his
his — adjective
1. used before a noun to show that a man, boy, or male animal that was already ment
used before a noun to show that a man, boy, or male animal that was already mentioned owns or is connected with that thing
João left his jacket on the back of the chair before he sat down.
his + concrete noun showing ownership
The old ginger cat spends most of his day sleeping by the fireplace.
his + time noun for a male animal
Michael handed his ticket to the inspector before boarding the train.
Imran asked the barber to trim his beard a little shorter than usual.
The young boy held his mother's hand tightly in the busy supermarket.
- her
used for a female instead of a male possessor
文法句型
his + noun
常見錯誤
2. used before a noun to show that something belongs to or is connected with a pers
used before a noun to show that something belongs to or is connected with a person whose gender is not known or not important
Every student must bring his own laptop to the examination room.
gender-neutral formal possessive in a rule
When Walid applied for the teaching post, the application form asked each candidate to list his qualifications.
concrete job-application scenario with gender-neutral his
Before the marathon began, Meera watched as each runner checked his watch near the starting line.
A doctor must keep his medical knowledge up to date through regular training.
- their
modern gender-neutral possessive; much more common than 'his' in contemporary English
- his or her
explicitly includes both genders; used in formal writing but considered wordy
文法句型
his + noun (gender unknown)
用法筆記
This use of 'his' as a gender-neutral possessive has become less common. In modern English, 'their' is now preferred in most situations. This form still appears in older texts, formal documents, and legal writing.
常見錯誤
3. used before a noun that names an action to show who performs that action or who
used before a noun that names an action to show who performs that action or who receives it
His arrival at his cousin's wedding reception made several guests turn and stare.
his + action noun (agent — he arrived)
The local newspaper reported his release from the hospital this morning.
his + action noun (object — he was released)
The whole family celebrated his acceptance into the music programme last week.
The board of directors announced his appointment as the new head of research.
文法句型
his + action noun
用法筆記
The same pattern can mean two different things. 'His help' can mean help that he gives (he is the agent) or help that he receives (he is the object). The exact meaning depends on the context and the specific noun.
常見錯誤
his — pronoun
1. the item or items owned by a male person or animal already talked about, used wi
the item or items owned by a male person or animal already talked about, used without repeating the name of the thing
My phone is charging on the desk — his is in the bag.
possessive pronoun standing alone as subject
Gabriel's handwriting is quite neat, but his is even tidier than that.
Those leather gloves on the table are his, not mine.
My suitcase has a blue ribbon tied to it; his has a green strap instead.
- hers
possessive pronoun for a female possessor
文法句型
[noun] + is/are + his
用法筆記
Unlike the determiner form (which must be followed by a noun), the pronoun form 'his' stands alone. Compare: 'This is his coat' (determiner + noun) versus 'This coat is his' (pronoun, no noun after it).