Sengkang Primary 3 English tuition should help students distinguish possessive determiners such as my, your, our, their from possessive pronouns such as mine, yours, ours, theirs.
This rebuilt legacy URL now owns one distinct P3 English job: owner → noun present/omitted → possessive determiner/pronoun → agreement → reference. Old 2020 class-opening claims, stale Sengkang-centre wording, invalid phone numbers and result promises have been removed.
eduKateSG does not claim a current Sengkang branch. Current centres are at 83 Punggol Central, Singapore 828761 and 8 Fourth Avenue, Singapore 268674. Selected Primary English classes run in focused 3-pax small groups, typically 1.5 hours.
The Direct Answer
Possessive determiners come before a noun:
- my book;
- your bag;
- his pencil;
- her folder;
- our classroom;
- their project.
Possessive pronouns stand without the noun:
- The book is mine.
- The bag is yours.
- The pencil is his.
- The folder is hers.
- The classroom is ours.
- The project is theirs.
If the noun is written immediately after the possessive word, use the determiner form; if the noun is already understood and omitted, use the pronoun form.
My vs Mine
“This is my book.”
“This book is mine.”
Do not write: “This is mine book.”
Your vs Yours
“Is this your bag?”
“Is this bag yours?”
The meaning is similar, but the grammar changes according to whether bag appears after the possessive.
Our vs Ours
“This is our classroom.”
“The classroom is ours.”
Their vs Theirs
“Those are their books.”
“Those books are theirs.”
Do not add an apostrophe: their’s and your’s are incorrect in standard school English.
His Is Special
His can function both before a noun and independently:
“That is his bag.”
“That bag is his.”
The form does not change.
Her vs Hers
“This is her pencil.”
“This pencil is hers.”
Her also has another job as an object pronoun:
“I spoke to her.”
Students should use sentence position to identify the role.
Its
“The dog wagged its tail.”
Its is a possessive determiner with no apostrophe.
It’s means it is or it has, which belongs to the separate apostrophe/contraction system.
Worked Example: Avoiding Repetition
Repetitive:
“My pencil is blue. Your pencil is red. Her pencil is green.”
Natural:
“My pencil is blue, yours is red, and hers is green.”
The possessive pronouns prevent unnecessary noun repetition while keeping ownership clear.
The Noun-After Test
Look immediately after the possessive word.
If a noun follows:
my/your/his/her/its/our/their.
If the noun is omitted because it is already understood:
mine/yours/his/hers/ours/theirs.
The Expansion Test
“This bag is mine.”
Expand:
“This is my bag.”
If the expanded sentence works, the relationship is clear.
Worked Example: Editing
Weak: “That umbrella is her.”
Repair: “That umbrella is hers.”
Why? No noun follows the possessive form.
Worked Example: Their/There/They’re
“Their classroom is upstairs.” = possession.
“The classroom is over there.” = place.
“They’re in the classroom.” = they are.
Only their belongs to the possessive system.
Possessive Pronouns and Reference
“Mira and Lina brought their bags. Mira’s was blue; Lina’s was red.”
Possessive structures can refer to ownership even when the noun is omitted.
Plural Owners
“The students brought their books.”
“The books are theirs.”
The pronoun agrees with the owners, not with the number of objects owned.
One Owner, Several Objects
“Mira packed her books.”
Even though books is plural, her remains singular-owner reference because the owner is Mira.
Possessive Determiners vs Apostrophe Possessives
“Mira’s book” and “her book” can refer to the same ownership relation, but the grammar differs.
Mira’s is a possessive noun form; her is a possessive determiner.
Possessive Pronouns in Answers
Question: “Whose bag is this?”
Possible answers:
“It is mine.”
“It is Mira’s.”
“It is my bag.”
All express possession with different structures.
P3 Context
MOE’s Primary English Language Syllabus 2020 develops grammar as a resource for clear reference and cohesion. Possessive determiners and pronouns help P3 students track ownership without unnecessary repetition. Official reference: MOE English Language Syllabus 2020 Primary.
Common Possessive-Form Failure Modes
| Symptom | Issue | Repair |
|---|---|---|
| mine book | Pronoun used before noun | Use my book |
| bag is her | Determiner used alone | Use hers |
| your’s/their’s | False apostrophe | Use yours/theirs |
| its/it’s mixed | Possession/contraction confused | Expand “it is” |
| Owner/object number confused | Reference unclear | Match form to owner |
Why Three Students Helps
Students can describe the same set of objects using full noun phrases, possessive determiners and possessive pronouns. The tutor checks whether ownership remains clear after the noun is omitted.
When Sengkang Primary 3 Families May Consider This Support
- My/mine and her/hers are mixed.
- Your’s/their’s errors recur.
- Its/it’s is unstable.
- Writing repeats the same owned noun too often.
What Progress Should Look Like
A stronger P3 learner can identify the owner, decide whether the noun is present or omitted and choose the possessive determiner or pronoun that preserves clear reference.
Independent location notice: eduKateSG does not claim a current Sengkang branch. Current centres: 83 Punggol Central, Singapore 828761 and 8 Fourth Avenue, Singapore 268674. Contact +65 8823 1234.