His, her, their, and its
These four are for other people, animals, and things. Picking the right one works the same way it did with he and she and it and they.
Find the owner. Then match.
| The owner | Owning word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Leo | his | Leo dropped his cup. |
| Ava | her | Ava finished her book. |
| the bird | its | The bird built its nest. |
| Ava and Leo | their | Ava and Leo rode their bikes. |
Count first
The most common slip is using a one-owner word when there is more than one owner.
“Ava and Leo rode his bikes.” is wrong. Two people own them.
“Ava and Leo rode their bikes.” is right.
Count the owners before you choose. Two or more always takes “their”.
Its is for animals and things
“The bird built its nest.”
“The tree lost its leaves.”
Neither a bird nor a tree gets “his” or “her”. Both take “its”, the same way they would take “it” in the naming part.
A pet you know well is the exception. Most people say “My dog ate her dinner.”
A mistake to watch for
Watch the owner, not the thing owned.
“Ava finished her book.” The book is not a girl. The owner is.
The owning word matches whoever owns, never the thing sitting behind it.
Your turn
Which owning word fits?
- “My brother forgot ____ lunch.”
- “The cat licked ____ paw.”
- “The girls packed ____ bags.”
Check your answers
- “his lunch”
- “its paw”
- “their bags”
Remember
- His is for one boy or man and her is for one girl or woman.
- Its is for one animal or thing.
- Their is for more than one owner.