Lesson

My/his/their

Possessive determiners

≈ 15 min 8 block(s)

Text

Possessive adjectives: my / his / their

Possessive adjectives show who owns or is associated with something. 'My', 'his' and 'their' are common possessive adjectives used to indicate possession by the speaker, a male third person, or a group/neutral plural respectively.

  • 'My' refers to something that belongs to the speaker.
  • 'His' refers to something that belongs to a male third person.
  • 'Their' refers to something that belongs to more than one person or is used as gender-neutral singular.

Possessive adjectives always go before a noun (my report, his laptop, their office).

Table

Possessive adjectives (examples)

Possessive Person Example
my speaker (I) My calendar is full this week.
his male third person (he) His laptop needs an update.
their plural or singular neutral (they) Their team submitted the proposal.

Tip

Key rule: Where to place possessive adjectives

Possessive adjectives (my, his, their) always come before the noun they modify.

  • Use 'my' for ownership by the speaker: my schedule, my phone.
  • Use 'his' for ownership by a male third person: his folder, his desk.
  • Use 'their' for multiple owners or gender-neutral singular: their clients, their decision.

Do not add an apostrophe after the possessive adjective (not my's, his's, their's).

Example

Examples in context

My supervisor approved the budget.

His laptop is charging at the desk.

Their team will present the results on Friday.

My calendar shows two meetings this afternoon.

Tip

Common mistakes with possessive adjectives

Watch out for these universal errors when using possessive adjectives.

  • Confusing possessive adjectives with possessive pronouns (their office vs. theirs).
  • Placing the possessive AFTER the noun (incorrect: the report my).
  • Using an apostrophe with possessive adjectives (incorrect: my's / their's).
  • Mixing up who owns what in sentences with multiple people (clarify the owner).

Always check that the possessive adjective matches the owner and that it precedes the noun.

Quiz

Choose the sentence that correctly shows possession for a group:

Hint: Focus on the word that should come before a noun to show plural ownership.

Quiz

Complete: _____ manager is at the meeting.

Hint: Think about whose manager is being mentioned.

Quiz

Choose the correct sentence:

Hint: Check which possessive agrees with more than one person.

Key Points

GrammarPoint

my

adjective (possessive) CEFR A1 //maɪ//

Possessive adjective indicating something belongs to the speaker.

My office is next to the elevator.

GrammarPoint

his

adjective (possessive) CEFR A1 //hɪz//

Possessive adjective indicating something belongs to a male third person.

His calendar is always full.

GrammarPoint

their

adjective (possessive) CEFR A2 //ðɛər//

Possessive adjective for multiple owners or gender-neutral singular ownership.

Their presentation impressed the client.

Vocabulary

manager

noun CEFR B1 //ˈmænɪdʒər//

A person responsible for controlling or administering an organization or group of staff.

The manager approved the travel request.

Vocabulary

report

noun CEFR B1 //rɪˈpɔːrt//

A document that presents information in an organized format for a specific audience and purpose.

I sent the monthly report to my team.

Vocabulary

colleague

noun CEFR B1 //ˈkɒliːɡ//

A person with whom one works in a profession or business.

My colleague will join the client call.