Which of the following sentences contains a Possessive Determiner?

Question

Which of the following sentences contains a Possessive Determiner?

1. A. Several of the proposed solutions were rejected due to impracticality.
2. B. Every solution has advantages and disadvantages, but some are more feasible than others.
3. C. Few students understood the complexity of such philosophical arguments.
4. D. They were proud of their achievements in the international competition. (Correct answer)

Correct Answer

Option D — They were proud of their achievements in the international competition.

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is They were proud of their achievements in the international competition..

Key Points

• A possessive determiner (also called a possessive adjective) is a word placed before a noun to show ownership: my, your, his, her, its, our, their.
• In option (D), the word 'their' comes before the noun 'achievements' and shows possession — their achievements — so this sentence contains a possessive determiner.
• The other options do not: 'Several of…', 'Every solution…' and 'Few students…' use quantifiers/determiners of quantity (several, every, few), not possessives.
• distinguish possessive determiners (their, our, my), which sit before a noun, from possessive pronouns (theirs, ours, mine), which stand alone and replace the noun.

Exam Tip

• scan each option for the words my/your/his/her/its/our/their immediately followed by a noun — that is the quickest way to identify a possessive determiner.