Page 194 - Basic English Usage

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252 possessives with determiners (a friend of mine, etc)

We cannot put a possessive together with another determiner before a
noun. We can say my friend, Ann’s friend, a friend or that friend, but
not a my friend or that Ann’s friend.

|
| determiner + noun + of + possessive

That policeman is a friend of mine.
Here’s that friend of yours.
| met another boyfriend of Lucy’s yesterday.
He’s a cousin of the Queen’s.
Have you heard this new idea of the boss’s?

253 possessives: my and mine, etc

My, your, his, her, its, one’s, our and their are determiners (see 96). In
grammars and dictionaries they are often called ‘possessive adjectives’.
That's my watch.
We cannot use my, your etc together with other determiners (for
example a, the, this). You cannot say a my friend or the my car or
this my house. (For the structure a friend of mine, see 252.)
Don't confuse its (possessive) and it’s (= it is/has).
‘We've got a new cat.’ ‘What's its name?’ ‘It’s called Polly.’

Mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs are pronouns.
That watch is mine. - Which car is yours?
We do not use articles with mine etc.
Can | borrow your keys? | can't find mine.
the
(NOT tear Hine mine-)
We can use whose as a determiner (like my) or as a pronoun (like mine).
Whose bag is that? Whose is that bag?

After a plural possessive, we do not usually use a singular word to
express a plural meaning.
The teacher told the children to open their books.
(NOT ... te-epentheirbeek-)