There are lots of English words that seem very unique and at times confusing to use. One of these words includes “her’s or hers”. You will be wondering if it right to say, “The book is hers” or to say, The book is her’s”. In this article, I will explain the two.
One thing I want you to understand about the English language is that no one is a master of all, there are times that you have to check the dictionary to confirm the exact spelling or meaning of a word before using it.
So don’t feel bad if you find it difficult to differentiate the two. In this article, I will explain these two words and help you understand how to use them with respect to the right context.
Her’s or Hers
Hers:
Hers is derived from the pronoun “her”. It indicates ownership for a lady, woman or feminine in general. The “s” comes when it is in the third person singular feminine possessive pronoun.
Examples:
- The book belongs to her; it is hers.
- Even if I tell you to take the novel, she won’t approve of it because it’s hers.
- I’ve met a lot of intelligent ladies, but hers is exceptional.
- These cars are hers. OMG, are you surprised? Her husband got more at that park.
Read this: Judgement or Judgment (Which is correct?)
Her’s or Hers
Her’s:
Although the “‘s” indicates possession, in this context, “her’s” is wrong. There is no definition for it, meaning that it is incorrect.
Examples:
- What if the book is her’s. (Incorrect)
- Using her’s as a possessive pronoun is what I don’t understand. (Incorrect).
- All the clothes you find in that wardrobe are her’s. (Incorrect)
Her’s or Hers: How to remember:
The first and easiest way to remember the difference is to know that possessive pronouns have “s” added to their end, to show ownership. Some examples include Mine, hers, his, theirs etc.
The second way to remember is to know that its only proper nouns that have an “‘s” to indicate ownership. For instance, David’s car, Danny’s chair, Landlord’s house. All these are indications of ownership with proper nouns, but pronouns don’t have “‘s” following it to show ownership.
Read this: Lense or Lens (Which is Correct)?
Quiz:
- Although its Aunty Jamie’s car, her daughter says that the car is __________ too.
- Ada has a book, the book is ___________
- Even if you ask the lady to sign her signature and she neglects, you can’t get it because the signature is_________
- What more can I say, what is _________ is _____________ you can’t take it away.
- The man asked if the laptop was ________________ before he took it.
Answers:
- hers
- hers
- hers
- hers, hers
- hers
Final tips:
Apostrophe and “s” play a major role in ownership, especially in proper nouns. It indicates that something belongs to you or to someone else. Other forms of possessive pronouns include His, theirs, ours etc.
Awesome one, I hope this article answered tour question.
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