my, your, his, her

Whose is it? The four little words that let a child claim a toy, share a crayon and introduce the whole family.

From age 4Cambridge level: Pre-A1 Starters

Age: Ages 4–11
Level: Pre-A1
Skill: Grammar
Format: Teacher guide

The pattern

Saying it: my ball / your ball / his ball / her ball
Saying no: It is not my ball.
Asking: Is it your ball?
Short answer: Yes, it's my ball.

Printable worksheet Presentation (PPT)

Sentences a child can say

Tap any sentence to hear it. Every one uses words from a topic pack you already have.

Mini exercise: choose the right word

Five sentences from this page, each with a word missing. A child taps the word that fits and, once it is right, hears the whole sentence.

It is blank ball.
blank car is red.
blank doll is small.
blank cat is black.
Open blank book.

What you will actually hear

The mistakes that come up in every class, and what is behind each one, with a tag on those a first language makes typical.

Her name is Tom.His name is Tom.

His/her is chosen by the OWNER, not the thing. The most common possessive slip in the world — fix it gently and often.

This is the my book.This is my book.

My already does the article's job — English never stacks the two.

How to teach it

1
Steal a toy (theatrically). 'MY bear!' — hand it back — 'YOUR bear!' Possessives are born in tiny property disputes.
2
Bring family photos. 'My mom. My dad.' Then point at a classmate's photo: 'HIS mom, HER dad.' The switch to third person happens on real faces.
3
Play the lost-property office: pile up pencils and shoes, hold each up — 'Is it your shoe? No? Is it HER shoe?' Ten minutes of laughing drills all four words.

Topic packs that pair with this

Same structure, words your class already knows — no new vocabulary needed.

Family Toys & fun School Clothes Pets

Questions teachers ask

My students mix up his and her constantly. Is that normal?

Completely — many languages choose the possessive by the thing owned, not the owner, so the habit transfers. It fades with faces, not with rules: always practise on real people and photos.

When do its, our and their come?

A term later. Four owners is a full plate for a four-year-old; our arrives naturally with class projects ('our poster'), and their with stories.