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Possessive pronouns: whose is it? Possessive pronouns exercises for my vs mine

This A2 drill lesson gives possessive pronouns exercises: mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs set against my, your and their, with Whose…? questions.

Grammar
Pronouns after is or are against adjectives before a noun (my shelf, the shelf is mine), a name + 's, answers to Whose…?, Mine is small as a subject, and a friend of mine.
Topic
Four roommates in London share one fridge: their group chat about an old pizza, the fridge rules, sticky notes, Bartek's email to his sister and Chloe's texts.
Activities
True or false, sorting, choices, gap-fills, tables, quizzes, memory games, word order, matching, drag-and-drop texts and a chat, each marked automatically.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1The rule

    • PictureUnlock
    • Study the scheme: possessive pronounsGrammar schemeTry it
    • Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Sort the words: before a noun or alone?Sort into columnsTry it
    • Choose the right word: before a noun or alone?Choose the optionUnlock
    • Write the possessive pronounFill in the gapsUnlock

  2. Chapter 2My or mine?

    • Fill in the gaps: use the person in bracketsFill in the gapsTry it
    • Choose the right spellingChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the table: before a noun and aloneFill in the tableUnlock
    • Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
    • Find the matching pairs: the owner and the pronounMemory gameUnlock
    • Write the sentence another wayFill in the gapsUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Whose is it?

    • Choose the right word: his or hers?Choose the optionTry it
    • Answer the questions: use a possessive pronounFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Write the questionsFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Read the picnic dialogues and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
    • Match the questions and the answersMatchUnlock
    • Choose the right question for each answerQuizUnlock
    • Sort the answers: who is the owner?Sort into columnsUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Mine is bigger!

    • Fill in the gaps: compare people's thingsFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
    • Choose the right word: mixed practiceChoose the optionUnlock
    • Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
    • Read about the twins and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Read Selin's message and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropTry it

  5. Chapter 5Real life: Not yours!

    • Read the roommates' group chatReal-life documentUnlock
    • Read the chat again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
    • Read the fridge rules and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Read the sticky notes and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
    • Read Bartek's email and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
    • Choose the right replies: Chloe texts youChatTry it
    • Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Choose the right word: at the beachChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: at schoolFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Sort the sentences: correct or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
    • Match the beginnings and the endingsMatchUnlock
    • Put the words in the right order: sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
    • Fill in the table: the owner and the thingFill in the tableUnlock
    • Choose the one correct sentenceQuizUnlock
    • Is it correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Drag the words into the gaps: at the hotelDrag and dropUnlock
    • Answer the questions about whose thingsFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Find the matching pairs: the same meaningMemory gameUnlock
    • Read Nuria's postcard and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Read the neighbors' posts and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
    • Read the email from camp and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Choose the right word: a birthday partyChoose the optionUnlock

47 exercises in 6 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Grammar: possessive pronouns: mine, yours, hers, ours, theirs

A possessive pronoun names the owner and takes the place of the noun, so It's my cheese becomes It's mine. The adjective needs a noun; the pronoun stands alone. Whose asks about the owner, and the answer gives a pronoun or a name with 's.

Possessive pronouns: whose is it?

Say who owns something without the noun: It's my cheese. → It's mine.

The thing + is / are + mine, yours…

The pronoun follows is or are: These eggs are theirs. Each person has its own form (mine, yours, hers, ours), and a name simply adds 's: The cup is Femi's.

The thing + is / are + mine, yours…

the thingis / aremine / yours / his / hers / ours / theirs

The cheese is mine.

Is this milk yours?

These eggs are theirs.

Every person

WhoBefore a nounAlone (no noun)Example
Imy cupmineThe cup is mine.
youyour cupyoursIs this cup yours?
hehis cuphisThis cup is his.
sheher cuphersThat cup is hers.
itits bowl— (not used alone)The dog is eating from its bowl.
weour cupsoursThese cups are ours.
theytheir cupstheirsThose cups are theirs.
a nameFemi's cupFemi'sThe cup is Femi's.

Before a noun or alone?

My, your, her, our and their sit before a noun: Our fridge is very small. His works in both places, and its only goes before a noun. As a subject, the verb agrees with the thing: Mine is red. Mine are black.

Before a noun or alone?

Before a noun: my, your, her, our, their

  • This is my shelf.
  • Is that your milk?
  • Our fridge is very small.

Alone, no noun: mine, yours, hers, ours, theirs

  • This shelf is mine.
  • Is that milk yours?
  • Your shelf is big. Mine is small.

Good to know

His is the same before a noun and alone: his bag · It's his. Its goes only before a noun. The verb goes with the thing: My bag is red. → Mine is red. My shoes are black. → Mine are black. A friend of mine = one of my friends (also: a friend of yours, a cousin of hers).

Whose…? Questions and answers

Ask Whose + noun + is this or are these: Whose eggs are these? – They're ours. Your in the question becomes mine in the answer: Is this your phone? – Yes, it's mine. And Chloe is a friend of mine means one of my friends.

Whose…? Questions and answers

QuestionAnswer
Whose cheese is this?It's mine. · It's Bartek's.
Whose phone is that?It's hers.
Whose eggs are these?They're ours.
Whose are these?They're theirs.
Is this your yogurt?Yes, it's mine. · No, it isn't mine.
Are these Anya's?Yes, they're hers. · No, they aren't hers.

Examples

  • Is this your phone? — Yes, it's mine.your in the question → mine in the answer
  • That isn't my coffee. Mine is the big cup.mine = my coffee
  • Whose keys are these? — They're Anya's.a name + 's
  • These aren't Bartek's shoes. His are black.his: before a noun and alone
  • Our kitchen is small, but theirs is big.theirs = their kitchen
  • Chloe is a friend of mine.a friend of mine = one of my friends

Mistakes the scheme corrects

It's my becomes It's mine, mine bag becomes my bag, and The cake is her becomes hers. No apostrophe, no the, no of me: not your's or the mine. Theirs isn't there's, and who's means who is.

Common mistakes

  • It's my.

    It's mine.

    no noun after it: mine, yours, hers…

  • Is this your's?

    Is this yours?

    no apostrophe in yours, hers, ours, theirs

  • This is mine bag.

    This is my bag.

    before a noun: my, your, her, our, their

  • The cake is her.

    The cake is hers.

    her + noun · hers alone

More mistakes

No the and no of: It's mine. (Not: It's the mine. It's of me.) No apostrophe before or after the s: hers, ours, theirs (not: her's, hers', our's, ours', their's). Theirs is not there's (= there is). Whose asks about the owner; who's = who is: Whose bag is this? Who's that?

More lessons on this grammar: Possessive adjectives and pronouns lessons and exercises · Pronouns lessons and exercises

Try the possessive pronouns exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

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What's in the lesson

  • 40 auto-checked exercises
  • 4 games
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 picture

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • pick the form by what comes next: This is my shelf but This shelf is mine, never mine bag or It's my.
  • switch the person from question to answer: Is this my coffee? – Yes, it's yours. Is this Mr. Grant's car? – Yes, it's his.
  • ask who the owner is with Whose: Whose shoes are these? – They're my brother's.
  • spell yours, hers, ours and theirs without an apostrophe, and keep theirs apart from there's
  • compare people's things with a pronoun as the subject: Your room is big, but mine is very small.
Grammar:
possessive pronouns · mine / yours / hers · my vs mine · Whose…?
Topic:
grammar practice · roommates · sharing · food · home

Teaching tips

  • Move the owner word to the end: say This is my shelf or These are their eggs, and students answer with the pronoun last: This shelf is mine. These eggs are theirs.
  • Check the word after the gap: before choosing, students look at what follows. A noun there means my, her or their; no noun means mine, hers or theirs.
  • Draw up rules for a shared space: after the roommates' fridge rules, groups write three for their own classroom or home, such as The board markers are ours or The top shelf is Dad's, so it's his.

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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · A2

English Grammar Practice · A2 has 28 drill lessons, one grammar point each: the past simple and continuous, used to, comparatives, going to and will, the present perfect, modals, the zero and first conditionals and questions. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course

  1. 1Past simple with -ed: moving day!
  2. 2Past simple irregular verbs: we went, we saw, we bought
  3. 3Past simple negatives and questions: where did the cake go?
  4. 4Past continuous: what were you doing at 9 p.m.?
  5. 5Past simple or past continuous: what were you doing when it happened?
  6. 6Used to: how things were back then
  7. 7Comparatives: which one is better?
  8. 8Superlatives: the best in town
  9. 9As … as, too, enough: is it the right size?
  10. 10Adverbs of manner: how did she drive?
  11. 11Much, many, a few, a little: how much do we need?
  12. 12Possessive pronouns: whose is it?
  13. 13Be going to: what's your plan?
  14. 14Will: what will the future bring?
  15. 15Present continuous for plans: what are you doing tonight?
  16. 16Will vs going to: decided before or right now?
  17. 17Present perfect: have you ever tried it?
  18. 18Just, already, yet: have you done it yet?
  19. 19For and since: how long have you known her?
  20. 20Present perfect or past simple: up to now or finished time?
  21. 21Must and have to: what are the rules?
  22. 22Should: what should I do?
  23. 23Can, could, may: could you help me, please?
  24. 24Verb + to or -ing: what do you enjoy doing?
  25. 25Zero conditional: what happens if…?
  26. 26First conditional: what will you do if it rains?
  27. 27Articles: a, the or no article?
  28. 28Subject and object questions: who won the quiz?
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