Possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives are both used to indicate possession, but they function differently in a sentence.
Possessive Adjectives:
Function: Possessive adjectives modify nouns to show ownership or possession.
Examples of Possessive Adjectives:
This is my book.
Can I borrow your pen?
She is reading his newspaper.
List of Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her, its, our, their
In these examples, “my”, “your”, and “his” are possessive adjectives because they describe and modify the nouns “book”, “pen” and “newspaper” respectively.
Possessive Pronouns:
Function: Possessive pronouns replace nouns and indicate ownership without needing a following noun.
Examples of Possessive Pronouns:
The book is mine.
Is this pen yours?
I can see that newspaper, but where is his?
List of Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs
In these examples, “mine”, “yours” and “his” are possessive pronouns because they stand alone and replace the nouns they refer to.
To summarize, possessive adjectives modify nouns, while possessive pronouns replace nouns. The choice between them depends on whether you are describing a noun (adjective) or replacing it (pronoun) to indicate possession.