Possessive Pronouns vs Possessive Determiners 

Possessive determiners and Possessive pronouns are two grammatical concepts that often get sketchy to distinguish. Either because they are both possessives, or speakers tend to experience difficulties in distinguishing between both concepts.

Unlike demonstrative determiners and demonstrative pronouns, possessive determiners and possessive pronouns do not share the same structural composition, hence the misrepresentation of both concepts are at a minimal rate compared to that of demonstrative determiners and demonstrative pronouns.

See: Demonstrative Pronouns vs Demonstrative Determiners

Possessives

Possessives are words that are used to indicate possession. They signify ownership of objects in a sentence or structure. They are divided into two classes namely; Possessive Pronouns and Possessive Determiners.

Possessive Pronouns 

Possessive Pronouns are pronouns that indicate possession, standing as subjects or objects within a sentence. They replace nouns which form the antecedents as every other pronouns do. Examples of Possessive Pronouns include; Mine, Yours, Ours, Theirs, His, Hers, etc.,.

Functional examples in sentences

1. Mine is a gold eagle.

2. Yours is a deflated balloon.

3. The book is its.

4. That dog is tougher than theirs.

5. The decision is not ours. 

So, possessive pronouns are pronouns that indicate possession acting as nouns either in the subject or object position of a sentence.

Possessive Determiners 

Possessive Determiners are determiners that indicate possession by way of specifying the object of ownership. As opposed to pronouns which refer to objects of ownership already known, hence their replacement, Possessive Determiners specify the object of ownership. Examples include; My, Your, Their, Our, His, Her, etc.,. 

Functional examples in sentences;

1. My book is coloured.

2. Her lips are sparkling.

3. Their house appeals to me.

4. Our goal is to be successful.

5. His attitude inspires me.

The above examples illustrate that possessive determiners, as modifiers, specify the nominal (noun) objects of ownership such that they can not be mistaken for something else. What possessive pronouns do is to replace the objects of ownership which becomes the antecedent, and functions as nouns in subject and object positions of sentences respectively.