my

Meanings

1. 1determinerbefore a noun

   Belonging to or connected with the person who is speaking or writing.

   Grammar: Always comes before a noun: my car, my idea. It cannot stand alone; use mine instead: That car is mine.

   Patterns

   • my + noun

   I left my keys on the kitchen table.

   My sister lives in Chicago.

   This is my third time visiting London.

2. 2determinerfixed phraseinformal

   Used in phrases that express surprise, annoyance, or strong feeling.

   Grammar: Used in exclamations like 'My goodness!' or 'Oh my!' to show emotion, not possession.

   Patterns

   • my goodness
   • oh my
   • my word

   My goodness, you've grown so tall!

   Oh my, that was a close call.

Common combinations

my own

I want to start my own business someday.

in my opinion

In my opinion, the movie was too long.

my pleasure

"Thanks for your help." "My pleasure."

my apologies

My apologies for the late reply.

Synonyms and how they differ

mine

Mine replaces 'my + noun' and stands alone: This book is mine, not 'This book is my'.

the

Use 'the' when the listener already knows which thing you mean; 'my' specifically marks it as belonging to you.

Word family

mine pronoun

The possessive pronoun that stands alone: That bag is mine.

myself pronoun

Reflexive form: I hurt myself.

I pronoun

The subject pronoun for the speaker: I am ready.

me pronoun

The object pronoun for the speaker: She called me.

Commonly confused: my or mine?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “my”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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