Mastering Personal and Possessive Pronouns: Complete Guide with Examples, Exercises & Answers
Pronouns may be small, but they keep our sentences smooth and readable. This guide explains personal and possessive pronouns with simple examples, a handy chart, practice exercises and full answers — ready to use for study or classroom posts.
What Are Personal Pronouns?
Personal pronouns replace a person, group or thing so you don’t repeat a noun. They function as either the subject (performing the action) or the object (receiving the action).
Subject Pronouns
Examples: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
- She leads the team.
- We are learning grammar.
- They finished the project.
Object Pronouns
Examples: me, you, him, her, it, us, them
- The CEO congratulated her.
- Please give the presentation to us.
- Sarah will train them.
Quick Chart
| Person | Subject Pronoun | Object Pronoun |
|---|---|---|
| First Person Singular | I | me |
| Second Person Singular | you | you |
| Third Person Singular | he, she, it | him, her, it |
| First Person Plural | we | us |
| Second Person Plural | you | you |
| Third Person Plural | they | them |
What Are Possessive Pronouns?
Possessive pronouns show ownership — they answer “Whose?” There are two forms:
1. Possessive Adjectives (Determiners)
These come before a noun and modify it: my, your, his, her, its, our, their.
- That is my report.
- We reviewed their proposal.
- She forgot her keys.
2. Possessive Pronouns
These stand alone and replace the noun phrase: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs.
- That report is mine.
- The proposal is theirs.
- The keys she forgot were hers.
Tip: Do not use an apostrophe in possessive pronouns. Its (possession) ≠ it's (it is).
Difference Between Personal and Possessive Pronouns
In short:
- Personal pronouns replace a noun and act as subject or object. (e.g., He gave the book to me.)
- Possessive pronouns/adjectives show ownership. (e.g., The book is his. / His book is new.)
Examples Together
- I can’t find my phone.
- She said the idea was hers.
- They celebrated their victory.
Exercises — Try These
Exercise 1: Choose the Correct Pronoun
- (I / Me) and Sarah are leading the project.
- The final decision is (her's / hers).
- (Them / They) asked the manager for (their / they’re) feedback.
- This computer is not (my / mine).
- (We / Us) consultants need to update (our / ours) clients.
- The manager gave (he / him) and (she / her) the same bonus.
- Is this laptop (your / yours)?
- The dog wagged (it’s / its) tail.
- The responsibility is entirely (their / theirs).
- Please send the document to (I / me).
Exercise 2: Identify the Pronoun Type
Use codes: PS = Personal Subject, PO = Personal Object, PA = Possessive Adjective, PP = Possessive Pronoun
- They gave me the wrong file. — They: ___ / me: ___
- Is this your jacket, or is it mine? — your: ___ / mine: ___
- He said the fault wasn’t his. — He: ___ / his: ___
- We are proud of our work. — We: ___ / our: ___
- She left her car keys with us. — her: ___ / us: ___
Answers
Exercise 1 — Answers
- I
- hers
- They / their
- mine
- We / our
- him / her
- yours
- its
- theirs
- me
Exercise 2 — Answers
- They: PS — me: PO
- your: PA — mine: PP
- He: PS — his: PP
- We: PS — our: PA
- her: PA — us: PO
Conclusion
Personal pronouns replace nouns (subjects or objects); possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives show ownership. Practicing the examples and exercises above will make selecting the correct form natural and effortless.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What's the difference between "its" and "it's"?
A: "Its" shows possession (the dog wagged its tail). "It's" is a contraction for "it is" or "it has" (It's raining).
Q: Can "his" be both possessive adjective and pronoun?
A: Yes. "His book" uses "his" as a possessive adjective. "The book is his" uses "his" as a possessive pronoun.
