Possessive adjectives are words like my, your, his, her, their and our. Possessive adjectives express possession.
- This is my bag.
- Where is your daughter?
- I have never been to their house.
- It is our duty to serve our country.
- I saw her husband yesterday.
- I love my brother.
- The boys love their father.
- A tree sheds its leaves in autumn.
Notes
The words mine, yours, ours, theirs, his and hers are possessive pronouns, not adjectives. A possessive pronoun can stand alone. A possessive adjective, on the other hand, is used with a noun.
Compare:
- This is my car. (Here the possessive adjective my modifies the noun car.)
- This car is mine. (Here the possessive pronoun mine refers back to the noun car.)
- This is his pen. Where is yours?