Possessive Adjectives: A1 Exercises

Every answer with the reason behind it. Read the explanation for the ones you got right as well — that is where you find out whether you were right for the right reason.

Multiple choice questions — answers

1. This is my brother. ___ name is Andrei. → His

The owner is a man, so the possessive is his — regardless of what he owns.

2. Maria is here with ___ husband. → her

Maria is female, so the possessive is her, even though the person owned is male.

3. We love ___ new flat. → our

Our comes before a noun; ours stands alone; us is an object pronoun.

4. The dog is eating ___ dinner. → its

Its is the possessive with no apostrophe. It's always means it is or it has.

5. My parents sold ___ car last month. → their

Their is the possessive; there is a place word and they're means they are.

6. Excuse me, is this ___ umbrella? → your

Your comes directly before a noun; yours would stand alone at the end of a question.

7. Which sentence is correct? → He loves his wife.

The owner is he, so the possessive is his — English never matches the possessive to the noun.

8. Sara and Tom are washing ___ bikes. → their

Two owners together take their.

9. I can't find ___ glasses anywhere. → my

My goes in front of the noun. Mine would replace the whole phrase: these glasses are mine.

10. She is very proud of ___ daughter. → her

She is the owner, so the possessive is her. Hers cannot come before a noun.

11. Which sentence uses its correctly? → The cat licked its paw.

The possessive its takes no apostrophe. It's is only ever a contraction of it is or it has.

12. My colleagues brought ___ laptops to the meeting. → their

Their is the possessive adjective and the only one of the three that can come before a noun.

13. Peter forgot ___ passport at home. → his

Peter is male, so the possessive is his.

14. ___ teacher gives us homework every Friday. → Our

Our is the form that comes before a noun; we is the subject pronoun.

15. The company changed ___ logo last year. → its

A company is a singular thing, so it takes its — with no apostrophe.

16. How old is ___ son, Mrs Petrova? → your

You are speaking directly to Mrs Petrova, so the possessive is your.

17. Which sentence is correct? → My friend lost his keys.

His comes before the noun and never takes a plural -s, however many keys there are.

18. The children are doing ___ homework upstairs. → their

Children is plural, so the possessive is their.

19. I met ___ new neighbour this morning. → my

My is the possessive adjective, and it is the only one of these that can stand before a noun.

20. Anna showed us photographs of ___ trip to Iceland. → her

Anna is female, so the possessive is her. Hers would need to stand alone with no noun after it.

Fill-in-the-blank questions — answers

1. That is Jonas over there. ___ car is the blue one. → His

Jonas is a male name, so the possessive adjective is his.

2. Elena works late, so ___ children eat with their grandmother. → her

Elena is female, so the possessive is her — the sex of the owner decides, not the noun.

3. We painted ___ kitchen last weekend. → our

The owner is we, so the possessive adjective is our.

4. The bird has built ___ nest in the old apple tree. → its

Its is the possessive for a thing or animal, and it never takes an apostrophe.

5. My grandparents still live in ___ first house. → their

Grandparents is plural, so the possessive is their.

6. Is this ___ coat, or did somebody leave it here? → your

Speaking to somebody directly gives your, and it comes straight before the noun.

7. I have lost ___ wallet somewhere in the station. → my

The speaker is the owner, so the possessive adjective is my.

8. Ahmed introduced me to ___ sister at the party. → his

Ahmed is male, so his — even though the person owned is female.

9. The restaurant changed ___ opening hours in September. → its

A restaurant is a singular thing, so the possessive is its, without an apostrophe.

10. Sofia never answers ___ phone during lessons. → her

Sofia is female, so the possessive is her.

11. My brother and I sold ___ old bicycles online. → our

The group includes the speaker, so the owner is we and the possessive is our.

12. Do the neighbours park ___ van in the street? → their

Neighbours is plural, so the possessive adjective is their.

13. Mr Okoro left ___ briefcase on the train. → his

Mr Okoro is male, so the possessive is his.

14. Please switch off ___ mobile phones before the film starts. → your

The audience is being addressed directly, so the possessive is your — unchanged in the plural.

15. The hotel is famous for ___ garden. → its

A hotel is a thing, so it takes its. It's would mean it is, which makes no sense here.

16. Lucia and Pablo have invited us to ___ wedding. → their

Two owners together take their.

17. I really like ___ new haircut — it suits you. → your

You are complimenting the person in front of you, so the possessive is your.

18. Nadia finished ___ degree in Lisbon last summer. → her

Nadia is female, so the possessive is her.

19. Every morning I take ___ dog to the park before work. → my

The speaker owns the dog, so the possessive adjective is my.

20. The students handed in ___ essays on Monday. → their

Students is plural, so the possessive is their — not there, which is a place word.

Sentence structure: word ordering — answers

1. Introduce a member of your family who is not the oldest. → This is my younger sister.

Introduce a member of your family who is not the oldest.

2. Say where a woman works inside a building. → Her office is on the third floor.

Say where a woman works inside a building.

3. Say where a man's family lives. → His parents live in Athens.

Say where a man's family lives.

4. Tell a friend when you and your travel companions depart. → Our flight leaves at six tomorrow.

Tell a friend when you and your travel companions depart.

5. Describe the home of several people. → Their house has a big garden.

Describe the home of several people.

6. Explain where you forgot something of yours. → I left my keys in the car.

Explain where you forgot something of yours.

7. Ask a stranger politely about a chair. → Is this your seat?

Ask a stranger politely about a chair.

8. Report an injury to an animal, using the possessive with no apostrophe. → The cat has hurt its leg.

Report an injury to an animal, using the possessive with no apostrophe.

9. Say something positive about the people you work with. → My colleagues are very helpful.

Say something positive about the people you work with.

10. Describe what a woman's brother does and where. → Her brother studies law in Vienna.

Describe what a woman's brother does and where.

11. Describe something your household got rid of recently. → We sold our old sofa last week.

Describe something your household got rid of recently.

12. Say when a man was born, using the month. → His birthday is in November.

Say when a man was born, using the month.

13. Say where the children of a couple are educated. → Their children go to the same school.

Say where the children of a couple are educated.

14. Give a polite instruction at a reception desk. → Please write your name here.

Give a polite instruction at a reception desk.

15. Complain about something that belongs to you. → My phone battery is always flat.

Complain about something that belongs to you.

16. Describe the effect of something a woman said. → Her answer surprised everyone in the room.

Describe the effect of something a woman said.

17. Describe a weekly classroom routine. → Our teacher gives us homework every Friday.

Describe a weekly classroom routine.

18. Say what you took from a man for a short time. → I borrowed his bicycle yesterday.

Say what you took from a man for a short time.

19. Describe where a couple's home is. → Their flat is near the river.

Describe where a couple's home is.

20. Ask a travelling companion about a document. → Did you bring your passport?

Ask a travelling companion about a document.