Possessive pronoun with apostrophe

Possessive pronouns already show ownership, so they never take an apostrophe. Common slips-your's, her's, mine's, and the its/it's mix-up-are easy to fix with a couple of quick checks and a few rewrite templates.

Quick answer

Possessive pronouns never take an apostrophe. Use yours, hers, his, mine, ours, theirs, its (note: it's with an apostrophe is a contraction of it is / it has).

Use an apostrophe only for contractions (it's = it is / it has) or for possessive nouns (Maria's book).
If you see an apostrophe on a pronoun, remove it: your's → yours, her's → hers.
Test its vs it's by expanding: can you read it as "it is"/"it has"? If so, use it's; if not, use its.

Core rule: possessive pronouns vs possessive nouns

Possessive pronouns replace nouns and show ownership: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs. Because the pronoun itself indicates possession, do not add an apostrophe.

Possessive nouns (names or things) form possession with an apostrophe + s or s + apostrophe: Maria's book, the teachers' lounge. Keep pronouns and nouns distinct.

Pronouns (no apostrophe): mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs.
Nouns (use apostrophe): the manager's desk, the company's policy.
Wrong: The decision is her's.
Right: The decision is hers.
Wrong: That's John's, not mine's.
Right: That's John's, not mine.

Why people add the apostrophe (and how to stop)

Two common causes: overgeneralizing the noun possessive rule (John's) to pronouns, and confusing contractions with possessives (it's vs its). Break the habit with a simple pause-and-check.

Pause: Is the word a pronoun or a noun? If it's a pronoun, drop the apostrophe.
Expand test: If the word might be a contraction, try reading it as "it is" or "it has." If that fits, keep the apostrophe.

Wrong: Their's was the best idea.
Right: Theirs was the best idea.

Special case: its vs it's (the most common real confusion)

it's (with apostrophe) = it is or it has. its (no apostrophe) = possessive pronoun. The fastest check: try to expand it's to "it is" or "it has."

If expansion works, use it's. If it doesn't and the word shows possession, use its.
Use it's only for contractions; use its for possession.
Quick examples: Wrong: The company changed it's policy.
Right: The company changed its policy.
Wrong: Its been a long day.
Right: It's been a long day.

Real usage by context: work, school, casual (copy-ready fixes)

In professional writing the error looks careless; in school it can cost points; in casual chat it's common but still wrong. Below are grouped wrong/right pairs you can paste directly.

Work - Wrong: The slides are your's - please update them.
Right: The slides are yours - please update them.
Work - Wrong: Please send her's to me by noon.
Right: Please send hers to me by noon.
Work - Wrong: Is that your's or mine?
Right: Is that yours or mine?
School - Wrong: Her's received full marks for research.
Right: Hers received full marks for research.
School - Wrong: Ours' answer was incomplete.
Right: Our answer was incomplete. (Better: Our answer was incomplete.)
Casual - Wrong: That photo is mine's - save it!
Right: That photo is mine - save it!
Casual - Wrong: I think your's is over there.
Right: I think yours is over there.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just the phrase. Context usually makes the correct form obvious.

Examples bank: quick wrong → right pairs to copy

Short pairs for emails, comments, or assignments. Remove any apostrophe on a possessive pronoun.

Wrong: Their's the red one.
Right: Theirs is the red one.
Wrong: Her's the final draft.
Right: Hers is the final draft.
Wrong: Is this your's or mine?
Right: Is this yours or mine?
Wrong: Its' cover is damaged.
Right: Its cover is damaged.
Wrong: Mine's was better.
Right: Mine was better.
Wrong: Ours's is on the table.
Right: Ours is on the table.
Wrong: Your's book is here.
Right: Your book is here.
Wrong: This one is her's.
Right: This one is hers.

Rewrite help: templates and quick rewrite examples

Often the minimal fix is removing the apostrophe. If the sentence is awkward, pick a natural alternative.

Templates: "X is yours." | "This belongs to her." | "The report is his."
When clarity matters, use a name or "belongs to": "Maria's notebook" or "the notebook belongs to Maria."

Rewrite:
Wrong: The laptop is her's. Minimal fix: The laptop is hers.
Alternative: The laptop belongs to her.
Rewrite:
Wrong: Is that your's or mine? Minimal fix: Is that yours or mine?
Alternative: Which one is yours?
Rewrite:
Wrong: That's mine's to keep. Minimal fix: That's mine to keep.
Alternative: I'll keep that one.

Memory tricks, hyphenation and spacing notes

Mnemonic: "Pronouns = no apostrophe." For its/it's, use the "expand to 'it is'" test. Apostrophes stick to the word-no spaces. Hyphens are unrelated and should not be used inside pronouns.

No spaces: write yours (not your 's), it's (not it 's).
No hyphens inside pronouns: don't write mine- or mine-'s.
If replacing the pronoun with a noun phrase (Maria's) improves clarity, prefer the noun phrase.

Grammar note: possessive pronouns vs possessive adjectives

Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs) stand alone and replace a noun. Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, our, their) modify a noun. Neither group uses an apostrophe.

Possessive adjective (before a noun): my, your, his, her, our, their.
Possessive pronoun (stand-alone): yours, mine, his, hers, ours, theirs.
Wrong: Your's book is here.
Right: Your book is here.
Wrong: This one is her's.
Right: This one is hers.

FAQ

Is it ever correct to write your's or her's?

No. Possessive pronouns never take an apostrophe. Use yours, hers, his, mine, ours, theirs. The only similar case with an apostrophe is it's (contraction).

How do I decide between its and it's?

Try to expand to "it is" or "it has." If the expansion keeps the meaning, use it's. If not and the word shows possession, use its.

Can I add an apostrophe to make a pronoun plural or possessive?

No. Pronouns already indicate number and possession. Do not add apostrophes to make them plural or possessive.

Will grammar checkers catch these mistakes?

Many checkers flag obvious apostrophes on possessive pronouns, but context can fool them. Use the expansion test and a quick read-aloud for best results.

What's the fastest way to fix a sentence I'm unsure about?

Checklist: (1) Is the word a pronoun (mine, yours, hers)? If yes, remove any apostrophe. (2) For its/it's, try expanding to "it is." (3) If still unclear, rewrite with a name or "belongs to."

Need a quick proofread?

Paste one sentence into an editor or run it through a checker and follow the quick checklist above. If you want, paste a sentence here and get a minimal correction plus one natural rewrite.