Possession
Who or what does it belong to?
Betekenis
Possession shows who or what someone or something belongs to or is closely connected with. It can link an object to its owner, a child to a parent, or a book to its writer. Languages use endings, separate words, or word order, and some have no possession endings. Part and whole focuses on pieces or members of something, while Possession also covers ownership and other close connections.
Zo herken je het
Look for a link that identifies whose something is or who it is closely connected with, even when no one owns it.
In de taal die je leert
English often places the owner before the noun, as in my bag or Emma's bag. Forms such as mine and hers stand without a following noun, while of links many other connections, as in the name of the street. Have expresses possession in a sentence, as in I have a bike.
This is my seat.
My comes before the noun; the is not used with it.
Emma's brother lives nearby.
The 's marks a family connection, not ownership.
That blue bag is mine.
Mine stands on its own without a following noun.
Learners whose language marks possession on the owned noun may put 's on the wrong noun or leave out my/your. Learners whose language uses one form both before a noun and on its own may confuse my and mine.