Formation of the Possessive Form:
For most nouns, an apostrophe followed by the letter "s" is added to the end of the noun to form the possessive form.
For example:
| 🔊 | "John's car" | (el coche de John) |
| 🔊 | "The dog's toy" | (el juguete del perro) |
If the plural noun already ends in "s," only an apostrophe is added after the "s" to form the possessive form.
For example:
| 🔊 | "The students' books" | (los libros de los estudiantes) |
| 🔊 | "The cats' toys" | (los juguetes de los gatos) |
Usage of the Possessive Form:
The possessive form is used to indicate that something belongs to someone or something.
For example
| 🔊 | "This is Sarah's house" | (Esta es la casa de Sarah) |
| 🔊 | "The company's profits have increased" | (Las ganancias de la empresa han aumentado) |
The possessive form is also used to indicate family relationships.
For example
| 🔊 | "My sister's birthday is next week" | (El cumpleaños de mi hermana es la próxima semana) |
| 🔊 | "Their parents' anniversary is in July" | (El aniversario de sus padres es en julio) |
It is important to practice the formation and use of the possessive form in different contexts and situations to become familiar with them. You can practice by completing sentences with the correct possessive form, describing belongings and family relationships, among others.
Remember to pay attention to plural nouns and singular nouns ending in "s" when forming the possessive form.
Examples:
| 🔊 | This is my book |
| 🔊 | Is that your car? |
| 🔊 | The dog wagged its tail |
Singular nouns:
| 🔊 | "This is Mary's book." | (Este es el libro de Mary) |
| 🔊 | "The doctor's office is on the third floor." | (La oficina del médico está en el tercer piso) |
| 🔊 | "The teacher's desk is at the front of the classroom." | (El escritorio del profesor está al frente del salón de clases) |
Plural nouns:
| 🔊 | "The students' backpacks are in the hallway." | (Las mochilas de los estudiantes están en el pasillo) |
| 🔊 | "The dogs' toys are scattered all over the yard." | (Los juguetes de los perros están esparcidos por todo el jardín) |
| 🔊 | "The employees' uniforms need to be cleaned." | (Los uniformes de los empleados necesitan ser limpiados) |
Indicating ownership:
| 🔊 | "Is that your friend's car?" | (¿Ese es el coche de tu amigo?) |
| 🔊 | "The company's headquarters are located in New York." | (La sede de la empresa está ubicada en Nueva York) |
| 🔊 | "My sister's house is just around the corner." | (La casa de mi hermana está a la vuelta de la esquina) |
Family relationships:
| 🔊 | "My mother's birthday is next week." | (El cumpleaños de mi madre es la próxima semana) |
🔊 | "Their grandparents' house is by the beach." | (La casa de sus abuelos está junto a la playa) |
| 🔊 | "His brother's wedding is in June." | (La boda de su hermano es en junio) |
Remember that the possessive form changes depending on the noun it refers to and whether it is singular or plural. Practice using the possessive form in different situations to improve your understanding and fluency in its use.
Activity
1. Listen to the audio and answer the questions.
, (They forget to feed them/They give them love and attention/They don't have any pets/They leave them alone)
(squeaky ball/fluffy mouse/Bone/feather toy)
, (squeaky ball/fluffy mouse/Bone/feather toy)
, (lily/max/lucy/charlie)
, (lily/max/lucy/charlie)
, (friends/sisters/neighbors/co-workers)
, (blue/green/red/yellow)
, (blue/green/red/yellow)
Example:
Mine: That book is mine. (It belongs to me.)
Yours: Is this pen yours? (Does the pen belong to you?)
His: The car is his. (The car belongs to him.)
Hers: The keys are hers. (The keys belong to her.)
Ours: The house is ours. (The house belongs to us.)
Theirs: Those toys are theirs. (The toys belong to them.)
Its: The cat licked its paws. (The cat licked its own paws.)
, ( I )
?, (you)
?, (they)
keys., (she)
3. Listen and speak
Listen to the sentences and practice your pronunciation
| 🔊 | That is my book |
| 🔊 | Is this your car? |
| 🔊 | The dog wagged its tail. |
| 🔊 | Her house is beautiful. |
| 🔊 | Our team won the game. |
| 🔊 | Their garden is full of flowers. |
| 🔊 | His computer is brand new. |
| 🔊 | Is that your sister's phone? |
| 🔊 | The cat licked its paws. |
| 🔊 | This is my father's watch. |
Speaking
Practice your pronunciation, repeat each of the sentences in the table.
4. Read the text and answer the questions.
Sarah and Tom are siblings. They love going on adventures together. Last weekend, they went on a camping trip in the mountains. They packed their backpacks with all the necessary gear: tents, sleeping bags, and cooking utensils. They set up their campsite near a beautiful lake. During the day, they hiked through the forest and enjoyed the stunning views. At night, they roasted marshmallows over the campfire and told stories. It was a memorable experience for both of them.
, (friends/siblings/cousins/co-workers)
, (beach/mountains/city/desert)
(built sandcastles/had a bonfire/went stargazing/played board games)
