Possessives in English

Possessives in English Espresso English

My cat’s name is Ginger.

When we want to show that something belongs to somebody or something, we can use possessives:

 

NOUN POSSESSIVE EXAMPLE
I my My name is Sandra.
you your Your new haircut looks great!
he his He broke his leg.
she her She sold her computer.
it its My car is old, so its engine isn’t very powerful.
we our Our apartment is on the fourth floor.
they their Candace and Marty named their baby girl Donna.
Mary Mary’s Mary’s phone number is 555-4321.
Joe Joe’s Joe’s favorite color is green.
the boy the boy’s The boy’s clothes are dirty.
parents parents’ My parents’ names are Patrick and Gloria.
cat cat’s My cat’s name is Ginger.
country country’s My country’s flag is red, white, and blue.

As you can see from its, cat’s, and country’s, it is not necessary to be a person in order to use a possessive. Here are more examples of using possessives with things:

  • Today’s meeting will be at 1 PM.
  • This website’s goal is to teach English.
    = The goal of this website is to teach English.
  • Who do you think this year’s skating champion will be?

Don’t confuse its (possessive) with it’s (contraction for “it is”)!

The cat ate it’s food
The cat ate its food.

Its illegal for a 17-year-old to buy alcohol.
It’s illegal for a 17-year-old to buy alcohol. 

Learn more: How to form possessives when the word already ends in S

Test your understanding of possessives in English with this quiz!


Possessives Quiz

Congratulations - you have completed Possessives Quiz. You scored %%SCORE%% out of %%TOTAL%%. Your performance has been rated as %%RATING%%
Your answers are highlighted below.
Question 1
"Have you been to any of the new restaurants on Main Street?"

"No. __________ prices are too high."

A
My
B
Its
C
Their
Question 1 Explanation: 
"Their" refers to "restaurants" - the prices of the restaurants are too high.
Question 2
Good news! John passed __________ driving test!
A
your
B
his
C
her
Question 3
These ______________ keyboards are broken.
A
computers'
B
computer's
C
computers's
Question 4
Mary was ____________ mother.
A
Jesus's
B
Jesus'
C
Jesu's
Question 4 Explanation: 
When there is a name that ends with "s," we add ' but no extra s.
Question 5
I can't eat Thai food. _________ too spicy for me.
A
It's
B
Its
C
Is
Question 6
I think you'll really like the new television - _________ screen is huge!
A
it's
B
your
C
its
Question 7
My ____________ toys are quite expensive.
A
children's
B
childrens'
C
childrens's
Question 7 Explanation: 
When the plural form is irregular, like child --> children, we add 's to make the possessive.
Question 8
We had a lot of cold days in January, but _____________ weather should be warmer.
A
Februarys
B
February's
C
Februarys'
Question 9
"Do you know what ___________ favorite band is?"

"I'm not sure, but I think she likes rock music."

A
John's
B
Maria's
C
its
Question 9 Explanation: 
We know the correct option is "Maria's" because the answer to the question has "she"
Question 10
I think you'll like the new television. ________ screen is really big!
A
His
B
Their
C
Its
Question 11
Where did you go on __________ last vacation?
A
you
B
your
C
you're
Question 12
My friend and I drive to work together because _________ offices are in the same neighborhood.
A
their
B
our
C
its
Question 13
Dan and Benny were late to ___________ first high school class.
A
his
B
their
C
its
Question 14
My sister lost _________ glasses. Now she can't see anything!
A
his
B
her
C
their
Question 15
I don't feel well. __________ stomach hurts.
A
my
B
your
C
I'm
Once you are finished, click the button below. Any items you have not completed will be marked incorrect. Get Results
There are 15 questions to complete.

Master the details of English grammar:

Possessives in English Espresso English

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