Pronouns: Mine, Yours Practice Tests with A1 Grammar Rules & Examples

Pronouns: Mine, Yours

Sometimes we want to say that something belongs to us — or to another person. We can use special words called possessive pronouns to do this. The words mine and yours are possessive pronouns.

Do not worry about the long grammar name! A possessive pronoun is simply a word that means "it belongs to me" or "it belongs to you" — without repeating the name of the thing.

Look at this simple example:

Tom has a red bag. Maria has a blue bag.
Tom says: "The red bag is mine." (= the red bag belongs to me)
Maria says: "The blue bag is yours." (= the blue bag belongs to you)

In this lesson, we will learn how to use mine and yours correctly in everyday English.

What Are Possessive Pronouns?

First, let us understand two important grammar words:

• A pronoun is a small word we use instead of a noun (a name or thing). For example, instead of saying "Tom", we say "he".
• A possessive pronoun is a word that shows something belongs to someone. Instead of saying "Tom's bag", we can say "his".

In this lesson, we focus on just two possessive pronouns:

• Mine — something belongs to me (the speaker)
• Yours — something belongs to you (the person I am talking to)

Rule Breakdown: Mine

We use mine when we want to say something belongs to me. We do not add a noun after mine. The noun comes before it.

Pattern:
The [noun] is mine.

Here is a simple story to show how it works:

My name is Anna. I have a cat. The cat is small and white.
Anna says: "The cat is mine."
This means: The cat belongs to Anna (to me).

More examples with mine:

• This book is mine. (= It is my book.)
• That coat is mine. (= It is my coat.)
• These shoes are mine. (= They are my shoes.)
• The red pen is mine. (= It is my pen.)

Rule Breakdown: Yours

We use yours when we want to say something belongs to you — the person we are speaking to. Again, we do not add a noun after yours.

Pattern:
The [noun] is yours.

Here is a simple story:

Anna is talking to her friend Ben. Ben has a blue jacket on the chair.
Anna says: "The blue jacket is yours."
This means: The blue jacket belongs to Ben (to you).

More examples with yours:

• This bag is yours. (= It is your bag.)
• That phone is yours. (= It is your phone.)
• These keys are yours. (= They are your keys.)
• The green cup is yours. (= It is your cup.)

Mine and Yours: Simple Pattern Table

This table shows you how mine and yours connect to other words you already know:

Quick note on grammar words:

• A subject pronoun is the word for the person doing something. Example: I am happy. You are happy.
• A possessive adjective is the word we use before a noun. Example: my book, your bag.
• A possessive pronoun is the word we use alone, without a noun after it. Example: The book is mine. The bag is yours.

Mine and Yours With Singular and Plural Nouns

The good news is that mine and yours do not change. We use the same word for one thing (singular) and for many things (plural).

A singular noun is one thing. Example: one pen, one bag.
A plural noun is more than one thing. Example: two pens, three bags.

You do not need to say "mines" or "yourses". These words do not exist in English!

Important Differences: Mine, Yours vs. My, Your

Many beginners mix up my / your with mine / yours. Here is the key difference:

My and your are used before a noun.
Mine and yours are used alone — without a noun after them.

Simple rule to remember:
If a noun comes after the word → use my or your.
If no noun comes after the word → use mine or yours.

Mine and Yours in Questions

We can also use mine and yours in questions. This is very useful in everyday life!

Look at these examples:

• "Is this yours?" — Asking if something belongs to you.
• "Is this mine?" — Asking if something belongs to me.
• "Which bag is yours?" — Asking which bag belongs to you.
• "Which seat is mine?" — Asking which seat belongs to me.

A simple conversation:

Tom: "Is this pen yours?"
Anna: "No, it is not mine. Mine is on the table."

Notice how Anna uses mine alone — without the word "pen" — because we already know she is talking about the pen.

Common Mistakes

Here are the most common mistakes that beginners make with mine and yours. Read carefully!

❌ This is mine bag.
✅ This is my bag. (Use my before a noun, not mine.)

❌ The bag is my.
✅ The bag is mine. (Use mine alone, without a noun after it.)

❌ The coat is your.
✅ The coat is yours. (Use yours, not your, when there is no noun after it.)

❌ This is yours coat.
✅ This is your coat. (Use your before a noun, not yours.)

❌ Is this pen mines?
✅ Is this pen mine? (Mines does not exist in English. Always use mine.)

❌ Is this book yourses?
✅ Is this book yours? (Yourses does not exist in English. Always use yours.)

Everyday Situations: Mine and Yours

Here are some useful, real-life examples of mine and yours in short conversations:

At school:
Student A: "Whose pencil is this?"
Student B: "It is mine!"

At home:
Mum: "Is this your jacket?"
Child: "No, it is not mine. It is Dad's."

At a café:
Waiter: "Is this coffee yours?"
Customer: "Yes, it is mine. Thank you!"

With a friend:
Friend: "Which phone is yours?"
You: "Mine is the black one."

Pronouns Mine and Yours: Quick Summary

Let us look at the key points from this lesson:

• Mine means "it belongs to me". Example: The bag is mine.
• Yours means "it belongs to you". Example: The bag is yours.
• Use mine and yours alone — do not put a noun after them.
• Use my and your when a noun comes after the word.
• Mine and yours do not change for singular or plural nouns.
• There is no such word as mines or yourses in English.

Now practise mine and yours in the exercises below.