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Possesive Adjectives

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Possesive Adjectives

Uploaded by

jesus Avalos Sosa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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POSSESIVE ADJECTIVES

Possessive adjectives are used to show possession or ownership of something. While we use them
when we refer to people, it is more in the sense of relationship than ownership.
The possessive adjectives in English are as follows:

The possessive adjective needs to agree with the possessor and not with the thing that is
possessed.
Examples
● My car is very old.
● Her boyfriend is very friendly.
● Our dog is black.
● Their homework is on the table.
Like all adjectives in English, they are always located directly in front of the noun they refer to.
(Possessive Adjective + Noun)
We do not include an S to the adjective when the noun is plural like in many other languages.
Examples:
● Our cars are expensive. (Correct)
● Ours cars are expensive. (Incorrect)
However, the verb that is used needs to be in agreement with the noun - if the noun is singular then
the verb is singular; if the noun is plural then the verb is plural.
Examples:
● My pen is black. (Singular)
● My pens are black. (Plural)
● Our child is intelligent. (Singular)
● Our children are intelligent. (Plural)

Its vs. It's


Be careful not to confuse its and it's.
Its = The possessive adjective for It.
It's = a contraction of it is.
The Rules:
We normally use the ’s with people, animals though it can also be used with
places, organizations and companies (which suggest a group of people).
It is not common to use the ’s with non-living things.

1. Singular nouns
add 's (apostrophe S)
● My mother’s house is next to the beach. (= the house of my mother)
● Jason’s car was stolen last night. (= the car of Jason)
● Tomorrow, we’re all going to see the museum’s new art exhibit.

2. Plural nouns ending in –s


only add the apostrophe ' (without the S)
● The two sisters’ house is next to mine. (= the house of the two sisters)
● The plumbers’ tools were rusty. (= the tools of the plumbers)
● The players’ boots were dirty and smelly after the game. (= the boots of
the players)
Notice that the pronunciation is the same for certain possessives:
● My friend’s house = the house of my friend = 1 friend
● My friends’ house = the house of my friends = 2 or more friends
You can usually distinguish whether the speaker is referring to one or two friends
by listening to the context of what the speaker says.

3. Plural nouns not ending in –s:


add 's
● Be careful not to trip over the children’s toys. (= the toys of the children)
● The women’s bathroom is currently flooded with water.
● The presidential candidate is often called the people’s favorite politician.

4. Singular noun ending in –s:


It depends…
a. Most names: add 's (apostrophe S)
● They had a really good time at James’s barbecue last Friday.
● We spent the day admiring Frances’s new car.
b. Classical or religious names: add ' (only the apostrophe)
● Jesus’ disciples carried out the teachings of Jesus.
● Sophocles’ plays are still performed today.

5. Possessive nouns as part of a phrase


Sometimes more than one word/noun is a possessive. The same rules as above
are still valid:
● The King of Sparta’s wife was called Helen.
● The President of Chile’s speech was very long.
● I accidentally took someone else’s bag home by mistake.
● I had to give my boss three weeks’ notice that I was leaving the company.
If there are two owners of something, we add 's to the final name:
● Rick and Steve’s car is quite old.
But, if each person owns a car, then add 's to both names:
● Rick’s and Steve’s cars are quite old.
Notice how the verb is in plural form.

6. No Noun
If the meaning is clear, we can use the possessive without a noun after it.
● Her hair is longer than Jill’s. (= Jill’s hair)
● We ate at Billy’s last night. (= Billy’s Diner or Billy’s house)
● Whose bag is this? It’s Jane’s. (= Jane’s bag)

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/nouns_articles/apostrophe_s.htm

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