Possessive pronouns a. The absolute form of possessive pronouns in English: usage, examples

Possessive pronouns go hand in hand with personal pronouns: every personal pronoun has a possessive pronoun. possessive pronouns in English language answer the question whose? (whose?), their function is to determine belonging. It is important to note that the absolute form of possessive pronouns in English is used to replace the noun itself, that is, the directly defined word. Consider the types of possessive pronouns and the features of their use.

The absolute form of possessive pronouns in English: a parallel with the main form

Possessive pronouns are characterized by the presence of two forms => basic and absolute. The main form performs the function of definition and its task is to always stand before the noun. The absolute form, which is the second, is used directly to replace the noun itself, that is, the word being defined.

So, the table shows that possessive pronouns include such as my, your, his, her, its, our, their, mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs.

Examples

• Sarah decided to leave her job to find the better one => Sarah decided to leave her job to find a better one.
• Mr. Thompson took his shirt to see whether it will suit to his trousers => Mr. Thompson took his shirt to see if it would match his trousers.
• We really want to taste our cakes to see whether they are really so delicious as people say => We really want to try our cakes to see if they are really as delicious as people say.

Other English topics: Reflexive pronouns in English: rules, table, examples

The main task of possessive pronouns is to reflect belonging to something or the connection of objects.

• My window is of white color and her is brown => My window is white, hers is brown.
• My pencils are sharp but his– not => My pencils are sharp, his is not.

Today we are studying the topic of absolute pronouns, but in order to understand the peculiarities of their use, we will draw a parallel with pronouns in the attached form.

So, as we have already said, attached pronouns are necessarily used with a noun =>

• My rabbit is black and white => My rabbit is black and white.
• your husband is so handsome I can't stand but look at him! => Your husband is so handsome that I can't help but look at him!
• Our plates are of yellow color while our neighbors decided to buy some of red color => Our plates are yellow, but our neighbors decided to buy some red.

Features of using the absolute form

It can be seen from the examples that the main form of the possessive cannot be used without a noun, the meaning is lost and the sentence will not be correct. As for absolute pronouns, they are created in order to . The use of the absolute form of possessive pronouns is convenient when you need to avoid repeating the object being defined =>

• It is his pen => This is his pen.
• This pen is his => This pen is his.

Let's give examples with her - hers, since the pronoun his is the same in different forms.

• It is her car => This is her car.
• This car is hers=> This car is hers.

Another great example =>

• Whose phone is it? — It's his/hers .
• Whose car is this? - It's his/her.

(his/hers are used instead of his car/her car).

Other English topics: Interrogative pronouns in English (interrogative pronouns)

Important! Absolute pronouns(mine, yours, his, hers, ours, yours, theirs) are meant to replace nouns

• What do cats like to eat? => Mine likes Kitekat.
• What do cats like to eat? – Mine loves Kitekat.
• Mine use instead my cat.
• Are this mine? => Yes, it is yours.
• It is mine? - Yes, it's yours.

On a note! If we are talking about the possessive pronoun its, then it is important to remember that it must be used without an apostrophe. If you see a form it's, then this is a shortened version of the phrase it is .

Functions of possessive pronouns in absolute form

Possessive pronouns in the absolute form perform several functions in a sentence. Functions are different and depend on the specifics of the context. Consider vivid examples =>

1. In the function of the subject

These are not her pencils. Hers are in her bag => These are not her pencils. Her (are) in her bag.

Where is the lollipop? Yours is in fridge. It is too hot here => Where is the lollipop? Yours is in the fridge. It's very hot in here.

1. In addition function

Our texts are better than yours(instead of your texts) => Our lyrics are better than yours.

Her shoes are much more glamorous than yours(instead of your shoes) => Her shoes are much more glamorous than yours.

1. In the function of the nominal part of the predicate

Whose chinchilla is this? – It is hers .

Whose chinchilla is this? - Her.

Whose red Maybach is it? – It is mine.

Whose red Maybach is this? - My.

Note! After the absolute form of the noun we do not set!

Summing up

The absolute pronoun helps to make speech simpler and easier without violating the meaning of the sentence. Possessive pronouns in the absolute form are best studied in parallel with the topic, which reveals the features of the use of the main form of such pronouns. The topic is easy, and if you reinforce the acquired knowledge with examples, you will understand it very quickly.

Possessive forms help when we want to say that something belongs to someone. In English, unlike Russian, two forms are distinguished: possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives. We are talking about the latter - possessive adjectives in English today.

General information

Before proceeding to the consideration of theory, let's turn to practice. You can say the following about your house: “This is my house” or “This house is mine.” At first glance, there is no difference: the meaning of the sentence does not change from the rearrangement of the place of the lexeme "my". This statement is partly true for the English language. But only in part, since in the first case the possessive adjective my (my) is used, and in the second, the possessive pronoun mine (mine).

The structure of these proposals is also different:

This is my house - This is my house.
This house is mine - This house is mine.

As you can see, in the first example, the possessive adjective my (my) stands before the noun, describing it and answering the question What? (Which?). In the second, the possessive pronoun is at the end of the sentence, replacing the noun and not naming it. But this is practice. Now let's move on to theory.

Possessive adjectives

There are 8 possessive adjectives in English according to the number of personal pronouns:

They answer the question "Whose?" and describe an object, indicating its belonging to someone or something. As an adjective should, it is used before the noun it defines, but always without an article:

TOP 4 articleswho read along with this

my children - my children, his son - his son, her work - her work, our city - our city.

note to the possessive adjective its (his), which denotes the belonging of something to an animal or inanimate object. It should not be confused with it's, which is short form combinations of the pronoun and the verb It is (It is) or It has (He has).

Possessive pronouns

As can be seen from the table above in English there are 7 possessive pronouns. They indicate the belonging of an object or objects to one or more persons. Their function is to replace a noun. Therefore, in a sentence, they, as a rule, are used independently, without nouns, at the beginning or at the end of a sentence:

This city is ours - This city is ours.
This red bag is hers - This red bag is hers.
These pens are theirs - These pens are theirs.

In the case when earlier we were talking about some object, person or phenomenon expressed by a noun, and this is clear from the context, instead of this noun, the corresponding possessive pronoun is used at the beginning of the sentence:

Our flat is on the third floor. Theirs (their flat) is on the fifth. - Our apartment is on the third floor. Their - on the fifth.
His brother works at the factory. Mine (my bother) works at the office. - His brother works in a factory. Mine is in the office.

note to the fact that in Russian textbooks on English grammar, possessive forms are not divided into possessive adjectives and pronouns, and refer only to possessive pronouns. English and American textbook authors insist on separation.

What have we learned?

In English, there are possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns. The former are always used without an article before a noun. Possessive pronouns are at the end or at the beginning of the sentence, and after them the noun is not used.

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As we have already said, a pronoun is a part of speech that indicates an object or its belonging, but does not name the object itself. English pronouns are divided into personal, possessive, indefinite, interrogative, reflexive,. In today's post, we're going to look at personal and possessive pronouns.

Personal pronouns in English

In English, the following personal pronouns are distinguished:


As a rule, we need personal pronouns to refer to persons or objects, depending on their relationship to the speaker. Thus, the pronoun I is used to refer to the speaker himself; we - to refer to other persons along with the speaker himself; they - anyone else other than the speaker and his interlocutors.

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English personal pronouns can be modified depending on the person, case (only the nominative and object cases are distinguished), number, gender (only pronouns in the third person singular indicate the gender of the speaker).

Here are English personal pronouns to remember

If the personal pronoun is in the nominative case, then in the sentence it will play the role of the subject:

• He is hungry - he is hungry
• We did not go to school yesterday - Yesterday we did not go to school

And if we have a pronoun in the objective case, then in the sentence it will be an addition:

• He brought those beautiful roses for me - he brought these beautiful roses for me
• Our teacher told us about a famous hero - The teacher told us about a famous hero

Sometimes, when we need to talk about ourselves, we use the object form of the pronoun "I" - Me.

• Who opened the box without permission? – Me – Who opened the box without permission? - I
• Look, this is me in the picture - Look, this is me in the photo.

The pronoun I should always be capitalized, even if it is in the middle of a sentence, and the pronoun you is used for both the second person singular - you, and the plural - you. The pronoun it is used to replace nouns denoting an inanimate object.

Possessive pronouns in English

Possessive pronouns are used when you need to indicate that an object belongs to a person. They differ in numbers and persons, and always come before a noun as a definition; ь is not used with them.

The English pronoun "one's own" is also translated by one of the possessive pronouns, depending on the context:

• He thanked and went his way - he thanked and went his own way
• Don't leave your things here - Do not leave your things here

If there is no noun after the personal pronoun, the so-called is used.

The absolute form of possessive pronouns is used in stable phrases - a friend of mine / yours / his / ours - my / your / his / our friend, one of the friends, a neighbor of mine / yours / his / ours - one of the neighbors, etc. d.

• A friend of mine gave me your telephone number - One of my friends gave me your telephone number.

We very often use possessive pronouns both in Russian and in English. Do you think it's enough to learn my, his, her, theirs? No, their use sometimes embarrasses those who do not know all the secrets.

Ask yourself: what is a pronoun? Yes, a part of speech that replaces a noun or an adjective. But a special group of Possesive Pronouns, so to speak, characterizes an object, phenomenon, property, indicating belonging to someone and answers the question whose? whose? whose? (whose?).

This is my note-book - This is my notebook.

Their decision was unexpected. Their decision was unexpected.

Our car is broken. Our car is broken.

What are possessive pronouns in English?

This group takes its roots from personal pronouns in terms of education, and it is by comparing them that we will consider the use of these parts of speech. To make it easier to understand and remember, we will divide all Possesive Pronouns into two groups.

• Possessive pronouns are adjectives. This name suggests that the listed parts of speech are before a noun which it describes characterizes it. In this case, never articles are not used. However, after these possessive pronouns in English, there may be other definitions (adjectives) that follow after them. I would also like to note that these pronouns are placed after all and both, if any, in the proposal. Let's dive into the examples and consider all cases.

Her ticket is on the table. Her ticket is on the table.

It isn't my bus. - This is not my bus.

Your friend came to see me yesterday. Your friend visited me yesterday.

He gave me her address. He gave me her address.

Where is mygreen pencil? Where is my green pencil?

Hiselder brother writes poems. — His older brother writes poetry.

Allmy books are in the bag. All my books are in the bag.

Bothhis friends smoke, but he doesn't. Both of his friends smoke, but he doesn't.

• Possessive noun pronouns(or absolute form). This subgroup is used without a noun and performs its function as a subject, a nominal part of a predicate or an object. They can be either at the end or in the middle of a sentence.

As can be seen from the table, they are identical in meaning and translation, but the formation and use will have to be remembered. To make it easier to put into memory, look: his - the two forms are the same, I changes to mine, and the ending -s is added to all the others. Let's look at examples where the absolute form is used. According to lexical norms, it is advisable to use it so as not to duplicate the noun that was used in the previous remark.

Are these your spectacles? — No, they are not mine. - Are these your glasses? No, they are not mine.

Her house is not far from ours. Her house is not far from ours.

Does this book belong to Mary? — No, It's yours. Does this book belong to Mary? - No, it's yours.

Her score was better than theirs. Her score was better than theirs.

We'll leave her house after dinner, so we should be at yours before 10.

Translation

When translating from English into Russian, there are usually no problems. You just have to memorize all the forms. But in English! Here they often come across bumps on which they stumble painfully. So that you are on the right path to learning a language, remember some features:

1. In the Russian version, they can stand "his, them" , which can be translated by English possessive and personal pronouns. The first answers the question whose? whose?, and the second - whom? what?

I saw him. - I saw him (personal).

This is his watch. - This is his watch (whose - possessive).

I met them. - I met them (whom - personal).

This is their home. - This is their house (whose - possessive).

2. Russian often confuses "mine", because in English there is no corresponding form. Therefore, we translate with one of the possessive pronouns, which depends on the subject.

I gave my car to my son. — I have given my car to my son.

He lost his keys. — He has lost his keys.

They gave us their food. — They gave us their food.

I don't have a ticket. Can you sell me yours? — I haven't got a ticket. Can you sell me yours?

3. Very often in Russian in general missingt possessive pronoun, and in English it should be. Only if the meaning "one's own" is meant, it is necessary to use this part of speech. This is where many people make the mistake of using the instead of pronoun. Most often, this situation occurs before nouns denoting parts of the body, family members, clothes.

I told my wife everything. — I have told everything to my wife (and not the wife - meant to his wife.)

They put their hands in their pockets. — they put their hands into their pockets (your hands in your pockets).

Put on your coat! — Put on your coat!

There is nothing complicated here. If you need to insert possessive pronouns in an English sentence, then look for the presence of a noun: if there is, then the relative form, if not, the absolute form. Of course, you need to do exercises to consolidate all the material.

Exercises

1. An old friend of (us, our, ours) phoned yesterday and said he would visit (us, our, ours).
2. Is that picture on the wall (your, yours, you)?
3. (They, their, theirs) holiday starts the week after (we, our, ours).
4. Can we have (you, your, yours) suggestion first and then we'll hear (he, him, his)?
5. I didn't bother going to (she, her, hers) party and she won't be coming to (me, my, mine).
6. (Us, our, ours) flight was delayed but (their, theirs, them) took off on time.
7. Can I borrow (your, yours, you) pen? - I'm sorry, it isn't (my, mine, me).
8. Bob is one of (our, ours, us) best pupils.
9. She has no mistakes in (her, hers, she) test.
10. (My, mine, me) hands are cold, but (your, yours, you) are warm.

1. ours, us.
2. yours
3. theirs, ours
4. your, his
5. her, mine
6. our, theirs
7.your, mine.
8.our
9. her
10. my, yours

We use pronouns to replace nouns in a sentence. Look at the word “pronoun” itself, it contains the main function of this part of speech: “ instead of having", i.e " instead of a noun". Pronouns are used to diversify speech and not repeat the same word from sentence to sentence.

There are several types of pronouns in English: , and possessive. We paid special attention to each type of pronouns in a separate article.

Let's see how a native speaker teacher Alex talks about words that show that someone owns something.

When we want to say that someone owns something, we use possessive forms. As you can see Alex identified two forms: Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns.

Possessive adjectives

Let's start considering possessive forms with possessive adjectives. Abroad these words are called Possessive Adjectives. Such words show a sign of an object, phenomenon or person, therefore they are classified as adjectives, not pronouns:

• my book. - My book. (what book? - mine)
• His friend. - His friend. (what friend? - his)

In Russian textbooks on English grammar it is written that my (your, his etc.) is a pronoun, but native English teachers insist that it is still an adjective, because it comes before a noun and defines it. Let's take a look at the table:

My cat likes to play with a ball. - My the cat loves to play with the ball.

She wants to talk to your manager. - She wants to talk to yours manager.

The teacher found his mistakes. The teacher found his errors.

I like her dress. - I like her the dress.

Our family likes to rest in Crimea, we adore its nature. – Our family loves to relax in the Crimea, we adore his nature.

They look after our children. - They look after our children.

He is speaking with their mother. - He talks to them mom.

Please note that in all examples after my (his, their) is a noun.

In Russian there is a universal word "our", which we simply change by numbers and persons. In English, the words “one’s own”, “one’s own”, “one’s own” should be translated as “mine”, “ours”, “his” / “hers”, respectively.

She cut mine finger. – She cut her finger.

I love my mom. – I love my mother.

Do my work. – Do your work.

Possessive pronouns

If you need to replace a noun in a sentence, you must use one of the possessive pronouns. Usually the noun is replaced so that there are no repetitions in the sentence.

• This is not my pen, mine is purple. - This is not my pen, my purple (replaced my pen on the mine).

Becky! That is mine! - This is my, Becky!

My task is easier than yours. - My task is easier than your.

This is not his car, his is blue. - It's not his car. his- blue.

This is a friend of hers. - This is her friend.

It is not their house theirs is bigger. - This is not their house. them more.

The general pattern for all possessive pronouns is that you do not need to use a noun after them, and, as a rule, it is at the end of the sentence. Also, take a look at this couple: a friend of mine and my friend. Both phrases mean the same thing - my friend, only after the preposition of use possessive pronouns rather than adjectives ( a friend of my).