Whose is it? Possessive ’s and mine, yours, hers
Short answer: Add ’s to a name to show who owns something: Mia’s bag. Mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs stand alone: The bag is mine. Whose asks who owns something: Whose bag is this? Do not confuse whose with who’s, which means who is.
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At a glance
| Idea | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| owner is a name | name + ’s | Mia’s bag |
| ask who owns | Whose + noun | Whose bag is this? |
| stands alone | mine, yours, his, hers | It is mine. |
In short
- Add 's to a name: Mia's bag.
- mine, yours, his, hers stand on their own.
- Whose asks about owning.
What is the rule for “Whose is it? Mia's, mine and yours”?
The rule
Add 's to a name to show who has something. Mine, yours, his and hers stand on their own.
How it looks
Mia's bag · Whose bag is this? · It's mine. · It's hers.
What it means
whose asks who owns something.
When to use it
Use them to show who has something.
How it works
- Put the owner first: Mia’s bag, my dad’s car.
- Use ’s with one owner. For more than one owner ending in s, add only an apostrophe: the boys’ room.
- Use mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs when the noun is not repeated: This bag is hers.
- Ask with Whose: Whose pen is this?
Examples of “Whose is it? Mia's, mine and yours”
- This is my dad's car.
's shows who has the car: my dad. - Is this your book?
The answer: Yes, it's mine. - That doll is Lan's.
Lan's stands alone: that doll is Lan's. - It is hers.
hers = her doll. It stands alone. - That is Lan’s coat.
’s shows that the coat belongs to Lan. - Whose shoes are these?
whose asks who owns the shoes. - The red pen is mine.
mine stands alone. - The blue one is yours.
yours stands alone.
Common mistakes with “Whose is it? Mia's, mine and yours”
the bag Mia→ Mia's bag
The owner comes first: Mia's bag.It's my.→ It's mine.
On its own we say mine.Who's bag?→ Whose bag?
Whose asks about owning.Who’s book is this?→ Whose book is this?
Whose asks about owning. Who’s means who is.This is the car of my dad.→ This is my dad’s car.
With people, English usually uses ’s.
Exceptions: watch out
- my and mine
my goes before a noun: my bag. mine stands alone: The bag is mine.
Whose, who’s and who is
These look and sound alike, but they are not the same word.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| whose | who owns | Whose bag is this? |
| who’s | who is | Who’s that girl? |
| who is | full form | Who is that girl? |
See also: my, your, his, her and me, him, them
Check yourself
- Make it with ’s: “the bag of Mia”
Show the answer
Mia’s bag The owner comes first.
- Fill the gap: “That book is ___.” (my)
Show the answer
mine Mine stands alone.
- Choose: “Who’s” or “Whose” pen is this?
Show the answer
Whose Whose asks about owning.
How to practice “Whose is it? Mia's, mine and yours”
The interactive version adds step-by-step help, spoken instructions and a quick check. One rule card, one sound lesson and the first lesson of every stone are free to try; the rest is part of Full Access. See Full Access.
- Practice lesson: Whose is it? Mia's, mine and yours
Questions
Can I use ’s with things, such as “the table’s leg”?
It is better to say the leg of the table. Use ’s mainly for people and animals.
What about names ending in s, such as James?
Both James’s car and James’ car are used. Choose one and be consistent.
Is “mine” the same as “my”?
No. My goes before a noun: my bag. Mine stands alone: The bag is mine.
More Sentence Building rules
- Subject + Verb: A sentence needs someone or something (the subject) and a verb: Birds fly.
- Verbs can have an object: Some verbs can have an object: the person or thing that gets the action.
- Present simple: I, you, we, they: For things we do again and again, and for likes, use the plain action word with I, you, we and they.
- Present simple: he, she, it + -s: With he, she, it or one name, the action word usually adds -s.
- Negatives: not with be and can: To say no with am, is, are or can, add not: I am not, she isn't, they aren't, it can't.
- Negatives: don't and doesn't: To say no with an action word, use don't or doesn't and then the plain action word.
Used in these writing topics
Part of the 📘 Grammar tool. Level G2: Sentence Building. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.
Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.
Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30