Just like possessive nouns, possessive adjectives such as “my,” “our,” “his,” “her,” “their,” “your,” “its,” and “whose” show who or what belongs to someone or something.
Do not confuse “its” with “it’s.” “Its” shows an association or possession of a thing within itself. “It’s” is a contractionopens in new window for “it is” or “it has.” Because you should also avoid contractions in academic writing, check each instance of “it’s” in your paper to determine whether you should remove the apostrophe to make the possessive form “its” or spell “it’s” out to “it is” or “it has.”
Examples
| Possessive adjective | Example |
|---|---|
|
my |
I cannot wait to take my Hawaiian vacation next month! |
|
our |
Our new car is a hybrid. |
|
his |
Leo loves his copy of the Concise Guide to APA Style. |
|
her |
Quinta frequently says her favorite style guide is the Publication Manual. |
|
their a |
Most people think of their pets as their children. Taylor and their cats like to race around the house. |
|
your |
You can do many things with your psychology degree. |
|
its |
A good company takes care of its employees. |
|
whose |
The instructor did not know whose keys they found in the classroom. |
Note
a Review the singular “they” page for guidance and examples.
Learn more
Possessive adjectives are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Sections 4.8 and 6.11 and the Concise Guide Sections 2.8 and 5.1
