Mines or Mine? Full Explanation (With Examples)

When using possessive pronouns like “theirs” and “hers,” things seem pretty standard. We add “-s” to the end of “their” or “her,” respectively. However, the same rules do not apply when using the possessive pronoun “mine,” and this article will explore how to use it correctly.

Should I Use “Mines” Or “Mine”?

“Mine” is correct when we want to write the possessive pronoun form. It is both a singular and plural concept, so it’s important only to use it in this way. “Mines” is grammatically incorrect as a pronoun, and it only works to talk about the plural form of “a mine.”

To help you understand more about the singular and plural forms, you can refer to the following:

• Singular: This book is mine.
• Plural: These books are mine.

As you can see, while the form of “book” changes based on the singular or plural instance, “mine” stays standard throughout. There is never a need to change “mine” to “mines” when multiple instances are being spoken about.

The only reason anyone might question it is that they do not have a full grasp of the English language. It’s not correct to use, and it’s not something you’ll find native speakers using whenever writing possessive pronouns.

Is It “It Is Mine” Or “It Is Mines”?

Now that we’ve explained the basics of “mine” as a pronoun, the rest of this article should be easy for you. It might help to look at some phrases a bit more specifically, though.

“It is mine” is correct every single time. There are no cases where “it is mines” is correct to use.

While “mines” isn’t a correct pronoun form, it also confuses the whole reason why some people make a mistake in the first place. Since some people think “mines” is the plural of “mine,” they would be better off using “these are mines” instead of “it is mines.”

However, we are not encouraging either of those phrases in English. Instead, you should only stick to “it is mine.” It is the only way that the possessive pronoun for “me” works.

No matter what form we write in, “mine” is right:

• It is mine.
• These are mine.
• Those are mine.
• This is mine.

When Should I Use “Mine”?

“Mine” is correct every time that we want to own an object in the sentence. If the original pronoun refers to “me” or “I,” then we need the possessive pronoun of “mine” when we want to show that the thing belongs to us.

This is fairly common in English, and it’s usually written as a reflexive word to answer someone’s question.

For example:

• Who’s house is that?
• That house is mine.

As you can see, we might answer someone by announcing our ownership with a pronoun like this.

Examples Of How To Use “Mine” In A Sentence

Some of these examples should help you out with it:

1. That isn’t mine, and I don’t want to hear any more about it.
2. Whatever that is, I want it to be mine! Thank you!
3. You are not mine anymore, so you are free to do whatever you want.
4. Will you be mine? I’ve loved you since I was a little girl, and I think it’s time I asked.
5. That book is mine! I’d appreciate it if you keep your paws off it.
6. That’s not mine! I don’t know who told you it was, but I can promise I do not own anything like that.
7. My secret is mine and mine alone. I will not let anybody else know about it.

“Mine” is a possessive pronoun. We usually write it alongside an object that we want to claim ownership of. This shows the readers that something is possessed by “me” or “I,” and it helps to highlight who owns what.

When Should I Use “Mines”?

For the purposes of this article, “mines” is incorrect as a pronoun. You should never add an “-s” to the end of the correct pronoun form “mine.” However, that doesn’t mean “mines” is always incorrect.

“Mines” is only correct to talk about the plural of “a mine.” This can refer to a hole in the ground that people can dig inside of or a bomb that is laid on the ground in warzones. However, as a pronoun, “mines” is never correct.

The definition of “a mine,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a hole or system of holes in the ground where substances such as coal, metal, and salt are removed.”

As you can see, we only use “mines” as the plural form of the noun “a mine.” There’s no reason to use it as a pronoun.

Examples Of How To Use “Mines” In A Sentence

While “mines” might not be correct as a pronoun, we’ll still include some examples of when you are likely to hear it.

1. I like to visit the mines during my holiday time.
2. The mines have been closed for the summer while the workers cool off.
3. I have seen a few of those mines being disposed of.

However, it might also be wise to look at the following examples when referring to the pronoun form so you can make sure not to use “mines” incorrectly:

• Correct: It is mine, and I will not let anybody else have it.
• Incorrect: You are not mines anymore, so I cannot tell you what to do.
• Correct: What’s mine is yours, my darling.
• Incorrect: This isn’t mines. Sorry that you came all this way for no reason.

“Mines” is only correct as the plural form of the noun “mine.” It has no relation to the pronoun “mine,” so you must not use it in this case.

Is “Mine” Singular Or Plural?

“Mine” is neither singular nor plural. Any possessive pronouns are used to talk about a collective of owned items. Someone can own one item (singular) or multiple items (plural). However, since there is only one “me,” it is always written in the same form.

Some people may argue that “mine” is singular because only one person can be “me.” However, there is no way to specifically define whether pronouns are singular or plural, which is why we do not define them in this manner.

Is “Mines” The Plural Of “Mine”?

“Mines” is the plural of “mine” when it’s used as a noun. As we’ve stated, this means it refers to either a hole in the ground or a bomb. If you are using it as a pronoun, then “mines” is not the plural of “mine.”

Again, there is never a reason to pluralize a pronoun in this manner. There is only one instance of “me” per person, so we do not need to have multiple “me’s.”

Is It Ever Correct To Use “Mine’s”?

Some people argue that the contracted form “mine’s” is correct. However, we need to make sure we know the rules surrounding this before we use it.

“Mine’s” is only correct when used informally. It is the contracted form of “mine is,” and there is no reason why it is not acceptable. However, because contraction rules are stricter with formal writing, it’s best to avoid using it in these cases.

Still, here are some informal examples to show you how “mine’s” does work:

• I like your artwork, but mine’s better.
• Mine’s the one on the left. Can you tell?

Is It Correct To Say “It Is Mine’s”?

While “mine’s” is correct as a contracted form, it is not correct in any other case. Therefore, “it is mine’s” is never correct to say. You should avoid using it.

Using “it is mine’s” would translate into the following:

• It is mine is.

As you can see, this sentence makes no sense! That’s why you should not use it.

In the interest of full disclosure, there is one situation where you might find “it is mine’s” to be correct. However, this only applies if you have a character in a novel named “Mine” and that character owns something important.

• It is Mine’s.

As you can see, though, if we write “Mine” as a name, it must always be capitalized. It is never correct to use “mine’s” if it is the pronoun form.

Can I Use “It Is My” Instead Of “It Is Mine”?

“It is my” is not correct. “My” is not a possessive pronoun, but the phrase “it is” implies that something is being possessed by “me.” That’s why it’s always correct to use “it is mine” and never correct to use “it is my.”

To help you remember that, you can refer to the following examples:

• Correct: It is mine, and I would thank you not to look at it any longer.
• Incorrect: It is my. But I’m glad you showed such an interest in it.
• Correct: This house is mine, and I’m really glad that you could show me to the door.
• Incorrect: That food is my. Please do not touch it because I’m really precious about my food.

Is It “Mines Too” Or “Mine Too”?

Finally, there’s one more example that we haven’t touched on. When adding “too” to the end of a possessive pronoun, it shows that we are agreeing with someone else about our possessive state.

The rules do not change in these cases. “Mine too” is the only correct way to agree with someone. “Mines too” is incorrect, so you should avoid using it in any case.