Your vs You’re: Possessive Adjective or “You Are”?

Your comes before something connected with “you”. You’re always expands to you are.

Your: possession or connection

• Is this your notebook?
• Please check your email.
• Your pronunciation is improving.

Your is a possessive determiner, so it normally comes before a noun or noun phrase.

You’re: you are

• You’re ready. = You are ready.
• I think you’re making progress. = I think you are making progress.

The substitution test

Read the sentence with you are. If it works, use you’re. If it produces nonsense, use your when possession is intended.

Please bring you are passport. does not work, so the correct phrase is your passport.

Common professional error

Fast emails often contain phrases such as Your welcome. The intended meaning is You’re welcome because the full expression is You are welcome.

Quick practice

1. ___ lesson starts at six.
2. ___ doing very well.
3. I like ___ new idea.
4. ___ welcome to ask questions.

Answers: Your; You’re; your; You’re.