Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns: correct answers
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Understanding how to show ownership in English is essential for clear communication. Possessive adjectives always come before a noun to describe who owns it, like in "This is my pizza." Possessive pronouns, on the other hand, stand alone and replace the noun entirely, such as "This pizza is mine."
In this challenge, you will explore these ownership words through a variety of fun scenarios. You will settle roommate disputes over snacks, help a detective organize clues, return items at a wizard's lost and found, and even read through an alien's vacation log! Along the way, you will practice distinguishing between adjectives and pronouns, handling plural possessives, and using tricky forms like its and theirs.
You will work through 12 questions in a mix of single-choice, multi-choice, drop-down, and drag-and-drop formats.
Try the quiz to check your knowledge!
Correct answers
Question 1
Help the hungry roommates settle their midnight snack dispute by choosing the correct words for their argument.
"Hey! Put that down! That last slice of pepperoni pizza is mine."
"No, it isn't! I bought it with my own money!"
"Hey! Put that down! That last slice of pepperoni pizza is mine."
We use the possessive pronoun mine because it stands alone and replaces the noun phrase ("my pizza").
"No, it isn't! I bought it with my own money!"
We use the possessive adjective my because it comes directly before a noun ("own money") to show who it belongs to.
Question 2
Complete the neighborhood gossip about the great apple tree debate by choosing the correct word for each blank.
The neighbors insist the giant apple tree is completely theirs, but since the branches hang over the fence, we think the dropped apples are ours.
The neighbors insist the giant apple tree is completely theirs, but since the branches hang over the fence, we think the dropped apples are ours.
Both missing words are possessive pronouns (theirs and ours). They stand alone without a noun immediately following them, replacing "their tree" and "our apples." If a noun followed them, we would use the adjectives "their" and "our."
Question 3
Help settle the roommate dispute by choosing the correct word.
"Hey! You ate the last slice of pepperoni pizza! I bought it yesterday, so that slice was ___!"
The correct answer is mine.
We use the possessive pronoun mine to replace a noun phrase (like "my slice") so we don't have to repeat it. "My" is a possessive adjective and must be followed by a noun (e.g., "my slice").
Question 4
"The suspect left his umbrella by the door."
"His" is a possessive adjective modifying the noun "umbrella."
"The guard dog was barking loudly, but it slipped out of its collar."
"Its" (no apostrophe) is the possessive adjective for "it." ("It's" means "it is" or "it has").
"Look at these muddy footprints. Their size suggests the thief was wearing clown shoes!"
"Their" is a possessive adjective modifying the noun "size."
Question 5
Help the confused alien visitor complete his observation log about Earth.
"Humans are strange. When it rains, they open colorful umbrellas to keep ___ heads dry, but they let their shoes get completely soaked!"
The correct answer is their.
Their is a possessive adjective used before a noun ("heads") to show that the heads belong to "them" (the humans). "Theirs" is a pronoun and cannot be placed right before a noun.
Question 6
"Hey! Did someone eat my leftover pizza?"
We use the possessive adjective "my" because it comes right before the noun phrase "leftover pizza" to show who it belongs to.
"Don't look at me. I ate mine yesterday."
We use the possessive pronoun "mine" to replace "my pizza." It stands alone without a noun after it.
"Well, Sarah is looking guilty. I bet those crumbs on the counter are hers."
We use the possessive pronoun "hers" to mean "her crumbs." It stands alone at the end of the sentence.
Question 7
The correct answers are That half-eaten pizza is mine! and Please don't touch my chocolate milk.
Mine is a possessive pronoun that stands alone, while my is a possessive adjective that must be followed by a noun (like "chocolate milk").
"Hers sandwich" is incorrect because hers is a pronoun and shouldn't be followed by a noun (it should be "her sandwich"). "Your's" is incorrect because possessive pronouns never use apostrophes; the correct spelling is yours.
Question 8
The correct answers are The alien wagged its three tails happily. and The spaceship is theirs, but the alien is ours.
Its is the correct possessive adjective for a thing or animal. It's with an apostrophe is a contraction for "it is" or "it has," making "it's daily bowl" incorrect.
Theirs and ours are correctly used as possessive pronouns that stand alone. "There spaceship" is incorrect because there refers to a place; the correct possessive adjective is their.
Question 9
The correct answers are Our drummer is much louder than theirs! and They forgot their guitars, so they want to borrow ours.
Our and their are possessive adjectives that must come right before a noun (like "drummer" and "guitars").
Ours and theirs are possessive pronouns that replace a noun phrase. Saying "is their" is incorrect because we need the pronoun theirs. Saying "Ours singer" is incorrect because we need the adjective Our.
Question 10
"The humans believe this solar system is theirs, but we have other plans."
The possessive pronoun "theirs" stands alone and replaces "their solar system."
"Earth will be our new summer vacation spot."
The possessive adjective "our" modifies the noun phrase "new summer vacation spot."
"As for Mars, Commander Zog, that dusty red rock is entirely yours."
The possessive pronoun "yours" stands alone at the end of the sentence to show the rock belongs to Zog.
Question 11
Complete the partygoer's realization about the lost item.
"This isn't my sparkly scarf. I think it belongs to Sarah. Yes, I'm pretty sure it's ___."
The correct answer is hers.
Hers is a possessive pronoun that stands alone, meaning "her scarf." We cannot use "her" here because "her" is a possessive adjective and needs a noun immediately after it (like "her scarf").
Question 12
Organize the magical lost-and-found bin by choosing the right words to complete the professor's notes.
This glowing wand belongs to Luna; it is definitely hers.
The Weasley twins, however, left their flying brooms in the courtyard again.
This glowing wand belongs to Luna; it is definitely hers.
Hers is a possessive pronoun. It stands alone at the end of the clause to replace "her wand."
The Weasley twins, however, left their flying brooms in the courtyard again.
Their is a possessive adjective. It must be followed by the noun it modifies ("flying brooms").