Word: His

Pronunciation

/ˈhɪz/

Definitions

• Pronoun (possessive): Used to indicate that something belongs to or is connected with a male person or animal previously mentioned or easily identified. For example: “The man sat on his chair.”
  • Example sentence: “John couldn’t find his keys this morning.”
• Pronoun (genitive): Referring to a non-binary individual whose gender identity is unknown or irrelevant, sometimes used in place of ‘their’. For example: “The student forgot to bring their book; however, they realized his mistake later.”
  • Example sentence: “The author dedicated his latest novel to his mentor.”

Phrases

• “His and hers”: A phrase used to differentiate possessions between a male and a female couple, e.g., “We have his and hers towels in the bathroom.”
• “In his own words”: Meaning to quote or paraphrase someone using the exact terms they used themselves.
  • Example: “Let’s hear it from him in his own words.”

Example Sentences

• Possessive Pronoun: “Tom took off his coat after arriving home.”
• Genitive Pronoun: “The CEO presented his vision for the company’s future.”

Synonyms

• Its (when referring to possession by a single, known entity)
• Their (in some cases where gender neutrality is preferred)

Please note that ‘his’ does not have other parts of speech such as noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc., and its usage is primarily confined to being a possessive or genitive pronoun.