His
'His' is a possessive determiner of 'he'. In this part, we will go through its uses and grammatical rules in English grammar.
His refers to the male animal or person. In this lesson, we will discuss when and how to use it.
1. 'His' as a Possessive Determiner
Use
His as a possessive determiner is used to modify the following noun. Here are its uses:
- His is used to show the possessions of a male animal or person. For example:
Alan is a hardworking man.
'His' is used to refer to 'Alan.'
- His can be generic. His is used to refer to a person without saying their gender. Look:
Everybody should know
'His' is generic.
- His, in some religions, is used to refer to God. Remember that His is always written with a capital 'H'. For example:
Surely
Royal 'His'
His is also used to refer to someone of a royal family, like kings, princes, dukes, etc. Take a look at the following example:
Position in a Sentence
His as a possessive determiner is used before nouns or noun phrases. Look:
'His' is used before the noun 'book.'
2. 'His' as a Possessive Pronoun
Use
His as a possessive pronoun is generally used to refer to the connections and possessions of a male person or animal. Look:
- His as a possessive pronoun is used to talk about things that a male person or animal owns. For example:
I couldn't believe that the car was
The mug with blueprints on it, is
- His is used to refer to a male person's relationships like family, friends, colleagues, etc. Have a look:
My colleagues aren't friendly, but
The first 'his' is a possessive determiner because it precedes a noun but the second 'his' is a possessive pronoun.
- His is also used to refer to body parts. Take a look at the following examples:
Normally bones heal faster, but not
'His' means 'his bones.'
He brought
The second 'his' is a possessive pronoun.
Position in a Sentence
His as a possessive pronoun replaces a noun. Remember that the verb after his agrees with the antecedent. Here are some examples:
I have brought your book, but not
'His' is an object for the verb 'bring.'
My computer works but
'His' is a subject.
'His' and the Preposition 'of'
In the structure determiner + noun + of + his, the noun becomes indefinite. This structure is used to show possession. Look:
Fred and
We do not know which sister.
Another structure is determiner + noun + of + his own. This structure emphasizes that something belongs to a male person or animal. Look:
He wants
'A pet that belongs only to him.'
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