Definition:
our can be used to mean 'of or belonging to us' as an adjective. It is usually used before a noun.
Rules:
rules and use cases associated with the word when used as an adjective often involve the use of a possessive adjective like 'my,' 'your,' or 'their,' and the corresponding possessive pronoun, such as 'we' and 'ours.'
Examples:
1. We brought our books to the library.
2. Our car is red.
3. Our house is the one with the purple shutters.
Tips:
As an adjective, it can be used to indicate something that belongs to 'us,' but the 'us' might not be the speaker/writer and one other person. For example, 'our team' implies all the members of a team, or 'our classroom' can refer to all the students in the class. Additionally, it’s important to note that while 'our' implies ownership or belonging, it does not indicate a certain level of possession or security. For example, one might say 'our house' when the house is actually rented, not owned.
Definition:
our is a possessive pronoun used to indicate that something belongs to us, or to refer to a group to which the speaker or writer belongs. It is the possessive singular form of we.
Rules:
rules and use cases associated with the word when used as a noun often involve the use of a possessive adjective like 'my,' 'your,' or 'their,' and the use of the corresponding possessive pronoun, such as 'we' and 'ours.'
Examples:
1. Our cat always greets us when we arrive home
2. Our house is the tallest in the neighborhood.
3. Our family enjoys going to the beach together.
Tips:
while the pronoun 'our' often implies the speaker/writer and at least one other person (the 'other' in 'our'), it can also imply a larger group or collective. Examples would be 'our government,' 'our nation,' or 'our community,' which would be referring to the government, nation, or community as a whole.