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Grammatik
Nouns and determiners A1 A2

Possession

Use 's, of, my, mine, and related forms to show ownership and relationships.

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Visuel guide

Possession: name the thing or not?

Possession = OWNER ↔ THING

Will you SAY the noun (thing name)?

YES → BEFORE the noun
       my / David's + noun
       This is my coat.
       David's sister is here.

NO  → ALONE
       the thing name is already clear
       mine / Anna's
       This coat is mine.

PART / ROLE inside a bigger thing → of
       The end of the film was surprising.

If you name the thing, put the possession form before it; if the thing is understood, use the alone form; use of for part/role links.

Introduction

Possession means a link

Possession shows a link between a noun and an owner or source: ownership, family, parts, roles, or belonging. It does not always mean legal ownership. My phone is new. David's sister is here. English normally shows the link in three ways: a possessive word before a noun, an 's form after the owner, or an of phrase after the thing. The useful question is: is the possessive word before a noun, or does it replace the noun?
Core Grammatik A1 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

My phone is new.

A possessive determiner before a noun shows who the noun is connected to.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

My phone
possessive_determiner_before_noun
A possessive determiner comes before the noun it identifies.
Lær som én enhed
is new
predicate
This says something about the possessed thing.
Core Grammatik A1 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

David's sister is here.

Possession can describe relationships such as family.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

David's sister
owner_s_relationship
's can show a family relationship, not only ownership.
Lær som én enhed
is here
predicate
This gives the situation of that person.
Core logic

Before a noun or instead of a noun

Use possessive determiners before a noun: my, your, his, her, its, our, their. They point to which noun you mean. This is my coat. Is that your laptop? Use possessive pronouns without a noun: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs. They replace a full noun phrase, often to avoid repetition. This coat is mine means this coat is my coat. No, it isn't yours means it isn't your laptop. Do not use the before my, your, or another possessive determiner.
Core Grammatik A1 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

This is my coat.

My is a possessive determiner, so it must go before a noun.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

This is my coat
this_is_possessive_determiner_noun
Use my before a noun.
Lær som én enhed
Core Grammatik A1 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

This coat is mine.

Mine is a possessive pronoun, so it replaces the noun phrase instead of standing before a noun.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

This coat
possessed_thing_as_subject
The thing being identified is the subject.
is mine
standalone_possessive_pronoun
Mine replaces my coat and stands alone.
Lær som én enhed
Question Grammatik A1 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

Is that your laptop?

In questions, the possessive determiner stays before the noun.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

Is that
yes_no_question_frame
This starts a yes/no question with be.
your laptop
possessive_determiner_noun
Your comes before the noun laptop.
Lær som én enhed
Negative Grammatik A1 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

No, it isn't yours.

A possessive pronoun can stand alone after a negative verb form.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

No, it isn't
negative_short_answer
A negative short answer follows normal be grammar.
yours
standalone_possessive_pronoun
Yours replaces your laptop.
Lær som én enhed
Core pattern

Owner + 's + noun

With people, animals, and many groups, put the owner first and add 's: owner + 's + noun. Mia's keys are on the table. For a regular plural ending in s, put only an apostrophe after the s: My parents' house is near the station. For an irregular plural, add 's: The children's room is quiet. With names ending in s, both James's office and James' office are used; James's is common in learning materials. The noun after the 's form can be left out when it is clear from context.
Core Grammatik A1 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

Mia's keys are on the table.

For one person, add 's to the owner and place it before the noun.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

Mia's keys
owner_s_noun
Owner + 's comes before the thing owned.
Lær som én enhed
are on the table
location_phrase
This says where the keys are.
Core Grammatik A2 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

My parents' house is near the station.

Parents is plural, so the possessive apostrophe comes after the plural s.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

My parents' house
plural_owner_apostrophe
A regular plural ending in s takes an apostrophe after the s.
Lær som én enhed
is near the station
location_predicate
This describes where the house is.
Core Grammatik A2 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

The children's room is quiet.

Irregular plurals that do not end in s normally take 's.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

The children's room
irregular_plural_owner_s
Children is an irregular plural, so add 's.
Lær som én enhed
is quiet
predicate
This describes the room.
Usage rules

Of for parts, roles, and long owners

Use of when the first noun is a thing, a part, a place, or a longer description. Of often builds a chain from the thing to its part, position, or source. The end of the film was surprising. It is also common for roles inside places or organizations: The manager of the restaurant called me. For a simple person owner in everyday speech, 's usually sounds better than of: My brother's car is outside, not the car of my brother. Organizations can use either pattern depending on style.
Core Grammatik A2 Ordforråd A2 Neutral

The end of the film was surprising.

Of is natural for parts or positions in things.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

The end of the film
of_part_phrase
Of links a thing to its part or position.
Lær som én enhed
was surprising
predicate
This gives information about that part.
Core Grammatik A2 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

The manager of the restaurant called me.

Of is common for roles inside places or organizations.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

The manager of the restaurant
role_of_place
Of links a role to the place or organization it belongs to.
Lær som én enhed
called me
action
This says what that person did.
Contrast Grammatik A1 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

My brother's car is outside.

With simple person owners, 's usually sounds more natural than of.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

My brother's car
person_owner_s_noun
For a simple person owner, 's is the normal everyday choice.
Lær som én enhed
is outside
location_predicate
This says where the car is.
Sentence xray

Questions and negatives

Whose asks for the owner. In Whose coat is this?, whose belongs with coat and asks which person has the coat. A short answer can use 's without repeating the noun: It's Anna's means it is Anna's coat. Negatives follow the normal verb pattern. This isn't my seat keeps my before the noun seat. That bag isn't mine uses mine alone after be. The word order changes for questions, but the possessive form itself does not change.
Question Grammatik A1 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

Whose coat is this?

Whose asks which person owns or is connected to something.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

Whose coat
whose_question
Whose asks for the owner of the noun coat.
Lær som én enhed
is this
identification_question
This asks about the item near the speaker.
Spoken Grammatik A1 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

It's Anna's.

's can stand alone when the noun is clear from context.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

It's Anna's
short_answer_with_understood_noun
Anna's means Anna's coat; the noun is understood.
Lær som én enhed
Negative Grammatik A1 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

This isn't my seat.

A possessive determiner still goes before a noun in negative sentences.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

This isn't
negative_be_frame
A normal negative be form.
my seat
possessive_determiner_noun
My must stay before the noun seat.
Lær som én enhed
Negative Grammatik A1 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

That bag isn't mine.

A possessive pronoun can stand alone in a negative sentence.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

That bag isn't
negative_subject_frame
The thing is the subject, followed by a negative be form.
mine
standalone_possessive_pronoun
Mine stands alone and replaces my bag.
Lær som én enhed
Form variations

Forms to recognize

The form changes with the owner, not with the thing owned. Before a noun, use my, your, his, her, its, our, their. Alone, use mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs. His has the same form in both jobs; her changes to hers when it stands alone. Its is normally used before a noun, not as an everyday standalone pronoun. To add emphasis, put own after a possessive determiner: I have my own room. For one person among your contacts, use of plus a possessive pronoun: She is a friend of mine.
Core Grammatik A2 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

I have my own room.

Own adds emphasis to the possessive idea.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

my own room
own_emphasis
Own after a possessive determiner emphasizes personal possession or independence.
Lær som én enhed
I have
have_frame
Have introduces possession.
Core Grammatik A2 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

She is a friend of mine.

A friend of mine is natural; a friend of me is not.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

a friend of mine
double_possessive_relationship
Of plus a possessive pronoun means one of my friends.
Lær som én enhed
She is
identity_frame
This identifies the person.
Contrast

Its, it's, and apostrophe 's

Closest common confusion: possessive its versus the contraction it's. Its has no apostrophe and shows possession. It's means it is or it has. The hotel changed its name. It's open now means it is open now. The same written 's can have different jobs after names and nouns. If another noun follows, it is often possession, as in Anna's coat. If a verb idea follows, it may be a contraction, as in Anna's here. Read the whole sentence, not just the apostrophe.
Contrast Grammatik A1 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

The hotel changed its name.

Its has no apostrophe when it shows possession.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

its name
possessive_its_before_noun
Its is possessive and comes before a noun.
Lær som én enhed
The hotel changed
subject_action
This gives the subject and action.
Contrast Grammatik A1 Ordforråd A1 Neutral

It's open now.

It's is a contraction and should not be confused with possessive its.

Byggesten

Læs sætningen i bidder – ikke ord for ord.

It's open now
contraction_it_is
It's means it is, not possession.
Lær som én enhed
Danger zone

Common traps

Common errors usually come from swapping the two possessive jobs. Not This is mine coat; say This is my coat, because a noun follows. Not That bag is my; say That bag is mine, because the possessive word stands alone. Not a friend of me; say a friend of mine. For a simple person owner, avoid the heavy of pattern in everyday speech: use Sarah's phone, not the phone of Sarah. Possessive pronouns never take apostrophes: yours, hers, ours, theirs.
Summary

Choose the right possession tool

Choose the possessive form by position and relationship. Before a noun, use my, your, his, her, its, our, their, or an owner + 's form. Without a noun, use mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs, or an 's form alone when the noun is understood. Use of especially for parts, things, roles, organizations, and long owner phrases. Check apostrophes carefully: parents' is plural possession, children's is irregular plural possession, and it's is a contraction, not a possessive.
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