Nouns and determiners A1 A2

Possession

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

Visual 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 Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

My phone is new.

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

Building blocks

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My phone

possessive_determiner_before_noun

A possessive determiner comes before the noun it identifies.

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is new

predicate

This says something about the possessed thing.

Core Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

David's sister is here.

Possession can describe relationships such as family.

Building blocks

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David's sister

owner_s_relationship

's can show a family relationship, not only ownership.

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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 Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

This is my coat.

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

Building blocks

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This is my coat

this_is_possessive_determiner_noun

Use my before a noun.

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Core Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

This coat is mine.

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

Building blocks

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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.

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Question Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Is that your laptop?

In questions, the possessive determiner stays before the noun.

Building blocks

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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.

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Negative Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

No, it isn't yours.

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

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No, it isn't

negative_short_answer

A negative short answer follows normal be grammar.

yours

standalone_possessive_pronoun

Yours replaces your laptop.

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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 Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Mia's keys are on the table.

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

Building blocks

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Mia's keys

owner_s_noun

Owner + 's comes before the thing owned.

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are on the table

location_phrase

This says where the keys are.

Core Grammar A2 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

My parents' house is near the station.

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

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My parents' house

plural_owner_apostrophe

A regular plural ending in s takes an apostrophe after the s.

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is near the station

location_predicate

This describes where the house is.

Core Grammar A2 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

The children's room is quiet.

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

Building blocks

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The children's room

irregular_plural_owner_s

Children is an irregular plural, so add 's.

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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 Grammar A2 Vocabulary A2 Neutral

The end of the film was surprising.

Of is natural for parts or positions in things.

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The end of the film

of_part_phrase

Of links a thing to its part or position.

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was surprising

predicate

This gives information about that part.

Core Grammar A2 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

The manager of the restaurant called me.

Of is common for roles inside places or organizations.

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The manager of the restaurant

role_of_place

Of links a role to the place or organization it belongs to.

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called me

action

This says what that person did.

Contrast Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

My brother's car is outside.

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

Building blocks

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My brother's car

person_owner_s_noun

For a simple person owner, 's is the normal everyday choice.

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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 Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Whose coat is this?

Whose asks which person owns or is connected to something.

Building blocks

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Whose coat

whose_question

Whose asks for the owner of the noun coat.

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is this

identification_question

This asks about the item near the speaker.

Spoken Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

It's Anna's.

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

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It's Anna's

short_answer_with_understood_noun

Anna's means Anna's coat; the noun is understood.

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Negative Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

This isn't my seat.

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

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This isn't

negative_be_frame

A normal negative be form.

my seat

possessive_determiner_noun

My must stay before the noun seat.

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Negative Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

That bag isn't mine.

A possessive pronoun can stand alone in a negative sentence.

Building blocks

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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.

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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 Grammar A2 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

I have my own room.

Own adds emphasis to the possessive idea.

Building blocks

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my own room

own_emphasis

Own after a possessive determiner emphasizes personal possession or independence.

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I have

have_frame

Have introduces possession.

Core Grammar A2 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

She is a friend of mine.

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

Building blocks

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a friend of mine

double_possessive_relationship

Of plus a possessive pronoun means one of my friends.

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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 Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

The hotel changed its name.

Its has no apostrophe when it shows possession.

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its name

possessive_its_before_noun

Its is possessive and comes before a noun.

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The hotel changed

subject_action

This gives the subject and action.

Contrast Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

It's open now.

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

Building blocks

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It's open now

contraction_it_is

It's means it is, not possession.

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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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Possession

Possession: name the thing or not?

Possession means a link

Building blocks

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Before a noun or instead of a noun

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Owner + 's + noun

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Of for parts, roles, and long owners

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Questions and negatives

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Forms to recognize

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Its, it's, and apostrophe 's

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Common traps

Choose the right possession tool

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