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 4First words →
✏️ 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.
🗣️ Sentences a child can say
Tap any sentence to hear it. Every one uses words from a topic pack you already have.
🩹 What you will actually hear
The three mistakes that come up in every class, and what is behind each one.
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.
💬 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.