His and Her vs. His and Hers – Which is Correct?
Use “his and her” before nouns, as in “his and her passports.” Use “his and hers” when the possessive stands alone, as in “The passports are his and hers.” Both expressions are correct; the choice depends on whether a noun follows. “His” can work either way, while “her” becomes “hers” independently.
his and her or his and hers – Which is Correct?
Both “his and her” and “his and hers” are correct, but they serve different grammatical purposes. Use “his and her” before nouns: “They packed his and her bags.” Use “his and hers” when the possessive expression stands alone: “These bags are his and hers.”
The key difference is that her is a possessive determiner that must normally come before a noun, while hers is a possessive pronoun that replaces a noun phrase. His has the same form as both a determiner and a pronoun.
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the noun-following test: if a noun comes immediately after the expression, choose “his and her”. If no noun follows and the expression means “belonging to him and belonging to her,” choose “his and hers.”
Compare these examples:
- Before nouns: “They compared his and her schedules.”
- Standing alone: “The schedules are his and hers.”
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| his and her | Possessive determiners | Belonging to him and to her before stated nouns | His and her coats were hanging by the door. |
| his and hers | Possessive pronouns | Belonging to him and to her without repeating the nouns | The coats are his and hers. |
How to Use his and her
“His and her” is used before one or more nouns to identify two people’s possessions, characteristics, relationships, or actions. In this phrase, his modifies a noun associated with a male person, and her modifies a noun associated with a female person. The phrase is standard in both formal and casual English.
The nouns do not need to be identical. For example, “his and her opinions” uses one shared plural noun, while “his office and her studio” uses separate nouns.
Example 1: The guide described his and her responsibilities clearly.
Example 2: His and her wedding photographs were displayed in the gallery.
Example 3: The manager reviewed his and her applications separately.
What are the different forms of his and her?
These expressions do not have verb tenses, plural forms, or comparative forms. Their form depends on whether a noun follows. Use his and her before nouns: “his jacket” and “her jacket.” When the possessive stands alone, use his and hers: “The jacket is his” and “The jacket is hers.”
Etymology of the words his and her
His comes from Old English his, an early possessive form associated with the masculine pronoun. Her developed from Old English forms related to the feminine pronoun, while hers emerged later as an independent possessive form. Modern English preserves the distinction between her before a noun and hers when no noun follows.
How to Use his and hers
“His and hers” is used when the possessive idea is complete without a following noun. It normally refers to two objects or ideas: one belonging to him and the other belonging to her. This construction is common in statements such as “The tickets are his and hers.”
It can also appear as a label or descriptive phrase, especially for paired products. Expressions such as “his-and-hers towels” are sometimes used informally in advertising, although “matching towels for him and her” may sound more neutral.
Example 1: The two umbrellas by the entrance are his and hers.
Example 2: The winning essays were his and hers, not the other team’s.
Example 3: The store displayed a selection of his-and-hers watches.
What are the different forms of his and hers?
Like his and her, his and hers has no tense or degree forms. The important distinction is grammatical: his and hers function independently and replace nouns that are understood from context. For example, “The bicycles are his and hers” means “The bicycles belong to him and to her.”
Etymology of the words his and hers
His has roots in Old English and has retained a relatively stable form over time. Hers developed from her plus an added possessive ending, following the pattern of independent possessive pronouns such as ours and theirs. The final -s helps distinguish hers from the determiner her.
Related Concepts
Understanding possessive determiners and possessive pronouns makes the difference between these expressions much easier to recognize.
- Possessive determiners: Words such as my, your, his, and her come before nouns: “her book” or “his car.”
- Possessive pronouns: Words such as mine, yours, his, and hers stand in place of nouns: “The book is hers.”
- Ellipsis: English often omits a repeated noun when its meaning is clear. In “The blue coat is hers,” hers replaces “her coat.”
- Gender-neutral possessives: When the owners are a group or their genders are unknown, their and theirs may be more appropriate than “his and her” or “his and hers.”
Examples from Media and Literature
These examples show how the distinction works in familiar media, literary, and everyday contexts:
- Literary description: “His and her letters were found together in the old desk.” The phrase comes before the noun letters, so her is correct.
- Film or television dialogue: “Those seats are his and hers.” The noun is understood rather than repeated, so hers is required.
- News writing: “The report examined his and her roles in the organization.” Both possessive determiners modify the noun roles.
- Advertising: “His-and-hers watches” is a conventional marketing phrase for coordinated products designed or marketed for two people.
- Everyday conversation: “The keys on the counter are his and hers.” The phrase identifies ownership without repeating the word keys.
his and her Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| their | A gender-neutral possessive determiner used before a noun when referring to two or more people. |
| the two people’s | A longer phrase meaning that something belongs to both specified people. |
| belonging to him and her | A direct phrase that explains ownership explicitly. |
his and hers Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| theirs | A gender-neutral possessive pronoun meaning that something belongs to them. |
| belonging to both of them | An explicit phrase describing shared or individually assigned ownership. |
| the two people’s | A noun-based possessive alternative that identifies the owners directly. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “his and her” grammatically correct?
Yes. Use “his and her” when both possessive words come before a noun, as in “his and her children” or “his and her opinions.”
Question 2: Is “his and hers” grammatically correct?
Yes. Use “his and hers” when the possessive expression stands alone, as in “The jackets are his and hers.” Here, hers replaces the phrase “her jacket.”
Question 3: Should I write “his and her car” or “his and hers car”?
Write “his and her car” when one car belongs to both people or when the phrase is modifying car. “His and hers car” is not standard in this construction. For two separate cars, write “his car and her car” or “his and her cars,” depending on the intended meaning.
Conclusion
Both “his and her” and “his and hers” are correct. Choose his and her before a noun, such as “his and her documents,” and choose his and hers when the possessive stands alone, such as “The documents are his and hers.” Pro Tip: Applying this distinction consistently in professional writing demonstrates careful grammar and strengthens your credibility.
