Simple Present Tense

The simple present tense in English is used to describe an action that is regular, true or
normal.
Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + verb + complement.
Negative: Subject + do/ does not (auxiliary) + verb in simple form + complement.
Question: Do/ does (not) (auxiliary) + subject + verb + complement + ?
Wh- question: Wh + Do/ does (not) (auxiliary) + subject + verb + complement + ?

We use the present tense:

1. For repeated or regular actions in the present time period.
I take the train to the office.
I don not take the train to the office.
Do you take the train to the office?
What time do you take the train?

My dog barks all the time.

My dog does not bark all the time.
Does my dog bark all the time?
Why does your dog bark all the time?

2. For facts / to show place of origin

A dog has four legs.
A dog does not have two legs.
Do dogs have five legs?
How many legs have dogs?

We come from Switzerland.

We do not come from Switzerland.
Do you come from Switzerland?
Where do you come from?

3. To show regular activity (a habit) of repeated action.

I get up early every day.
I do not get up late every day.
Do you get up early?
What time do you get up?

He walks with his dog three times a day.

She does not walk with his cat.
Do they walk with their pets?
What is the name of their pets?

4. With general truths, to show that something is consistently true.

It rains a lot in winter.
It does not rain a lot in winter.
Does it rain a lot in winter?
When does it rain a lot?

American people love pets.

American people do not love pets.
Do American people love pets?
Who loves pets?

Verb Conjugation and Spelling

We form the present tense using the base form of the infinitive (without the TO).
In general, in the third person we add 'S' in the third person.
Subject
I
You
We
The
Guide dogs
Subject
He
She
It
The dog

Base Form

Complement

work

hard

-S Form

Complement

works

hard

My family has three cats.

Everyone in the shelter likes animals.
No one wants the new kittens.
I have a pet dog.
My friend has a guide dog.

Explanation
We use the base form when the subject is I,
you, we, they, or a plural noun.
Explanation
We use the s form when the subject is he,
she, it, or a singular noun.

We use the s form with family, everyone,

everybody, no one, nobody, and nothing.
Have in and irregular verb.
Have
has

The spelling for the verb in the third person differs depending on the ending of that verb:
1. For verbs that end in -O, -CH, -SH, -SS, -X, or -Z we add -ES in the third person.
go goes
catch catches
wash washes
kiss kisses
fix fixes
buzz buzzes

2. For verbs that end in a consonant + Y, we remove the Y and add -IES.
marry marries
study studies
carry carries
worry worries
NOTE: For verbs that end in a vowel + Y, we just add -S.
play plays
enjoy enjoys
say says

Negative Statements
Examples
The owner knows the destination.
The dog doesnt know the destination.
Some trainers use food to reward a dog.
Guide dos trainers dont use food.

Explanation
Use doesnt + the base form the he, she, it,
or a singular noun.
Know = doesnt know
Use dont + the base form with I, you, we,
they, or a plural noun.
Use = dont use

Usage note: American English and British English use different grammar to form the negative
of have.
Compare:
American: He doesnt have a dog.
British: He hasnt a dog. Or He hasnt got a dog.
Frequency Words.
Frequency words:
Always
Usually/ generally
Often/ Frequently
Sometimes/ occasionally
Rarely/ seldom/ hardly ever
Never/ not ever
Examples
Marianne often calls her dog on the phone.
Sparky always sleeps in bed with her.
Whenever the weather is nice, she takes her
dog to the beach.
Once a month, she takes her dog to a
groomer.
Someone comes to her house to walk the
dog twice a day.

100%

0%
Explanation
We use the simple present tense with
frequency words to show a regular activity.
Whenever shows a regular activity. It means
any time.
Expressions that show frequency are:
Every day (week, month, year)
Every other day (week, month, year)
Once (twice, etc.) a day (week, month,
year)
Once in a while.

Frequency word comes after the verb be.

The TV is always on in the day.
The frequency word comes before other verbs.
I usually carry a picture of my family.
Sometimes, usually, and often can come at the beginning of the sentence too.
Often my family writes me about their lives.

Do not put always, never, rarely, and seldom before the subject.
A frequency expression can come at the beginning of at the end of a sentence. When it
comes at the beginning of the sentence, we sometimes separate it with a comma.
Once a month, she travels.
She travels once a month.

Simple Past Tense

We use the Past Simple tense to talk about an action or a situation - an event - in the past.
The event can be short or long. To make past simple tense we use verbs in past which could
be regular or irregular verbs.
Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + verb in past tense + complement.
Negative: Subject + did/ did not (auxiliary) + verb in simple form + complement.
Question: Did/ doid (not) (auxiliary) + subject + verb + complement + ?
Wh- question: Wh + Did/ did (not) (auxiliary) + subject + verb + complement + ?
Uses of Past Simple Tense:
1. Completed Action in the Past
Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific
time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time,
but they do have one specific time in mind.

I saw a movie yesterday.

I didn't see a play yesterday.
Did you see the movie yesterday?
Why did not you see the play yesterday?

Last year, I traveled to Japan.

Last year, I didn't travel to Korea.
Did you travel to Japan last year?
When did you travel to Korea?

2. A Series of Completed Actions

We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions
happened 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.

I finished work, walked to the beach,

and found a nice place to swim.
I did not finish work so I could no walk
to the beach.
Did you walk to the beach when you
finish your work?
Why did not you finish your work and
go to the beach?

I added flour, pour in the milk, and then I

added the eggs.
I did not add flour; pour in the milk, and
the eggs.
Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and
then add the eggs?
Who did tell you to add flour, pour in the
milk,
and
the
eggs?

3. Duration in Past
The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past.
Duration refers to a longer action that often is indicated by expressions such as: for
two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.

I lived in Brazil for two years.

I did not live in Brazil for two years.
Did you live in Brazil for two years?
How long did you live in Brazil?

They sat at the beach all day.

They did not sit at the beach all day.
Did they sit at the beach all day?
Why did they sit at the beach all day?

4. Habits in the Past

The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can
have the same meaning as "used to." To make it clear that we are talking about a habit,
we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child,
when I was younger, etc.

I studied French when I was a child.

I did not study French when I was a
child.
Did you study French?
Why did not you study French?

He played the violin.

He didn't play the piano when he was a
child.
Did he play a musical instrument?
What instrument did he play?

5. Past Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no
longer true. It is quite similar to the expression "used to."

He liked tomatoes before.

He didn't like tomatoes before.
Did he like tomatoes before?
Why did not he like tomatoes?

I lived in Texas.
I did not live in Texas.
Did you live in Texas?
When did you live in Texas?

The spelling of the simple past form (-ed forms or Regular Verbs)

1. silent e
close = closed
die = died
phone = phoned

Verbs ending in a...

2. vowel + y
3. consonant + y
marry = married
play = played
carry = carried
destroy = destroyed study = studied
show = showed

4. other forms
visit = visited
miss = missed
watch = watched
finish = finished
fix = fixed
buzz = buzzed

Rules of the simple past tense forms:

1.
2.
3.

4.

Regular verbs ending in a silent e take /-d/ in the simple past and past participle:
close=closed
Regular verbs ending in a vowel + y take /-ed/ in the simple past and past participle:
play=played
Regular verbs ending in a consonant + y take /-ied/ in the simple past and past
participle (the y becomes an i followed by /-ed/)
marry=married
All the other regular verbs take /-ed/ in the simple past and past participle.
visit=visited

Special cases of the -ed forms:

Follow these rules when there is a consonant after a vowel (stop, ban, open, offer...)

If there is a consonant after a stressed vowel at the end of the word, double the
consonant
stop stopped
ban - banned
swap - swapped
If the vowel is not stressed, we do not double it:
open - opened (Here the stress is on 'o', not the 'e'.)
offer - offered ( Here the stress is on 'o', not the 'e'.)

In British English we double the last l even though the last vowel is not stressed. Here are
some examples:

travel - travelled
cancel - cancelled
level - levelled
marvel marvelled

Irregular Verbs change completely, here are all of them.

Present
1. arise
2. awake
3. be am/are
4. bear
5. bear
6. beat
7. become
8. begin
9. bend
10. bet
11. bid
12. bind
13. bite
14. bleed
15. blend
16. blow
17. break
18. breed
19. bring
20. broadcast
21. build
22. burst
23. buy
24. cast
25. catch
26. choose
27. cling
28. come
29. cost
30. creep
31. cut
32. deal
33. dig
34. do
35. draw
36. drink
37. drive
38. dwell
39. eat
40. fall
41. feed
42. feel
43. fight

3rd Person
arises
awakes
is
bears
bears
beats
becomes
begins
bends
bets
bids
binds
bites
bleeds
blends
blows
breaks
breeds
brings
broadcasts
builds
bursts
buys
casts
catches
chooses
clings
comes
costs
creeps
cuts
deals
digs
does
draws
drinks
drives
dwell
eats
falls
feeds
feels
fights

Present
Continuous
arising
awaking
being
bearing
bearing
beating
becoming
beginning
bending
betting
bidding
binding
biting
bleeding
blending
blowing
breaking
breeding
bringing
broadcasting
building
bursting
buying
casting
catching
choosing
clinging
coming
costing
creeping
cutting
dealing
digging
doing
drawing
drinking
driving
dwelling
eating
falling
feeding
feeling
fighting

Past
arose
awoke
was, were
bore
bore
beat
became
began
bent
bet
bid
bound
bit
bled
blent
blew
broke
bred
brought
broadcast
built
burst
bought
cast
caught
chose
clung
came
cost
crept
cut
dealt
dug
did
drew
drank
drove
dwelt
ate
fell
fed
felt
fought

Past
Participle
arisen
awoken
been
born
borne
beaten
become
begun
bent
bet
bid
bound
bitten
bled
blent
blown
broken
bred
brought
broadcast
built
burst
bought
cast
caught
chosen
clung
come
cost
crept
cut
dealt
dug
done
drawn
drunk
driven
dwelt
eaten
fallen
fed
felt
fought

44. find
45. fit
46. flee
47. fling
48. fly
49. forbid
50. forget
51. forgive
52. forsake
53. freeze
54. get
55. give
56. go
57. grind
58. grow
59. hang
60. have
61. hear
62. hide
63. hit
64. hold
65. hurt
66. keep
67. knit
68. know
69. lay
70. lead
71. leave
72. lend
73. let
74. lie
75. light
76. lose
77. make
78. mean
79. meet
80. mistake
81. overcome
82. pay
83. put
84. quit
85. read
86. rid
87. ride
88. ring
89. rise
90. run

finds
fits
flees
flings
flies
forbids
forgets
forgives
forsakes
freezes
gets
gives
goes
grinds
grows
hangs
has
hears
hides
hits
holds
hurts
keeps
knits
knows
lays
leads
leaves
lends
lets
lies
lights
loses
makes
means
meets
mistakes
overcomes
pays
puts
quits
reads
rids
rides
rings
rises
runs

finding
fitting
fleeing
fling
flying
forbidding
forgetting
forgiving
forsaking
freezing
getting
giving
going
grinding
growing
hanging
having
hearing
hiding
hitting
holding
hurting
keeping
knitting
knowing
laying
leading
leaving
lending
letting
lying
lighting
losing
making
meaning
meeting
mistaking
overcoming
paying
putting
quitting
reading
ridding
riding
ringing
rising
running

found
fit
fled
flung
flew
forbade
forgot
forgave
forsook
froze
got
gave
went
ground
grew
hung
had
heard
hid
hit
held
hurt
kept
knit
knew
laid
led
left
lent
let
lay
lit
lost
made
meant
met
mistook
overcame
paid
put
quit
read
rid
rode
rang
rose
ran

found
fit
fled
flung
flown
forbidden
forgotten
forgiven
forsaken
frozen
gotten
given
gone
ground
grown
hung
had
heard
hidden
hit
held
hurt
kept
knit
known
laid
led
left
lent
let
lain
lit
lost
made
meant
met
mistaken
overcome
paid
put
quit
read
rid
rode
rung
risen
run

91. say
92. see
93. seek
94. sell
95. send
96. set
97. shake
98. shed
99. shine
100. shoot
101. show
102. shrink
103. shut
104. sing
105. sink
106. sit
107. sleep
108. slide
109. sling
110. slit
111. speak
112. speed
113. spend
114. spin
115. spit
116. split
117. spread
118. spring
119. stand
120. steal
121. stick
122. sting
123. strike
124. string
125. strive
126. swear
127. swell
128. sweep
129. swim
130. swing
131. take
132. teach
133. tear
134. tell
135. think
136. throw
137. thrust

says
sees
seeks
sells
sends
sets
shakes
sheds
shines
shoots
shows
shrinks
shuts
sings
sinks
sits
sleeps
slides
slings
slits
speaks
speeds
spends
spins
spits
splits
spreads
springs
stands
steals
sticks
stings
strikes
strings
strives
swears
swells
sweeps
swims
swings
takes
teaches
tears
tells
thinks
throws
thrust

saying
seeing
seeking
selling
sending
setting
shaking
shedding
shining
shooting
showing
shrinking
shutting
singing
sinking
sitting
sleeping
sliding
slinging
slitting
speaking
speeding
spending
spinning
spitting
splitting
spreading
springing
standing
stealing
sticking
stinging
striking
stringing
striving
swearing
swelling
sweeping
swimming
swinging
taking
teaching
tearing
telling
thinking
throwing
thrusting

said
saw
sought
sold
sent
set
shook
shed
shone
shot
showed
shrank
shut
sang
sank
sat
slept
slid
slung
slit
spoke
sped
spent
spun
spit
split
spread
sprang
stood
stole
stuck
stung
struck
strung
strove
swore
swelled
swept
swam
swung
took
taught
tore
told
thought
threw
thrust

said
seen
sought
sold
sent
set
shaken
shed
shone
shot
shown
shrunk
shut
sung
sunk
sat
slept
slid
slung
slit
spoken
sped
spent
spun
spit
split
spread
sprung
stood
stolen
stuck
stung
struck
strung
striven
sworn
swollen
swept
swum
swung
taken
taught
torn
told
thought
thrown
thrust

138. undergo
139. understand
140. undertake
141. undo
142. wake
143. wear
144. weave
145. wed
146. weep
147. wet
148. win
149. wind
150. withdraw
151. withhold
152. withstand
153. wring
154. write

undergoes
undergoing
understands understanding
undertakes
undoes
wakes
wears
weaves
weds
weeps
wets
wins
winds
withdraws
withholds
withstands
wrings
writes

undertaking
undoing
waking
wearing
weaving
wedding
weeping
wetting
winning
winding
withdrawing
withholding
withstanding
wringing
writing

underwent
understood
undertook
undid
woke
wore
wove
wed
wept
wet
won
wound
withdrew
withheld
withstood
wrung
wrote

undergone
understood
undertaken
undone
woken
worn
woven
wed
wept
wet
won
wound
withdrawn
withheld
withstood
wrung
written

Present Progressive/ Present

Continuous Tense
Present progressive is also known as present continuous. The present progressive puts
emphasis on the course or duration of an action.

The present progressive is used for actions going on in the moment of speaking and for
actions taking place only for a short period of time. It is also used to express development
and actions that are arranged for the near future.
Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + verb to be (am, is, are) + verb with ending ing + complement
Negative: Subject +not + verb to be (am, is, are) + verb with ending ing + complement
Question: Verb to be+ subject + verb with ending ing + complement + ?
WH Question: WH + verb to be+ subject + verb with ending ing + complement + ?
Uses of Present Progressive:
1. Actions taking place at the moment of speaking (now)
The action is going on now.
Signal words like now, at the moment are often used to emphasize that the action is
taking place at the moment of speaking. Signal words are not really necessary,
however, as this is already expressed by the tense itself.
He is playing football.
He is not playing football.
Is he playing football?
What is he playing?

I am reading.
I am not reading.
Are you reading?
What are you reading?

2. Arrangements for the near future

In the example you can see that the tickets are already bought. So we are talking about
an arrangement for the near future.
To make clear that the action is not going on now, we usually use signal words
like tonight, tomorrow, next Friday, at noon.
I am going to the theatre tonight.
I am not going to the theatre tonight.
Are you going to the theatre?

When are you going to the theatre?

She is acting tomorrow.
She is not acting tomorrow.

Is she acting tomorrow?

Where is she acting tomorrow?

3. Actions taking place only for a limited period of time

Here we are talking about a time limit. To make clear that there is a time limit, we
usually use signal words, e.g. this week/month/year.
Jim is helping in his brother's firm
this week.
Jim is not helping in his brother's
firm this week.
Is Jim helping in his brothers firm?

Where is helping Jim this week?

I am studying French this year.
I am not studying French this year.
Are you studying French?
What are you studying this year?

4. Actions taking place around now (but not at the moment of speaking)

This action takes place around now and only for a limited period of time, but not at
the moment of speaking.
I am studying for my exams.
I am not studying for my exams.
Are you studying for your exams?
Why are you studying?

She is participating.
She is not participating.
Is she participating?
Where is she participating?

5. Development, changing situations

The sentence describes a development from one situation to another.
Signal words are not that common here, only sometimes the change of situation is
emphasized by using for example more and more.
The population is rising very fast.
The population is not rising very fast.
Is the population rising very fast?
Why is it rising very fast?

It is raining a lot.
It is not raining a lot.
Is it raining a lot?
Where is raining a lot?

NOTE: To make present or past progressive we have to use the ending ing with our verbs,
here we have some exceptions in the moment of adding it.
A single, silent e at the end of the word is dropped before ing.
come - coming
But: ee at the end of the word is not changed
agree - agreeing
The final consonant after a short, stressed vowel is doubled before ing.
sit - sitting
An ie at the end of a word becomes y before ing.
lie - lying
The letter l as final consonant after a vowel is always doubled before ing.
travel travelling
Mind: This applies only for British English; in American English there is usually only one l.

Past Progressive/ Past Continuous

Tense
The PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE is formed with the helping "to be" verb, in the past tense,
plus the present participle of the verb (with an -ing ending).
Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + verb to be in past (were, was) + verb with ending ing + complement
Negative: Subject +not + verb to be (were, was) + verb with ending ing + complement
Question: Verb to be+ subject + verb with ending ing + complement + ?
WH Question: WH + verb to be+ subject + verb with ending ing + complement + ?
1. indicates continuing action, something that was happening, going on, at some point in the
past.
I was riding my bike all day yesterday.
I was not riding my bike all day yesterday?
Were you riding your bike yesterday?
What were you doing yesterday?
Joel was being a terrible role model for his younger brother.
Joel was not being a terrible role model for his younger brotherWas he a terrible model?
Why was he a terrible model?
2. The past progressive indicates a limited duration of time and is thus a convenient way to
indicate that something took place (in the simple past) while something else was
happening.
Carlos lost his watch while he was running.
Carlos lost his watch while he was not running.
Was he running?
What did he lose while he was running?
They make a poem while the teacher was working.
They make a poem while the teacher was not working.
Was the teacher working?
What was the teacher working on?
3. The past progressive can express incomplete action.
(as opposed to the simple past, which suggests a completed action:
I slept on the couch last night)
I was sleeping on the couch when Bertie smashed through the door.
I was not sleeping on the couch when Bertie smashed through the door.

Were you sleeping when he smashed through the door?

What were you doing when he smashed through the door?
She was reading when you called.
She was not reading when you called.
Was she reading when you called?
What was she reading when you called?
4. The past progressive is also used to poke fun at or criticize an action that is sporadic but
habitual in nature:
Tashonda was always handing in late papers.
She was not handing in late papers.
Was she handing in late papers?
Why was she handing in late papers?
My father was always lecturing my brother.
My father was not lecturing my brother.
Was he lecturing him?
Why was not he lecturing him?

Personal Pronouns
Subject and Object Pronouns
Subjects are what the sentence is about
Objects are what is affected by the action of the subject.
Personal pronouns represent specific people or things. We use them depending on:

Number: singular ( I) or plural (we)

Person: 1st person (I), 2nd person (you) or 3rd person (he)
Gender: male (he), female (she) or neuter (it)
Case: subject (we) or object (us)

Object pronouns are used instead of nouns, usually because we already know what the object
is. It makes the sentence easier to read and understand and avoids repetition. We normally
use object pronouns after a verb or a preposition.

Examples
I like horses.
Horses don't like me.

Subject Pronoun
Object Pronoun

We talk to our neighbor.

She talks to us.

Subject Pronoun
Object Pronoun

They listen to the teacher. Subject Pronoun

Listen to me carefully.
Object Pronoun
You speak very quickly.
We watch them on TV.

Subject Pronoun
Object Pronoun

The Object Pronoun - it

Be careful when using 'it' as an object pronoun because it is only in the correct context that it
has meaning. It needs to have already been mentioned or obvious to the listener what you
are referring to.

You are sitting on it! (The listener probably doesn't know what the speaker refers to).
The letter is on the sofa. You are sitting on it! (It is obvious in the second sentence
that the reference is to the letter)

We use personal pronouns in place of the person or people that we are talking about.
My name is Josef but when I am talking about myself I almost always use "I" or "me", not
"Josef". When I am talking direct to you, I almost always use "you", not your name. When I
am talking about another person, says John, I may start with "John" but then use "he" or
"him". And so on.
Here are the personal pronouns, followed by some example sentences:

Personal Pronouns
Number

Person

Gender

1st

male/ female

me

2nd

male/ female

you

you

male

he

him

female

she

her

neuter

it

it

1st

male/ female

we

us

2nd

male/ female

you

you

3rd

male/ female/ neuter

they

them

Singular
3rd

Plural

Subject

Object

In each pair of the following examples, the first sentence shows a subject pronoun, the
second an object pronoun.
I like coffee.
Do you like coffee?
He runs fast
She is clever.
It doesn't work
We went home.
Do you need a table for three?
They played doubles.

John helped me.

John loves you.
Did Ram beat him?
Does Mary know her?
Can the man fix it?
Anthony drove us.
Did John and Mary beat you at doubles?
John and Mary beat them.

 When we are talking about a single thing, we almost always use it. However, there are a
few exceptions. We may sometimes refer to an animal as he/him or she/her, especially if
the animal is domesticated or a pet. Ships (and some other vessels or vehicles) as well as
some countries are often treated as female and referred to as she/her.
This is our dog Rusty. He's an Alsatian.
The Titanic was a great ship but she sank on her first voyage.
My first car was a Mini and I treated her like my wife.
Thailand has now opened her border with Cambodia.
For a single person, sometimes we don't know whether to use he or she. There are
several solutions to this:
If a teacher needs help, he or she should see the principal.
If a teacher needs help, he should see the principal.
If a teacher needs help, they should see the principal.
We often use it to introduce a remark:
It is nice to have a holiday sometimes.
It is important to dress well.
It's difficult to find a job.
Is it normal to see them together?
It didn't take long to walk here.
We also often use it to talk about the weather, temperature, time and distance:
It's raining.
It will probably be hot tomorrow.
Is it nine o'clock yet?
It's 50 kilometers from here to Cambridge.

Possessive Pronouns
We use possessive pronouns to refer to a specific person/people or thing/things (the
"antecedent") belonging to a person/people (and sometimes belonging to an animal/animals
or thing/things).
We use possessive pronouns depending on:
number: singular (mine) or plural (ours)
person: 1st person (mine), 2nd person (yours) or 3rd person (his)
gender: male (his), female (hers)
Below are the possessive pronouns, followed by some example sentences.
Notice that each possessive pronoun can be subject or object or refer to a singular or plural
antecedent.

Number Person Gender (Of "Owner") Possessive Pronouns

Singular

1st
2nd
3rd

Plural

1st
2nd
3rd

Male/ Female
Male/ Female
Male
Female
Male/ Female
Male/ Female
Male/ Female/ Neuter

Mine
Yours
His
Hers
Ours
Yours
Theirs

Look at these pictures. Mine is the big one. (subject = My picture)

I like your flowers. Do you like mine? (object = my flowers)
I looked everywhere for your key. I found John's key but I couldn't find yours. (object =
your key)
My flowers are dying. Yours are lovely. (subject = Your flowers)
All the essays were good but his was the best. (subject = his essay)
John found his passport but Mary couldn't find hers. (object = her passport)
John found his clothes but Mary couldn't find hers. (object = her clothes)
Here is your car. Ours is over there, where we left it. (subject = Our car)
Your photos are good. Ours are terrible. (subject = Our photos)
Each couple's books are colour-coded. Yours are red. (subject = Your books)
I don't like this family's garden but I like yours. (object = your garden)
These aren't John and Mary's children. Theirs have black hair. (subject = Their children)
John and Mary don't like your car. Do you like theirs? (object = their car)
Notice that the following (with apostrophe [']) do NOT exist: her's, your's, their's

 Notice that the interrogative pronoun whose can also be a possessive pronoun (an
interrogative possessive pronoun).
There was $100 on the table and Tara wondered whose it was.
This car hasn't moved for two months. Whose is it?

Possessive Adjectives
We use possessive adjectives to show who owns or "possesses" something.
The possessive adjectives are:
my, your, his, her, its, our, their
Whose (interrogative)
Warning! These are adjectives. Don't confuse them with pronouns.

Number

Person

Gender

Possessive
Adjective

1st
2nd

Male/ Female
Male/ Female
Male
Female

My
Your
His
Her

Neuter

Its

1st

Male/ Female

Our

2nd

Male/ Female

Your

Singular
3rd

Plural

3rd

Singular/Plural

1st/ 2nd/
3rd

Male/ Female/
Neuter
Male/ Female
(Not Neuter)

Their
Whose

Example Sentence
This Is My book.
I Like Your Hair.
His Name Is "John".
Her Name Is "Mary".
The Dog Is
Licking Its Paw.
We Have Sold
our House.
Your Children Are
Lovely.
The Students
Thanked Their Teacher.
Whose Phone Did You
Use?

Compare:
Your =possessive adjective
Youre = you are
Its = possessive adjective
Its = it is OR it has

Their = possessive adjective

Theyre = they are
There = adverb (I'm not going there / look
over there / there is a car outside)
Whose = possessive adjective
Whos = who is OR who has

Be careful! There is NO apostrophe (') in the possessive adjective "its".

We use an apostrophe to write the short form of "it is" or "it has". For example:
o Its raining = it is raining
o Its finished = it has finished
o I'm taking my dog to the vet. It's broken its leg.