YOUR vs YOURS – Possessive Adjectives vs Possessive Pronouns
The difference between your and yours is a fundamental part of English grammar. Your is a possessive adjective (always followed by a noun). Yours is a possessive pronoun (stands alone; never followed by a noun). Mastering this distinction will instantly improve your accuracy in both writing and speaking.
1. Possessive Adjectives (Your, My, Our, etc.)
List: My, Our, Your, Their, His, Her, Its.
A possessive adjective is always placed before a noun to show ownership. It acts like an adjective describing the noun.
1) That's your car. (The word your describes the noun car.)
2) Our house is more beautiful than their house.
3) This is your pen.
4) Is this your umbrella?
❌ Whose pen is this? This is your. (Incorrect)
✅ Whose pen is this? This is your pen. (Correct)
2. Possessive Pronouns (Yours, Mine, Ours, etc.)
List: Mine, Ours, Yours, Theirs, His, Hers, Its.
A possessive pronoun replaces a noun. It shows ownership and stands alone. You never put a noun after it.
1) That car is yours. (Yours = your car. Don't say "yours car".)
2) Our house is more beautiful than theirs. (Theirs = their house.)
3) Is this umbrella yours?
4) Whose pen is this? It's mine. (= my pen)
❌ My car is better than yours car. (Incorrect)
✅ My car is better than yours. (Correct)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Your (Possessive Adjective) | Always before a noun. This is your book. |
| Yours (Possessive Pronoun) | Stands alone; replaces a noun. This book is yours. |
More Examples Using Both
1) My car is red and yours is blue. (= your car)
2) Their house is big, but ours is small. (= our house)
3) Our house is more beautiful than theirs. (= their house)
4) The price of my phone is higher than that of yours. (= your phone)
5) His mobile is better than mine. (= my mobile)
6) Your son is taller than mine. (= my son)
7) My father is poor, but yours is rich. (= your father)
8) Hey John, you're using my shirts, where are yours? (= your shirts)
9) My parents are very good, and what about yours? (= your parents)
10) It's not your fault, it's mine.
11) This book is not yours. | Your shirt is blue and mine is white.
12) This is a book of mine. (This is my book. | This book is mine.)
Mini Dialogue
John: Hey Tom, I like this shirt. Is this yours?
Tom: No, it's not mine.
John: Whose shirt is this?
Tom: That's my dad's. (or That's my dad's shirt.)
Key Rules Summary
- Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) are always followed by a noun.
- Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs) stand alone and never take a noun after them.
- A possessive pronoun can be the subject or object of a sentence: Yours is on the table. I found yours.
- Possessive pronouns help avoid repetition: This is my car. This is not your car. → This car is mine, not yours.
English is a language just like your mother tongue. Practise using your and yours (and the whole family of possessives) correctly, and you'll eliminate one of the most common errors in English. Remember: if a noun follows, use the adjective; if it stands alone, use the pronoun.
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