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Pronouns and possessives
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Words that replace names
- Outcome: describe a person and a belonging with a clear reference. Start with am, is and are. Starting check: in She is ready. This is her bag., which word is the subject and which word introduces the noun?
- Pronouns can refer back to a person or thing when the listener knows who or what you mean.
- Anna is nice. She is my friend.
- Possessives say who something belongs to: my, your, her…
Tom says, “Tom lost Tom’s pen.” Tom needs a pronoun.
Subject pronouns
- I, you, he, she, it, we, they are subject forms. In the simple statements here, they come before the verb: She is ready. In Is she ready?, is comes first.
- He is tall. We like music. They are here.
- Use it for a thing and often for an animal; he or she can refer to a known pet. They can refer to several people or to one person whose gender is unknown: Someone left a bag. They may come back. Use the pronoun that fits the intended person.
Anna uses she. Choose the pronoun for Anna in: ___ is my friend.
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The context supplies she as Anna’s pronoun. The name alone does not establish which pronoun a person uses.
The speaker and Sam are together. Choose the subject: Sam and I are ready. ___ are ready.
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The speaker is included, so we refers to Sam and the speaker. Our introduces a noun phrase; they would leave the speaker out.
Possessive adjectives
- my, your, his, her, its, our, their — they go before a noun.
- This is my bag. Her name is Lucy.
- Careful: its is the possessive form. It’s can mean it is or it has, depending on what follows.
Subject pronoun or possessive?
Classify the marked word in each full example: subject pronoun or possessive determiner introducing a noun phrase.
Complete with a possessive: This is ___ book. (I)
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I → my: “This is my book.”
Choose the possessive: The dog wags ___ tail.
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The possessive is its: its tail. It’s is a contraction of it is or it has and does not fit this noun phrase.
Translate into English: 这是我的包。
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I → my: “This is my bag.”
The speaker is talking to Lee about Lee’s bag. Use the possessive before the noun: Is this ___ bag, Lee?
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Speaking to the owner gives your bag. You is the subject form, not the form before this noun.
Putting them together
- A subject pronoun can be used in a statement about a state as well as an action: She is ready. The forms my, her, our introduce a noun phrase: my new bag, her name, our school. They can show relationships, not just ownership.
- She loves her cat. We do our homework.
- Nia uses she. She is ready. This is her new coat. First find the person; then find the job of each word. She is the subject of is; her introduces new coat.
- Mistake: This is she coat. This puts the subject form in a noun phrase. Repair: This is her coat. Compare The coat is hers. Here, hers stands without a following noun.
Nia uses she. Choose the pair: ___ is here. This is ___ coat.
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She is the subject; her introduces coat. The supplied pronoun, not the name alone, establishes the reference.
Choose the possessive before the noun: The toy robot has a light. ___ light is blue.
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Its light names the robot’s light. It’s means it is or it has and does not fit before light here.
Common mistakes
- Anna uses she: Anna is kind. She is a teacher. Choose the reference from the context; do not guess solely from a name.
- ❌ Me is tired. → ✓ I am tired. — the subject word is I.
- ❌ This is she book. → ✓ This is her book. — use her before a noun.
- ❌ My friend he is tall. → ✓ My friend is tall. — this is the straightforward statement practised here. Conversation can use a topic followed by a pronoun, as in My friend — he is very tall.
Match the pronoun to its possessive word.
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The possessive goes before a noun: my book, his bag, her name, their house.
In this example, the speaker refers to their father as he. Complete: My father is a doctor. ___ is very busy.
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He follows the reference explicitly supplied in this example. Use a pronoun whose reference is clear rather than guessing solely from a name or a job.
Choose the word that can stand without a following noun: The red bag belongs to me. The red bag is ___.
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Mine stands on its own here. Compare my red bag, where my introduces a noun phrase.
- Subject forms: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. Compare She is ready with Is she ready?
- Possessive determiners my, your, his, her, its, our, their introduce a noun phrase, possibly with an adjective: my new bag. Mine, yours, hers can stand without that noun: This bag is mine.
- Its is possessive; it’s can mean it is or it has.
- Tomorrow, describe a different person and their bag, then check who each pronoun refers to. Next: this, that, these and those.
- Usage reference checked 20 October 2026: British Council: pronouns and possessives.
Write one sentence about a family member, using a possessive (my, his, her…). For example: “My sister …”.
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Example: “My brother is ten years old.”
Follow the speaker and the owner
- A speaker can talk about themself, speak to an owner, or speak about someone else. Read the short context before choosing; the same object can be described from a different point of view.
- In the next tasks, read the English context without a full translation. Choose a subject for a statement or a possessive before a noun. After a mistake, check who the word refers to before trying again.
Mia is speaking: “This card belongs to me. This is ___ card.” Use a possessive.
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Mia describes her own card: my card. I would be a subject form.
I am speaking to Noah: “Noah, these keys belong to you. These are ___ keys.” Use a possessive.
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The speaker addresses the owner, so the keys are your keys. The number of keys does not change your.
Lena uses she. The green ticket belongs to Lena. Choose the phrase for that ticket.
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Her ticket uses the possessive for the supplied she reference. She ticket puts a subject form before the noun.
Omar uses he. The blue bicycle belongs to Omar. Choose the phrase.
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His bicycle matches the supplied he reference. Do not choose by a name or colour alone.
My brother and I share a room. This is ___ room. Use a possessive.
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The owners include the speaker and another person: our room. Their would not include the speaker here.
The two teachers share an office. I do not work there. Choose the phrase for the office.
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Their office refers to the two teachers. The speaker is not one of the owners; they is a subject form.
The box has a red lid. ___ lid is open. Use a possessive.
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The lid belongs to the box: its lid. There is no apostrophe in this possessive.
Choose the complete ordinary statement about yourself.
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I is the subject of am. My introduces a noun phrase, and mine cannot replace this subject form here.
The speaker and two friends are on the bus. Choose the sentence that includes all three.
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We includes the speaker and the friends. They normally refers to people other than the speaker in this context; our needs a noun phrase.
Two visitors put down two bags. Which sentence says the bags belong to the visitors?
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Their bags connects the bags to the visitors. They does not introduce this noun phrase, and our would include the speaker.
Check the job inside the sentence
- Ask whether the gap starts the statement, introduces a noun phrase, or stands without a following noun. A word ending alone cannot decide every answer.
- Keep the supplied reference clear. The next contexts include an unknown person, a shared place and a belonging; the feedback explains each choice after your attempt.
Ada uses she. Ada is at the door. Replace the second Ada with a subject pronoun.
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The context supplies she as the reference. Her is not the subject form in She is at the door.
A parcel is on the table. ___ is for me. Use a subject pronoun for the parcel.
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It refers to the singular parcel. Its would introduce a noun phrase, not this verb.
I am speaking to two classmates: “You both left ___ books here.” Use a possessive.
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Your works when speaking to one person or more than one person. The clue is you both, not the number of books.
Someone left a scarf. We do not know who. They may return for ___ scarf. Use a possessive referring to that person.
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The supplied singular they takes their. It refers to one unknown person here, not necessarily a group.
Choose the expansion of the first word in It’s ready.
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It’s ready means It is ready. It has ready does not fit this sentence, even though it’s can mean it has elsewhere.
Choose the meaning of its in The house has lost its roof.
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Its roof connects the roof to the house. Expanding it as it is or it has breaks the noun phrase.
This umbrella belongs to me. This umbrella is ___. Use a standalone possessive.
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Use mine without the following noun. Compare my umbrella.
This seat belongs to you. Choose the complete sentence.
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Yours stands without the noun after it. Your would need a noun phrase such as your seat.
You and your class use a new classroom. Choose the words for it.
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Our introduces new classroom. An adjective can come between a possessive determiner and its noun.
Ben and I are partners. We use the same computer. Which phrase includes Ben and me as its users?
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Our computer keeps the reference to the speaker and Ben. Their leaves the speaker out; we is a subject form.
Change the point of view
- When you speak directly to a person, the words can change from talking about that person. Keep the same person or group in mind as you change the sentence.
- Write two English sentences, then reveal the self-check model. Compare the reference and each word’s job; another place or sensible detail can also work. This is supported writing practice, not an independent proficiency result.
Kai uses they. Kai left a notebook at the desk. I am returning it to Kai. Choose the sentence to say directly to Kai.
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Speaking directly to Kai changes the perspective to your notebook. Speaking about Kai would allow their notebook.
Choose the repair that keeps the speaker and the speaker’s friend in the group: My friend and I are here. Our are ready. We coats are on the chair.
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We is the subject of are; our introduces coats. The first option changes the reference away from the speaker.
Write two English sentences about you and one partner. Say that you are ready, then identify a bag you share. Use we and our.
Compare who each word refers to and the job it does. Your wording can differ from the model while keeping the requested meaning and forms.
Return without the model
- Tomorrow, choose a different person and a belonging. Write a short statement about the person, then identify the belonging. Check the subject word and the noun phrase only after your first attempt.
- Try the final contrast and second self-check model. If you mixed up the jobs, return to the worked example; then continue with this, that, these and those.
Choose the pair that fits The cat is asleep. ___ bed is warm, and ___ safe here.
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Its bed is a noun phrase. It’s safe expands to it is safe. The two slots do different jobs.
Write two English sentences about a person who uses she and owns a coat. Say where she is, then identify her coat. Use she and her.
Compare who each word refers to and the job it does. Your wording can differ from the model while keeping the requested meaning and forms.