Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns: A2 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. That's not my umbrella — ___ is black. → mine

The noun has been dropped, so the possessive pronoun mine is needed.

2. Have you seen ___ glasses anywhere? → my

A noun follows, so the possessive adjective is required.

3. This house is ___ — they bought it last year. → theirs

The pronoun stands alone at the end of the sentence.

4. The cat has hurt ___ paw. → its

Its is the possessive; it's would mean it is.

5. ___ raining again — bring a coat. → It's

It's is the contraction of it is, which is what this sentence needs.

6. Is this seat ___ or can I take it? → yours

No noun follows, so the possessive pronoun yours is correct.

7. We left ___ tickets at home. → our

Tickets is the noun, so the adjective our is used.

8. Which sentence is correct? → This book is hers.

Hers is the possessive pronoun and never takes an apostrophe.

9. ___ car is parked in front of the gate. → Whose

Whose asks about ownership; who's means who is.

10. My phone is old, but ___ is even older. → his

His works as both adjective and pronoun, and here it stands alone.

11. The dog wagged ___ tail happily. → its

Its is the possessive form used for animals and things.

12. They painted the flat ___ . → themselves

This is the emphatic reflexive, meaning nobody helped them.

13. Are these keys ___ ? → yours

The noun keys is already there, so the pronoun form ends the question.

14. Ana forgot ___ passport at the hotel. → her

Passport follows, so the possessive adjective is required.

15. That idea was ___ , not mine. → hers

The pronoun stands alone in contrast with mine.

16. Which pair is correctly matched? → we — ours

We takes our as an adjective and ours as a pronoun; the other three are not English words.

17. ___ turn is it to cook tonight? → Whose

The question asks who owns the turn, so whose is correct.

18. The company changed ___ name last year. → its

A company is a thing, so it takes its.

19. Our garden is small, but ___ is enormous. → theirs

No noun follows, so the possessive pronoun theirs is used.

20. Which sentence has an apostrophe mistake? → That coat is her's.

Possessive pronouns never take an apostrophe: the correct form is hers.

Fill-in-the-blank questions — answers

1. Is this jacket ___ or does it belong to Marek? → yours

No noun follows, so the possessive pronoun form is needed.

2. She lent me ___ bicycle for the weekend. → her

Bicycle follows, so the possessive adjective is required.

3. The decision was ___ , so we can't blame anyone else. → ours

The pronoun stands alone after the verb.

4. The bird was building ___ nest in the chimney. → its

Its is the possessive form for animals and things, with no apostrophe.

5. ___ too late to phone them now. → It's

It's is the contraction of it is.

6. We packed ___ bags the night before. → our

Bags is the noun, so the adjective form is used.

7. ___ scarf is this on the back of the chair? → Whose

Whose asks about ownership.

8. That opinion is ___ , and he is entitled to it. → his

His serves as both adjective and pronoun; here it stands alone.

9. The children tidied ___ room without being asked. → their

Room follows, so the possessive adjective is required.

10. This coffee is mine and that one is ___. → yours

The noun has been dropped, so the pronoun ends the sentence.

11. The restaurant lost ___ licence last month. → its

A restaurant is a thing, so it takes the possessive its.

12. I've finished my part — have you finished ___? → yours

Part is understood rather than repeated, so the pronoun is used.

13. ___ turn is it to pay? → Whose

The question is about ownership of the turn.

14. They sold ___ old flat and moved to the coast. → their

Flat is the noun, so the adjective form is needed.

15. That handwriting must be ___ — nobody else writes like that. → hers

The pronoun stands alone with no noun after it.

16. The tree lost most of ___ leaves in the storm. → its

A tree is a thing, so the possessive is its.

17. Have you got ___ ticket, or shall I print it again? → your

Ticket follows, so the possessive adjective is required.

18. The choice is entirely ___ , so take your time. → yours

The pronoun form ends the clause with no noun after it.

19. ___ been a long day for everyone. → It's

It's here is the contraction of it has, not the possessive.

20. My parents sent ___ love and said they would visit. → their

Love is the noun, so the adjective form is used.

Sentence structure: word ordering — answers

1. Correct somebody about who owns a book. → This book is mine, not yours.

Correct somebody about who owns a book.

2. Report a woman leaving something behind. → She forgot her keys at the office.

Report a woman leaving something behind.

3. Ask a room who owns an item of clothing. → Whose coat is on the chair?

Ask a room who owns an item of clothing.

4. Describe an animal grooming itself. → The cat licked its paw carefully.

Describe an animal grooming itself.

5. Compare two homes using an adjective and a pronoun. → Our flat is smaller than theirs.

Compare two homes using an adjective and a pronoun.

6. Ask politely about a chair on a train. → Is this seat yours or free?

Ask politely about a chair on a train.

7. Report a family selling a vehicle. → They sold their car last month.

Report a family selling a vehicle.

8. Assign responsibility to one person. → That decision was his, not ours.

Assign responsibility to one person.

9. Report losing something in a vehicle. → I left my phone in the taxi.

Report losing something in a vehicle.

10. Report a loan between two families. → Her brother borrowed our camping tent.

Report a loan between two families.

11. Report a business rebranding, with no apostrophe. → The company changed its logo again.

Report a business rebranding, with no apostrophe.

12. Ask politely whether lost property belongs to somebody. → Are these gloves yours by any chance?

Ask politely whether lost property belongs to somebody.

13. Say a family's children were also asked. → We invited their children as well.

Say a family's children were also asked.

14. Compare two exam answers. → My answer was wrong but hers wasn't.

Compare two exam answers.

15. Report a man mislaying something he needs. → He has lost his reading glasses.

Report a man mislaying something he needs.

16. Ask about a rota on a long journey. → Whose turn is it to drive?

Ask about a rota on a long journey.

17. Compare two gardens with a possessive pronoun. → Their garden is bigger than ours.

Compare two gardens with a possessive pronoun.

18. Report a business losing a classification. → The hotel lost its star rating.

Report a business losing a classification.

19. Give a polite instruction on public transport. → Please take your belongings with you.

Give a polite instruction on public transport.

20. Deny that a note was written by you. → That handwriting is definitely not mine.

Deny that a note was written by you.