What Are Possessive Adjectives?
Possessive adjectives are small but powerful words. They tell us who owns something or who belongs to whom. In English, the core possessive adjectives are: my, your, his, her, our, and their. These words always come before a noun — before a person, a thing, or a place. You cannot use them alone. They need a noun right after them.
When we talk about family members and their jobs, possessive adjectives are absolutely fundamental. Think about it. How do you say "annem doktor"? You say "My mother is a doctor." Simple. Clean. Essential. Without possessive adjectives, you cannot properly introduce your family in English. You cannot describe what they do. Mastering these words opens the door to countless conversations — at school, at work, with new friends, everywhere.
Why Learn This?
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Use possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, our, their) correctly before family nouns
- Name at least ten common family members in English
- Describe what your family members do for work using simple sentences
- Introduce your family to others in natural, everyday conversation
- Avoid the most common errors Turkish learners make with his and her
- Understand short dialogues about families and occupations
Essential Vocabulary
my - Belongs to me — used when I talk about something or someone that is mine
your - Belongs to you — used when speaking directly to one person or a group
his - Belongs to him — used for a male person (boy or man)
her - Belongs to her — used for a female person (girl or woman)
our - Belongs to us — used when two or more people share something together
their - Belongs to them — used for a group of people (more than one)
mother - A female parent — the woman who raised you
father - A male parent — the man who raised you
brother - A male sibling — a boy or man who shares the same parents as you
sister - A female sibling — a girl or woman who shares the same parents as you
doctor - A person who works in medicine and helps sick people get better
teacher - A person who works at a school and helps students learn
engineer - A person who designs, builds, or works with machines and technology
nurse - A trained healthcare worker who cares for patients in hospitals or clinics
driver - A person whose job involves driving a vehicle such as a bus, taxi, or truck
Pronunciation Guide
my - /maɪ/ - Rhymes with "fly" and "sky" — one clear syllable
your - /jɔːr/ - Rhymes with "more" and "door" — one smooth syllable
his - /hɪz/ - The "s" sounds like a "z" at the end — short and sharp
her - /hɜːr/ - The vowel sound is like "bird" or "word" — stress on this one syllable
our - /aʊər/ - Often sounds like "are" in fast speech — one or two syllables depending on speaker
their - /ðer/ - Identical in sound to "there" and "they are" — do not confuse in writing
mother - /ˈmʌð.ər/ - Stress on the first syllable — the "th" is voiced, like in "the"
father - /ˈfɑː.ðər/ - Stress on the first syllable — again, a voiced "th" sound
brother - /ˈbrʌð.ər/ - Stress on the first syllable — same voiced "th" as mother and father
sister - /ˈsɪs.tər/ - Stress on the first syllable — clean and crisp
engineer - /ˌen.dʒɪˈnɪər/ - Main stress on the final syllable — three syllables total
Grammar Structure
Core Rule: A possessive adjective always comes before a noun. It never stands alone. It never changes based on the noun that follows it.
Positive Sentence:
Question Form:
Critical Point: In English, his and her follow the gender of the owner, not the thing owned. This is the opposite of Turkish. Always. No exceptions.
When To Use
Introducing Your Own Family
- Use my when you talk about your own relatives to someone else
- Use it when describing what your family members do professionally
- Use it when answering questions like "Tell me about your family"
Talking About Someone Else's Family
- Use his when the owner of the family member is male — a boy or man
- Use her when the owner is female — a girl or woman
- Use their when talking about a family that belongs to two or more people
Asking About Family Members
- Use your when asking someone directly about their relatives
- Use it in polite questions: "What does your father do?"
- Use it in class activities: "Tell the class about your family."
Group or Shared Family
- Use our when speaking together as a family unit: "Our grandmother is a retired nurse."
- Use their when describing another family: "Their parents are both engineers."
Example Sentences
- "My mother is a doctor. She works at a big hospital."
- "My father is a teacher. He teaches mathematics at a high school."
- "Her sister is a nurse. Her sister works long hours every day."
- "His brother is an engineer. He designs buildings."
- "Their grandmother is a retired teacher. She lives with them."
- "Your father is a driver? That is interesting!"
- "Our uncle is a doctor. We are very proud of him."
- "My sister is a student. She studies at university."
- "His mother is a nurse and his father is an engineer."
- "Her parents are both teachers. Their school is near our house."
- "What does your brother do? — He is a driver."
- "My grandmother does not work. She is retired."
Mini Dialogues
Lena: — Tell me about your family. What does your father do?
Tom: — My father is a teacher. He teaches English at a primary school.
Lena: — Oh, that is great! And your mother?
Tom: — My mother is a nurse. She works at the city hospital.
Lena: — Wow. Your parents have very important jobs!
Tom: — Yes, I am very proud of them. What about your family?
Sara: — Who is that man over there?
Ali: — That is my uncle. His name is David.
Sara: — What does he do?
Ali: — He is an engineer. His wife is a doctor.
Sara: — And their children? What do they do?
Ali: — Their son is a student. Their daughter is a teacher.
Mark: — Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Julia: — Yes! I have one brother and one sister.
Mark: — What do they do?
Julia: — My brother is a driver. He drives a bus in the city. My sister is a doctor.
Mark: — A bus driver and a doctor — very different jobs!
Julia: — Yes! Our family is very diverse. I love it.
Correct vs. Incorrect Usage
Practical Tips
- The HIS/HER Rule: Always look at the person who owns the family member — not the family member itself. Ali has a sister? That is his sister. Zeynep has a brother? That is her brother. Gender of the owner. Always.
- A vs. An: Use an before jobs that start with a vowel sound — an engineer, an artist, an actor. Use a before all other jobs — a doctor, a teacher, a nurse. Simple pattern. Practice it daily.
- Build Your Own Family Tree: Draw your family on paper. Write each person's name and job in English. Add the correct possessive adjective. Review it every morning. Five minutes. Remarkable results.
- Their vs. There: These words sound identical. Completely. But their spelling is different and their meaning is worlds apart. Their = belonging to them. There = a place or location. Write both ten times to internalize the difference.
- Practice With Photos: Take a photo of your family. Point to each person and say: "This is my mother. Her name is... She is a..." Out loud. Every time. Speaking activates memory in ways that reading alone cannot.
- Our vs. My: When you talk to a family member about your shared family, use our. When you talk to a stranger about your family, use my. Context determines the choice.
Alternative Expressions
Alternative Ways to Say "What is your job?":
Alternative Words for Family Members:
Alternative Ways to Describe Jobs:
Cultural Notes
Asking About Jobs Is Normal: In English-speaking cultures, asking about someone's job is a common and accepted form of small talk — especially when meeting new people. It is not considered rude or too personal. Questions like "What do you do?" or "What does your husband do?" are standard conversation starters at social events. Comfortable. Natural. Expected.
Mom and Dad vs. Mother and Father: In everyday British and American speech, people almost always say "mom" or "dad" rather than "mother" or "father." The longer forms sound formal — sometimes even cold. When introducing your parents to others, however, "my mother" and "my father" are perfectly appropriate and slightly more respectful in tone.
Family Structures Vary: Modern English-speaking families come in many forms. Not every family has a mother, father, brother, and sister in the traditional sense. You may hear people say "my stepdad," "my half-sister," "my guardian," or simply "the person who raised me." Being aware of this diversity will help you understand authentic English conversations and avoid making assumptions about others' families.