Pronouns
Subject: Object: Complement:
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Mine was the only correct answer. Ours didn’t stand a chance. Bob couldn’t find his program, so I gave him yours. The children lost theirs again. The decision is yours. The missing purse was hers.
Adjectival forms (my, our, your, his, her, its, their) act as adjectives modifying nouns. Here are some examples of this use: My answer was the only correct one. I gave him your program. It was your decision to make. Of particular importance are the possessive pronoun forms that are different from each other:
Adjectival Pronominal
First-person singular & plural your yours
Third-person singular her hers
Third-person plural their theirs
The adjectival and pronominal forms of his and its are the same. Here are some sentences that illustrate the difference between pronominal and adjectival forms:
Your/yours Adjectival: Pronominal:
I didn’t understand your answer. I didn’t understand yours.
Her/hers Adjectival: Pronominal:
It is her decision to make. It is hers to make.
Their/theirs Adjectival: Pronominal:
Their task is a dangerous job. Theirs is a dangerous job.