Possessive Determiners
Board Exam Notes
What Are Possessive Determiners?
Look at these sentences carefully:
I forgot my bag at school.
She loves her pet dog.
The dog wagged its tail.
We submitted our project on time.
The words in bold — my, her, its, our — are possessive determiners. They tell us who owns or who is connected to the noun that follows them.
A possessive determiner is a word placed before a noun to show that the noun belongs to or is associated with a particular person or thing. It answers the question: “Whose?”
They are called determiners because they determine (fix or specify) which noun we are talking about — in this case, by telling us who it belongs to.
Key Point: A possessive determiner always comes directly before a noun. It cannot stand alone without a noun following it.
This is my book. → “my” + noun “book” = Possessive Determiner
This book is mine. → “mine” stands alone = Possessive Pronoun (not a determiner)
The Seven Possessive Determiners
There are exactly seven possessive determiners in English. Each one corresponds to a personal pronoun.
| Possessive Determiner | Pronoun It Comes From | Person / Number | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| My | I | 1st Person Singular | My father is a doctor. |
| Your | You | 2nd Person (Sing. & Plural) | Where is your notebook? |
| His | He | 3rd Person Masculine Singular | Rahul forgot his lunch box. |
| Her | She | 3rd Person Feminine Singular | Priya loves her sister. |
| Its | It | 3rd Person Neuter Singular | The cat licked its paws. |
| Our | We | 1st Person Plural | Our school won the trophy. |
| Their | They | 3rd Person Plural | The students gave their best. |
Important: Possessive determiners do not change based on whether the noun after them is singular or plural. The choice depends only on who the owner is.
My book | My books | My furniture — “my” stays the same in all cases.
Rules in Detail — Each Determiner Explained
Formula: Possessive Determiner + Noun → shows ownership
The determiner agrees with the owner, not with the noun. So even if the noun is plural, the determiner stays the same:
She loves her book. | She loves her books. — “her” does not change.
Special Cases Students Must Know
| Word | What It Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| its (no apostrophe) | Possessive determiner — belonging to it | The cat licked its paws. |
| it’s (with apostrophe) | Contraction of “it is” or “it has” | It’s raining outside. (= It is raining) |
Quick test: If you can replace the word with “it is” and the sentence still makes sense, use it’s. If not, use its.
The dog hurt its leg. → “The dog hurt it is leg” — makes no sense → use its (correct).
It’s a beautiful day. → “It is a beautiful day” — makes sense → use it’s (correct).
| Word | What It Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| your (no apostrophe) | Possessive determiner — belonging to you | Is this your pencil? |
| you’re (with apostrophe) | Contraction of “you are” | You’re late today. (= You are late) |
| Word | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| their | Possessive determiner — belonging to them | They completed their work. |
| there | Adverb of place, or introductory word | Keep the bag over there. |
| they’re | Contraction of “they are” | They’re going on a trip. (= They are) |
In modern English, when we do not know if a person is male or female, we often use their as a singular possessive determiner. CBSE accepts this usage.
Every student must submit their assignment by Friday.
If a child is lost, help them find their parents.
Here “their” refers to one person whose gender is unknown. This is called singular they.
In English, we typically use a possessive determiner (not “the”) when talking about a person’s own body parts or items of clothing.
- She broke the arm.
- He removed the shoes.
- She raised the hand.
- She broke her arm.
- He removed his shoes.
- She raised her hand.
Memory Tricks
I own it → my
You own it → your
He owns it → his
She owns it → her
I → my | we → our
he → his | she → her
it → its | they → their
its, your, their — no apostrophe.
If you see it’s, you’re, they’re — these are contractions, not possessive determiners.
This is my book. ✓ (noun follows)
This book is mine. ✓ (pronoun — no noun after it)
No noun after = it is a possessive pronoun.
Male names or he/him/man/boy → use his
Female names or she/her/woman/girl → use her
Animal/object/thing → use its
My pen | My pens
Their book | Their books
Focus only on who the owner is.
Common Mistakes Students Make
The bird hurt it’s wing.
The bird hurt its wing.
Reason: “its” is the possessive determiner. “it’s” means “it is” — which does not make sense here.
The students submitted there homework.
The students submitted their homework.
Reason: “there” is a place word. “their” shows ownership. Always check if a noun follows.
Your going to be late for school.
You’re going to be late for school.
Reason: No noun follows “your” here. Replace with “you are” — if it works, use “you’re”.
Sunita forgot his bag at school.
Sunita forgot her bag at school.
Reason: Sunita is a female name. Always match the determiner to the gender of the owner.
Mine bag is very heavy.
My bag is very heavy.
Reason: “mine” is a possessive pronoun and cannot come before a noun. Use “my” (determiner) before a noun.
Every student must bring his or her textbook.
Every student must bring their textbook.
Reason: Singular “their” is widely accepted for gender-neutral reference in modern English and CBSE passages.
Possessive Determiner vs. Possessive Pronoun
This is one of the most important distinctions for board exams. Students often confuse these two categories because the words look very similar.
The One-Line Test: Does a noun come right after it?
YES → Possessive Determiner | NO → Possessive Pronoun
| Possessive Determiner | Possessive Pronoun |
|---|---|
| Comes before a noun | Stands alone — no noun after it |
| my, your, his, her, its, our, their | mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs |
| This is my pen. | This pen is mine. |
| Is this your book? | Is this book yours? |
| They lost their keys. | These keys are theirs. |
| She likes her job. | That job is hers. |
Special note: “his” is the same word for both the possessive determiner and the possessive pronoun.
He lost his pen. → Determiner (noun “pen” follows)
The pen is his. → Pronoun (no noun follows)
| Subject Pronoun | Possessive Determiner | Possessive Pronoun |
|---|---|---|
| I | my | mine |
| You | your | yours |
| He | his | his |
| She | her | hers |
| It | its | — (not commonly used) |
| We | our | ours |
| They | their | theirs |
Board Exam Tips
Find the subject first. In every sentence, identify who the owner is. Then pick the matching possessive determiner. This solves 90% of fill-in-the-blank questions.
Check for a noun after the blank. If a noun follows, the answer is a possessive determiner. If the blank is at the end of the sentence, it is likely a possessive pronoun.
Never add an apostrophe to a possessive determiner. its, your, their — always without apostrophe. An apostrophe makes them contractions, not determiners.
Match the gender for his / her. Spot male or female clues in the sentence (names, pronouns). Wrong gender is one of the most penalised errors in error-spotting questions.
The determiner does NOT change with the noun’s number. Whether the noun is singular or plural, the possessive determiner stays the same. Only the owner matters, not what is owned.
Watch for its vs it’s, your vs you’re, their vs they’re in editing and error-correction questions. These are extremely common traps in CBSE board papers.
Possessive determiners are not affected by the verb. Unlike subject-verb agreement, there is no singular or plural form of the determiner. My cat is here. My cats are here. — “my” stays constant.
Use context clues. In gap-fill passages, read the full sentence before and after the blank. The subject pronoun of the clause tells you which possessive determiner to use.
Most-tested patterns in CBSE board exams:
1. its vs it’s | 2. their vs there vs they’re | 3. your vs you’re | 4. his vs her (wrong gender) | 5. mine vs my (pronoun vs determiner)
Solved Examples
Interactive Practice Questions
How to use: Read each question and choose your answer. Click Check Answer to see if you are right — with a full explanation in simple English. Try on your own first!
Summary — Key Takeaways
- my — I
- your — you
- his — he
- her — she
- its — it
- our — we
- their — they
No noun → Pronoun
“my pen” (D) vs “mine” (P)
2. Check gender/number
3. Is a noun following?
4. Pick the right word
Possessive determiners are among the most frequently tested grammar points in CBSE board exams. Master these seven words — my, your, his, her, its, our, their — understand the rules for each, and the difference from possessive pronouns. The apostrophe rule alone can save you marks in error-correction questions. Revise, practise, and you are ready!