practice for Pre-intermediate students, England: Longman, 2000. p.3
1 Use the possessive case to show ownership
.
The child refused to admit that the sweater was her’s, hers. Answer: Hers is the correct spelling of the possessive case, which is
needed here to express ownership belonging to her. Therefore, the sentence should read:
“The child refused to admit that the sweater was hers.” 2
Use the possessive case before gerunds.
A gerund is a form of a verb that acts as a noun. Gerunds always end in -ing, and they always function as nouns.
3
Use some possessive pronouns alone to show ownership
This cell phone is mine, not yours.
22
Korhn gives more explanation about possessive pronoun, pay attention to the additional bellow:
1 Compare –‘s and –s’
The boy has the books. The boy’s books.
The boys have the books. The boys’ books.
After a plural noun phrase with the regular plural ending –s, the
possessive ending does not add any further s sound. The singular possessive
boy’s, the regular plural boys, and the possessive boys’ are all pronounced alike.
2 The noun which follows a possessive noun phrase is omitted when
the meaning is clear. Do you have John’s book?
singular No, I have
Mary’s. Do you have John’s books?
plural No, I have
Mary’s.
22
Rozakis, Op.Cit. pp. 22-23
