Practice
My and mine: use possessive forms correctly
Sign in to saveThat is my book. This book is mine. Both sentences show ownership, but the word has a different job in each sentence.
Use my before a noun and mine when the noun phrase is already understood.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
My bag is here, and yours is there. /maɪ bæɡ ɪz hɪə, ən jɔːz ɪz ðeə/
The short answer
Use my before a noun. Use mine when you do not need to repeat the noun because the listener already knows what you mean.
My phone is charging. The phone on the table is mine.
Why it works: My comes before phone. Mine replaces my phone after the noun has been named.
5 more examples
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My jacket is by the door.
My introduces the noun jacket and shows that the jacket belongs to the speaker.
Not this:The jacket by the door
is mine. What changes: Mine replaces my jacket because the jacket is already identified. -
My parents live near the station.
My can come before a plural noun as well as a singular noun.
Not this:Those seats
are mine. What changes: Mine can refer to more than one thing when the context makes the noun clear. -
This is my answer to the question.
Answer is the noun, so my comes before it.
Not this:Her answer is short, but
mine is detailed. What changes: Mine means my answer and avoids repeating answer. -
My brother brought a map.
My can introduce a person who is connected with the speaker.
Not this:The map on the desk
is mine. What changes: Mine refers to the map after the map has been named. -
My turn starts after lunch.
My comes before the noun turn.
Not this:Your turn is now.
Mine is later. What changes: Mine means my turn in the second sentence.
Read the full guide
Look at the word after the gap. If a noun follows, use my. If the noun has already appeared and the sentence needs a word for something belonging to you, use mine. This small check solves most choices between the two forms.
Choose the form by its job
Both words show that something belongs to the speaker. The useful question is whether the sentence needs a noun after the possessive word. My introduces that noun. Mine replaces a noun phrase that the listener already knows.
My ticket is in my pocket. The ticket in my pocket is mine.
My comes before ticket and pocket. Mine replaces my ticket in the second sentence.
Put my before a noun
Use my before a singular or plural noun. The noun can name a person, a thing, a place, or an idea. My tells the listener whose person or thing you mean.
My appointment is at three o'clock.
Appointment is the noun, so my belongs before it.
Which word fits before the noun passport: my or mine?
Use my: My passport is in the drawer. Passport is the noun after the word.
Use mine instead of my plus a noun
Use mine when the thing has already been named or is obvious in the situation. Mine can finish a sentence because it already means my plus the noun. It does not need another noun after it.
This umbrella is mine.
Mine means my umbrella. Do not say mine umbrella because mine already replaces that phrase.
Complete the sentence: These gloves are ___.
Use mine: These gloves are mine. Gloves has already been named.
Compare two people's things
Mine is especially useful when you compare ownership. Name the first thing, then use mine for the speaker's matching thing. This keeps the comparison short and clear.
Your desk is beside the window, but mine is near the door.
Mine means my desk. The word desk does not need to appear again.
Her idea is practical, and mine is different.
Avoid the common form mistakes
Do not put mine directly before a noun. Use my notebook, not mine notebook. Also avoid my is in a sentence about ownership. Say The notebook is mine, because mine is the possessive pronoun.
My notebook is blue. The blue notebook is mine.
Mine notebook is blue is incorrect. Use My notebook is blue.
Before you go
Remember this
Use my before a noun: my bag, my friends, or my plan. Use mine when that noun phrase is already understood: The bag is mine. Check whether a noun follows the word before you choose.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "My and mine: use possessive forms correctly"
What is the difference between my and mine?
My comes before a noun, as in my jacket or my parents. Mine replaces my plus a noun when the noun is already clear, as in The jacket is mine or Those seats are mine.
My jacket is by the door.
Can mine come before a noun?
No. Mine already replaces a possessive noun phrase, so it does not introduce a new noun. Say my answer before a noun, but say The answer is mine after the answer has been named.
The jacket by the door is mine.
How do I know whether to use my or mine?
Look at the next word. If a noun follows, use my. If the noun is already understood and the sentence needs a possessive word on its own, use mine. The comparison My turn starts later. Mine is later shows both uses.
My parents live near the station.
Can mine refer to more than one thing?
Yes. Mine can refer to a singular or plural noun when the context makes that noun clear. For example, Those seats are mine means those are my seats. The form mine does not change for plural nouns.
Those seats are mine.
What does a friend of mine mean?
A friend of mine means one of my friends. Here, mine follows of as part of a fixed possessive pattern. It differs from Mine is on the next page, where mine replaces a whole noun phrase by itself.
This is my answer to the question.