My and His or Mine and His? Correct Grammar Explained

When you are talking about something that belongs to two people, phrases such as “my and his” and “mine and his” can feel confusing.

Both may sound understandable in conversation, but they do not work the same way grammatically. Choosing the right expression depends largely on what comes after the possessive words.

The good news is that the rule is fairly simple once you understand the difference between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns.

This guide explains my and his or mine and his, shows when each form is appropriate, gives practical examples, and clears up several common mistakes so you can use possessive expressions confidently.

Quick Answer: My and His or Mine and His?

Use “my and his” when a noun comes after the phrase.

• My and his opinions were different.
• My and his parents attended the meeting.

Use “mine and his” when the nouns are omitted because the possession is already understood.

• The decision was mine and his.
• That responsibility is mine and his.

However, in many situations, a more natural construction is to use “his and my” before a noun, especially in polished writing.

• His and my opinions were different.

The key is that my normally modifies a noun, while mine stands alone.

What Does “My” Mean?

My is a possessive determiner, sometimes called a possessive adjective in traditional grammar. It shows that something belongs to or is associated with the speaker.

The important point is that my usually needs a noun after it.

Examples:

• my book
• my car
• my opinion
• my brother
• my responsibility

So if you say:

My opinion is different.

The word my describes the noun opinion.

This is why “my and his” can appear before a noun:

My and his opinions were completely different.

However, many speakers find “his and my opinions” more natural and smoother.

What Does “Mine” Mean?

Mine is a possessive pronoun. Unlike my, it does not normally need a noun immediately after it.

Compare:

• This is my book.
• This book is mine.

The noun book follows my, but it is omitted after mine because the meaning is already clear.

The same distinction applies when comparing your possession with someone else’s:

The responsibility is mine and his.

Here, mine and his function independently because the noun is understood.

You would not normally say:

mine book

Instead, say:

my book

This simple distinction explains much of the confusion surrounding my and his or mine and his.

My and His Before a Noun

When the possessive expression is followed by a noun, my is generally the form you need.

For example:

• My and his project was successful.
• My and his plans are different.
• My and his parents met yesterday.
• My and his responsibilities were clearly defined.

However, there is an important style consideration. Although “my and his” can be understood, native speakers often prefer placing his before my:

His and my project was successful.

Even better, depending on the sentence, you can rewrite it:

Our project was successful.

When two people share ownership, our is often the clearest and most natural choice.

Mine and His When the Noun Is Omitted

Use mine and his when you are comparing possessions or responsibilities without repeating the noun.

Examples:

• The final decision was mine and his.
• The responsibility is mine and his.
• The choice was mine and his to make.
• The victory was mine and his.

Here, the nouns are understood from context.

For example:

Sarah’s opinion was different from mine and his.

The word opinions is understood even though it is not repeated.

A more natural version in some contexts would be:

Sarah’s opinion was different from his and mine.

This is particularly common because “his and mine” follows a familiar possessive-pronoun pattern.

My and His vs. Mine and His: Comparison Table

Expression	Grammatical role	Usually followed by a noun?	Example
my	Possessive determiner	Yes	my idea
mine	Possessive pronoun	No	The idea is mine
his	Possessive determiner/pronoun	Sometimes	his idea / The idea is his
my and his	Possessive phrase	Usually yes	my and his ideas
mine and his	Possessive-pronoun phrase	No	The ideas are mine and his
his and my	Possessive phrase	Usually yes	his and my ideas
his and mine	Possessive-pronoun phrase	No	The ideas are his and mine

Why “His and My” Often Sounds Better

Although my and his can be understood, many speakers prefer his and my when both possessives come before a noun.

For example:

This can sound more natural than:

There is also a broader convention in English of placing another person’s reference before your own in coordinated expressions.

However, the best solution is sometimes to avoid the awkward combination altogether:

This is shorter, clearer, and more natural if both people share the same relationship or possession.

When to Use “Our” Instead

If something belongs jointly to you and another person, our is usually preferable.

Instead of:

say:

Instead of:

you could say:

However, mine and his can be useful when you specifically want to emphasize that two individual people have separate claims or ownership.

For example:

Here, the distinction between the two people’s proposals matters.

Common Mistakes With My, Mine, and His

One common mistake is using mine directly before a noun.:

Another mistake is using my by itself when a possessive pronoun is required.

Incorrect:

The car is my.

Correct:

The car is mine.

A third mistake occurs when people automatically use my and his even when the noun has been omitted.

Less natural:

The responsibility is my and his.

Correct:

The responsibility is mine and his.

Remember:

my + noun

mine + no noun

My and His or Mine and His in Questions

The same principle applies to questions.

Before a noun:

More naturally:

When the noun is omitted:

The exact choice depends on whether the noun is stated or understood.

Examples in Everyday English

Here are practical examples that show the difference clearly.

Before a noun

• His and my children attend the same school.
• His and my ideas were included in the report.
• His and my schedules conflict.
• His and my responsibilities are different.

Without a noun

• That responsibility is his and mine.
• The decision was his and mine.
• The seats are his and mine.
• That problem is mine and his.

Using “our” instead

• Our children attend the same school.
• Our ideas were included in the report.
• Our schedules conflict.
• Our responsibility is to finish the work.

American vs. British English Differences

There is no major American-versus-British English difference in the basic distinction between my and mine.

Both varieties use:

• my + noun
• mine when the noun is omitted

For example:

This is my phone.

This phone is mine.

The main difference is more likely to be style and naturalness rather than grammar. In both American and British English, speakers may prefer a simpler construction such as our when two people share something.

British English can sometimes have slightly different preferences in possessive and collective constructions, but the basic rule remains the same.

How to Remember the Rule

A simple memory trick can make this distinction much easier:

If the noun is present, think “my.”

my book
my idea
my responsibility

If the noun is absent, think “mine.”

The book is mine.
The idea is mine.
The responsibility is mine.

Then apply the same idea when another person’s possession is mentioned:

my and his + noun

mine and his without the noun

In polished writing, consider whether his and my or ours would sound more natural.

Which Is More Natural: “My and His” or “Mine and His”?

Neither expression should automatically be chosen simply because it sounds familiar. The surrounding sentence determines the correct form.

If a noun follows, my and his can work, although his and my is often smoother:

His and my opinions differed.

If there is no noun after the possessive expression, use mine and his:

The opinions were mine and his.

If you mean joint ownership, consider:

Our opinions were different.

The most effective writers do not just follow grammar rules—they also choose the construction that makes the sentence easiest to understand.

Final Summary

The difference between my and his or mine and his comes down primarily to whether a noun follows the possessive expression.

My normally appears before a noun, while mine normally stands alone. Therefore, you can use my and his opinions when the noun opinions follows, but you would use mine and his when the noun is understood rather than stated.

In natural English, however, context matters. His and my may sound smoother than my and his before a noun, while his and mine or mine and his works when the noun is omitted.

If two people share something, our or ours is often the simplest option. Learning these patterns will help you avoid possessive pronoun mistakes and make your everyday and formal writing sound more natural.

Actionable Takeaway

Before choosing my or mine, look at what comes next:

• Noun follows → use “my.”
• No noun follows → use “mine.”
• Another person’s possession is included → add “his” appropriately.
• Joint possession → consider “our” or “ours.”
• For polished writing → consider whether “his and my” sounds more natural than “my and his.”

FAQs About My and His or Mine and His

1. Is “my and his” grammatically correct?

It can be grammatically acceptable when it modifies a noun, but “his and my” often sounds more natural. For example, “his and my opinions” is generally smoother.

2. Is “mine and his” correct?

Yes. Mine and his can be correct when the noun is omitted and understood from context, as in “The decision was mine and his.”

3. Should I say “my and his” or “his and my”?

When a noun follows, both may be understandable, but his and my often sounds more natural in standard English.

4. Should I say “mine and his” or “his and mine”?

Both can work when the noun is omitted. The order often depends on emphasis and style. His and mine is a particularly natural-sounding option in many contexts.

5. Can I replace “mine and his” with “ours”?

Yes, when the thing belongs jointly to both people. For example, “The house is ours” is simpler than “The house is mine and his.”

6. What is the difference between “my” and “mine”?

My normally comes before a noun, while mine is used without the noun. Compare “my book” with “the book is mine.”

7. Is “mine book” correct English?

No. In standard English, use my book, not mine book.

8. Does American English use different rules from British English?

No major difference exists in this basic rule. Both American and British English distinguish my from mine in essentially the same way.

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