Ampersand Lab

Foundation grammar · Lesson 61 · A1

Whose is this? It's mine/yours/hers etc.

Use mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs in place of a possessive and a noun, and use whose to ask who something belongs to.

Start the lesson

14Steps · about 22 minutes

In this lesson

my and mine, our and oursA2 screens of questions
With a noun, or without oneB2 screens of questions
a friend of mine, some friends of yoursC2 screens of questions
Whose ... ?D2 screens of questions

Point A of 4

my and mine, our and ours

Each person has two forms. The first goes in front of a noun. The second stands on its own.

+ noun without a noun
I my mine
we our ours
you your yours
he his his
she her hers
they their theirs

There is no apostrophe in yours, hers, ours or theirs.

  • It's my ticket. It's mine.
  • It's our table. It's ours.
  • It's your coat. It's yours.
  • It's his phone. It's his.
  • It's her bag. It's hers.
  • It's their dog. It's theirs.

Point A · Exercise 61.1 · part 1 of 2

Finish each sentence with mine, yours, his, hers, ours or theirs.

  1. Example

    It's your umbrella. It's yours.

    AnswerIt's your umbrella. It's yours.

  2. It's my phone. It's .

  3. It's our flat. It's .

  4. They're her keys. They're .

  5. It's their dog. It's .

Point A · Exercise 61.1 · part 2 of 2

Finish each sentence with mine, yours, his, hers, ours or theirs.

  1. They're your gloves. They're .

  2. They're my boots. They're .

  3. It's his bike. It's .

Point B of 4

With a noun, or without one

Use my, your, her, our, their with a noun after them: my feet, your car.

Use mine, yours, hers, ours, theirs with no noun. The noun has already been mentioned, so there is no need to say it twice.

his works both ways, with a noun or without one.

  • My feet are wet.
  • Is this your pen?
  • Lucy lent me her bike.
  • It's their mess, not our mess.
  • Is this coffee mine or yours?
  • I forgot my scarf, so Lucy lent me hers.
  • It's their mess, not ours.
  • We came by bus and they came in theirs.
  • "Is this his sandwich or hers?" "It's his."

Point B · Exercise 61.2 · part 1 of 2

Choose the right word for each gap.

  1. Example

    It's their (their / theirs) fault, not ours (our / ours).

    AnswerIt's their fault, not ours.

  2. That's a lovely scarf. Is it (your / yours)?

  3. That isn't (my / mine) coat. (My / Mine) is green.

  4. Whose keys are these? (Your / Yours) or (my / mine)?

  5. Jodie is going to the match with (her / hers) brother on Saturday.

Point B · Exercise 61.2 · part 2 of 2

Choose the right word for each gap.

  1. (Our / Ours) garden is smaller than (their / theirs).

  2. Our neighbours have got three cats, but I can never remember (their / theirs) names.

  3. Can I borrow your charger? (My / Mine) is at home.

Point C of 4

a friend of mine, some friends of yours

Say a friend of mine, a friend of his, some friends of ours and so on.

The form after of is mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs. It is never me, him, you or them: not a friend of me.

  • I'm having lunch with a friend of mine.
  • Jack came with a friend of his.
  • Are those women friends of yours?

Point C · Exercise 61.3 · part 1 of 2

Finish the sentences. Use friend of mine, friends of yours and so on.

  1. Example

    I went to the football with a friend of mine.

    AnswerI went to the football with a friend of mine.

  2. Example

    They stayed in Whitby with some friends of theirs.

    AnswerThey stayed in Whitby with some friends of theirs.

  3. Megan is having lunch with a friend .

  4. We went to a concert with some .

  5. I went swimming with a .

  6. Gareth is going to the pub with a .

Point C · Exercise 61.3 · part 2 of 2

Finish the sentences. Use friend of mine, friends of yours and so on.

  1. Who are those people at the door? Are they ?

Point D of 4

Whose ... ?

Use whose to ask who something belongs to. Whose phone is this? means: is it your phone? his phone? her phone?

You can use whose with a noun or without one, if the thing is in front of you.

  • Whose phone is this?
  • Whose jacket is this? Whose is this? It's mine.
  • Whose socks are these? Whose are these? They're Ryan's.

Point D · Exercise 61.4 · part 1 of 2

Read each scene. Write the question with whose, and the answer.

  1. Example

    A man points at a white van outside a house. He asks a woman. She points at the couple standing by the front door.

    "Whose van is this?" "It's theirs."

    AnswerWhose van is this? It's theirs.

  2. A man finds a red scarf on a chair in a cafe. He asks a woman. She points at her friend, another woman, who is putting her coat on.

    " is this?" "It's ."

  3. A man holds up a pair of gloves. A woman reaches out for them, pointing at herself.

    " these?" "They ."

  4. A woman holds up a cake tin and asks a man. He points at an older man standing behind him.

    "?" "."

  5. A boy holds up a pair of trainers in a changing room. Two girls point at themselves.

    "?" "."

Point D · Exercise 61.4 · part 2 of 2

Read each scene. Write the question with whose, and the answer.

  1. A woman holds up a pile of books and asks two boys. The boys point back at her.

    "?" "."

Lesson 61 · Result

How you did

Next lesson: I/me/my/mineBack to the course

–Right

Each point

A. my and mine, our and ours–Not checkedB. With a noun, or without one–Not checkedC. a friend of mine, some friends of yours–Not checkedD. Whose ... ?–Not checked