Using the possessive case indicates that the pronoun is showing ownership.
|
Possessive Pronouns
|
|
|---|---|
| Singular | my, mine her, hers, his, its |
| Plural | our, ours their, theirs |
| Singular and Plural | your, yours whose |
With Indefinite Pronouns (Add an apostrophe and “s”)
- Someone’s misfortune can be another’s gain.
- At this point, it is anyone’s guess who will win the series.
With Personal Pronouns (No Apostrophe)
- The gift is hers.
- Theirs is the best example he as ever seen of interactive web design.
- The team gave its all in the game against the Bears.
With Relative or Interrogative Pronouns (No Apostrophe)
- Whose books are on my desk?
versus: Who’s making dinner tonight? (contraction of: Who is…)
With Gerunds
- We admired her going out for track.
We admire what? the action of going out for track. Whose action?Hers.
- Your skipping class is beginning to affect your grade.
Remember: Pronouns stand in for nouns. This is standing in for a person’s name. It is that person’s action that is causing the problem. Not the person.
