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Possessive adjective definition, usages and examples

Possessive adjective definition, usages and examples

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05/22/2023

Possessive adjectives are used to indicate ownership or possession. They show the relationship between the noun being modified and the person or thing that possesses it.

Here are some key points about possessive adjectives:

  1. Definition: Possessive adjectives modify nouns to indicate ownership or possession.

  2. Types: The possessive adjectives in English are "my," "your," "his," "her," "its," "our," and "their."

    • Examples:

      • My: This possessive adjective shows ownership or possession by the speaker.

        • "This is my house."
      • Your: This possessive adjective indicates ownership or possession by the person being spoken to or referred to.

        • "Is this your bag?"
      • His: This possessive adjective denotes ownership or possession by a male singular person or thing.

        • "That is his car."
      • Her: This possessive adjective indicates ownership or possession by a female singular person or thing.

        • "She is wearing her favorite dress."
      • Its: This possessive adjective shows ownership or possession by a singular object or animal.

        • "The tree lost its leaves."
      • Our: This possessive adjective denotes ownership or possession by a group including the speaker.

        • "Our team won the match."
      • Their: This possessive adjective indicates ownership or possession by multiple people or things.

        • "They left their bags on the bus."
  3. Agreement: Possessive adjectives agree with the noun they modify in terms of number and sometimes gender.

    • Example:
      • "My book" (singular possessive) vs. "Our books" (plural possessive).
  4. Use with Nouns: Possessive adjectives are used before nouns to indicate that something belongs to a particular person or thing.

    • Example:
      • "My car is red." (The possessive adjective "my" modifies the noun "car.")
  5. Possession: Possessive adjectives show ownership or possession but do not imply actual ownership. They indicate a relationship between the possessor and the noun.

    • Example:
      • "His house is beautiful." (The possessive adjective "his" indicates that the house belongs to him.)
  6. Avoiding Repetition: Possessive adjectives help to avoid repetition by indicating ownership without explicitly stating the noun again.

    • Example:
      • "Is this your pen?" (The possessive adjective "your" refers to the noun "pen" without repeating it.)
  7. Use with Gerunds: Possessive adjectives can also be used before gerunds (-ing form of verbs) to show possession of an action.

    • Example:
      • "I appreciate your coming." (The possessive adjective "your" shows ownership of the action "coming.")
  8. Pronoun Forms: The possessive adjectives "mine," "yours," "his," "hers," "ours," and "theirs" can be used as pronouns without a noun.

    • Example:
      • "The blue car is mine." (Using "mine" as a possessive pronoun.)

 

Possessive adjectives help to indicate ownership or possession and clarify relationships between nouns and their owners. By using possessive adjectives correctly, you can convey information about ownership in a concise and clear manner.

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