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Grammar Basics: Unit 65 – Possessive s: ’s

To show that someone owns something, or has something, we use “ ’s”.

Pattern:  N’s N:

My brother’s car is red.
I spoke to James’s teacher last week.
Mr. Smith’s house burned down.
The man’s horse ran away.

Sometimes we don’t need a noun after the ’s, if we can tell what the noun should be:

My classes are more difficult than Mary’s.  (= Mary’s classes)
Whose book is this?  Is it yours?  —No, it’s my sister’s.  (= my sister’s book)
We went to John’s for lunch.  (= John’s house)

Note:
If there is more than one owner (where the plural form already ends in s), we use s’ instead of ’s:

My friend’s vacation was cut short by bad weather.  (friend’s ==> one friend)
My friends’ vacation was cut short by bad weather.  (friends’ ==> more than one friend)
His father’s car was wrecked.  (father’s ==> only one parent)
His parents’ car was wrecked.  (parents’ ==> both parents, not just one)

Note:
’s is usually used for persons.  For things, we often use of ______:

Peanut butter always sticks to the roof of my mouth.
Tom sat in the back of the room.
Put the cups on the top shelf of the cupboard.
The cover of the book is blue.

Exercises.  Write sentences about the people in the family.

Row 1 (L to R):  Jack, Mary, Sarah, Peter Row 2 (L to R):  James, Susan, Paulette, Mark

Row 1 (L to R): Jack, Mary, Sarah, Peter
Row 2 (L to R): James, Susan, Paulette, Mark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jack and Mary are married.  Their son is James.  James is married to Susan.

Sarah and Peter are married. Their son is Mark, and their daughter is Paulette.

Jack and Peter are brothers.

Example:

(Jack / husband) ==> Jack is Mary’s husband.

1.    (Mary / mother)
2.    (James / cousin)
3.    (Jack / uncle)
4.    (Susan / daughter-in-law)
5.    (Peter / brother)
6.    (Mary / sister-in-law)
7.    (James / nephew)
8.    (Paulette / niece)
9.    (Sarah / aunt)
10.    (Peter / father)
11.    (Paulette / sister)
12.    Jack is Sarah’s brother-in-law.
13.    Jack is Susan’s father-in-law.
14.    Paulette is Peter’s daughter.
15.    James is Jack’s son.
16.    Sarah is Peter’s wife.

Exercise.  Answer the questions by looking at the pictures.

Example:

(Timmy)  Whose umbrella is that?

(Timmy)
Whose umbrella is that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whose umbrella is that?  ==> It’s Timmy’s.

 

 

 

(Marcy)  1.    Whose ball is that?

(Marcy)
1. Whose ball is that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Jane)  2.    Whose car is that?

(Jane)
2. Whose car is that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Steve)  3.    Whose bicycle is that?

(Steve)
3. Whose bicycle is that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Edwin)  4.    Whose horse is that?

(Edwin)
4. Whose horse is that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Rob)   5.    Whose tent is that?

(Rob)
5. Whose tent is that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Nancy) 6.    Whose camera is that?

(Nancy)
6. Whose camera is that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise.   Look at the following sentences and correct the underlined portion if need be.   If the sentence needs no correction, write “OK.

Example:

The squirrel crawled on the roof of the house.  ==> OK
I rode in the car of my brother.  ==> my brother’s car

1.    I put the book of Jack on the table.
2.    The fifth grade class gave a retirement present to the principal of the school.
3.    The keys of Mr. Smith are hanging on the key rack.
4.    The coach displayed the trophy of the team in the school lobby.
5.    We took a rest in the shade of the tree.
6.    Grandmother threw out the shoes of my sister.
7.    The dog likes to sleep at the foot of the bed.
8.    Mrs. Johnson always sits at the front of the bus.
9.    Ride the subway until you get to the end of the line, and then get off.
10.    The cat was hiding under the bed of the twins.
11.    Let’s have a party in the middle of the month.
12.    Someone stole the trumpet of Mark.
13.    I can’t remember the name of the movie.
14.    The car of  my dad had a flat tire.
15.    The nose of my uncle was sunburned.
16.    The floor of the cabin was made of rough planks of wood.

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 39 (Solution)

basic vocab 39-sol

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Writing Assignment: Around the House (Solution)

log cabin

1.    What type of building is this picture probably taken in?
This picture was probably taken inside a house.

2.    How would you get in and out of this building?
You would get in and out of this building using a door – either the front door, or the back door.

3.    What kind of room do we see in this picture?
In this picture we see a living room.

4.    What might you do in this kind of room?
In a living room we might relax:  read a book, watch TV, talk with friends, or enjoy a hobby.

5.    Where could you sit down in this room?
In this room you could sit down on a sofa (couch) or a chair.

6.    What other type of furniture might be found in this room?
Other types of furniture that you might find in this room could be a futon, a table, a coffee table, a bookcase, a china cabinet, or an ottoman.

7.    What do you see on the floor of this room?
We see a rug on the floor of this room.

8.    What could you have in this room if you wanted to know what time it was?
If we had a clock in the room, we would be able to know what time it was.

9.    What could you do if you needed more light in this room?
If we needed more light, we could turn on a lamp.  We could also let more light into the room by opening up the curtains or drapes.

10.    What could you do if you needed more heat in this room?
If we needed more heat, we could turn up the thermostat.  We could also light a fire in the fireplace, if the room has one.

11.    What could you do if you wanted to have fresh air in this room?
If we wanted to have some fresh air in the room, we could open up the windows.  We could also open up the doors.

12.    What could you do if you wanted to decorate this room?
If we wanted to decorate the room, we could put things on the walls, like pictures or wall hangings.  We could also paint the walls, or put up some wallpaper.

13.    What other rooms might this building have?
Other rooms that a house might have would be a kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom.  Some houses might also have a basement or an attic.

14.    What do you call the small room where you can store your clothes?
The small room where you can store your clothes is called a closet.

15.    What do you call the room where you can sleep?
The room where you can sleep is called a bedroom.

16.    What do you call the room where you can wash up and brush your teeth?
The room where you can wash up and brush your teeth is called a bathroom.

17.    What do you call the passageway that connects rooms to one another?
The passageway that connects the rooms in a house or apartment is called a hall(way).

18.    What kinds of storage rooms might there be in this building?
Other storages rooms that a house might have would be a basement, an attic, or a pantry.

19.    Where else could you put or display dishes or other items such as knickknacks or souvenirs?
If you want to display dishes, knickknacks, souvenirs, or the like, you could put them in a china cabinet, a corner cabinet, or a curio cabinet.

20.    What kind of table might be suitable for serving an afternoon coffee or tea?
A coffee table would be a good place to serve afternoon coffee or afternoon tea.

 

Paragraph:  Around the House

Write a brief paragraph about your home.  Do you live in a house, or an apartment?  Is it large, or small?  How do you decorate it?  In what room of your house/apartment do you spend most of your time?  What sort of features would your “dream house” (ideal house/apartment) have?

When I was growing up, I lived in a house.  It was a ranch house (one story) built on the side of a hill.  It was an average-sized house, neither extra big nor extra small.  The house had three bedrooms and one bedroom, connected by a hall.  Each bedroom had a closet and two windows, except for the middle bedroom, which had only one window.

The house also had a kitchen.  The kitchen had plenty of counter space, and was large enough for a kitchen table.  However, if the family came over for a holiday dinner, we had to set up a spare table in the living room, because there was not enough space in the kitchen.

The living room was the main room of the house.  Most of our time was spent there.  In the living room we had a fireplace, a piano, my brother’s fish tank, and the TV.  The living room had a set of six windows, which looked out over the hill and the road.  Across the road was the river, and in the winter time when the leaves were off the trees, we could get an unobstructed view of the river.

The house also had a basement and an attic.  In the basement was the garage, along with the washing machine, the dryer, and a spare refrigerator.  We also stored our bicycles, sleds, skates, and other outdoor toys in the basement.  The basement was unfinished, and much cooler than the rest of the house, especially in the summer.  In the attic we stored off-season clothes, old books and toys, and other seldom-used items, such as a spare roll-away bed.  The attic didn’t have windows, but at either end of the attic were a couple of screened openings for ventilation.  In the summertime, the attic became especially hot, much hotter than the rest of the house.

I was in college when my parents sold the house.  That made me sad, because it was the house I grew up in, and I had many happy memories there.

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Writing Assignment: Around the House

log cabin-bw

Vocabulary

Living room Bedroom Kitchen Bathroom Hall(way)
Closet Basement Attic Pantry Fireplace
Rug Carpet Sofa / Couch Ottoman Futon
Entertainment center Wall clock Grandfather clock Mantle clock Pictures
Wallpaper Chair Lamp Front door Back door
Screen door Window Curtains / Drapes Table End table
Coffee table Dining room table Kitchen table Bookcase Shelf
China cabinet Corner cabinet Curio cabinet Drawers

1.    What type of building is this picture probably taken in?
2.    How would you get in and out of this building?
3.    What kind of room do we see in this picture?
4.    What might you do in this kind of room?
5.    Where could you sit down in this room?
6.    What other type of furniture might be found in this room?
7.    What do you see on the floor of this room?
8.    What could you have in this room if you wanted to know what time it was?
9.    What could you do if you needed more light in this room?
10.    What could you do if you needed more heat in this room?
11.    What could you do if you wanted to have fresh air in this room?
12.    What could you do if you wanted to decorate this room?
13.    What other rooms might this building have?
14.    What do you call the small room where you can store your clothes?
15.    What do you call the room where you can sleep?
16.    What do you call the room where you can wash up and brush your teeth?
17.    What do you call the passageway that connects rooms to one another?
18.    What kinds of storage rooms might there be in this building?
19.    Where else could you put or display dishes or other items such as knickknacks or souvenirs?
20.    What kind of table might be suitable for serving an afternoon coffee or tea?

Paragraph:  Around the House

Write a brief paragraph about your home.  Do you live in a house, or an apartment?  Is it large, or small?  How do you decorate it?  In what room of your house/apartment do you spend most of your time?  What sort of features would your “dream house” (ideal house/apartment) have?

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Grammar Basics: Unit 64 – myself, yourself, etc. (Solution)

Exercises. Complete the following sentences using a reflexive pronoun: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.

Example:

I knocked the glass over and spilled wine all over _______. ==> I knocked the glass over and spilled wine all over myself.

1. Our anniversary present to ourselves is an Alaskan cruise.
2. The harried mother treated herself to a relaxing afternoon at the spa.
3. You kids need to behave yourselves if you want to go on the field trip next week.
4. The dog injured itself in a coon fight.
5. The children had to clean up after themselves before the teacher would let them go outside for recess.
6. The roof of the abandoned building collapsed in on itself from the heavy snow.
7. Father chided himself for leaving the gate open and letting the pigs escape.
8. If I’m not home when you arrive, just let yourself in and wait for me.
9. One reason why Mark didn’t enjoy single life was because he got tired of cooking for himself all the time.
10. The campgrounds were nice and quiet – we had the whole place to ourselves.
11. The makeup artist did such a tremendous job that Aunt Elaine was hardly able to recognize herself.
12. If you boys are hungry, just help yourselves to some frozen pizzas.
13. The guards were ashamed of themselves for falling asleep on duty and letting the enemy sneak past them into the camp.
14. Sometimes I surprise myself when I have a good idea like that.
15. Careful – don’t hurt yourself!
16. I was angry at myself for forgetting my lunch at home, and having to go all day without eating.

Exercises. Write sentences with by myself, by yourself, etc.

Example:

He stayed home alone. ==> He stayed home by himself.

1. That’s a very nice drawing, Jack – did you draw it all by yourself?
2. I hope you girls can bake that cake by yourselves – I won’t be able to help you.
3. I usually sit by myself in the last row at the theater.
4. You’re going to have to do some weeding if you want some vegetables this year – the garden isn’t going to get weeded by itself, you know.
5. After Grandfather died, Grandmother had six children to take care of by herself.
6. Never mind – I think it’s better if I go to the store by myself, anyway.
7. Jim took a few steps by himself in physical therapy today.
8. The twins are such troublemakers – you can’t leave them by themselves for even a minute.
9. For our anniversary we are planning on staying home and having a quiet dinner by ourselves.
10. Grandmother sewed my sister’s wedding dress all by herself.
11. Building a patio fireplace was an easy project that we could manage by ourselves.
12. Last summer the Griswolds decided to hike the Appalachian Trail by themselves.
13. If you can’t do the homework by yourself, you should ask the teacher for some extra help.
14. Let Tommy tie his shoes by himself – he’s going to have to learn it one of these days.
15. You are big boys now – you should be able to get dressed by yourselves.
16. Come on, now – who broke Grandmother’s antique vase? I’m sure it didn’t get broken by itself!

Exercises. Look at the picture and write sentences using the phrase “each other.”

Example:

(clean) ==> They are cleaning each other.

(clean) ==> They are cleaning each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. They are chasing each other.

1. They are chasing each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. They are enjoying each other.

2. They are enjoying each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. They are holding each other.

3. They are holding each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. They are kissing each other.

4. They are kissing each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. They are resting on each other.

5. They are resting on each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. They are smiling at each other.

6. They are smiling at each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercises. Complete the sentences, using “each other,” “ourselves/yourselves/themselves,” or “us/you/them.”

Example:

Mr. Brown and Mr. Black know _______. ==> Mr. Brown and Mr. Black know each other.

1. The teacher didn’t ask us if we understood the material.
2. You lazy salesmen have no one but yourselves to blame for your poor monthly figures.
3. Jack knew he had seen his keys earlier that morning, but he couldn’t remember where he had seen them.
4. The students in class 7B never behave themselves, it seems.
5. It was funny to see the two clowns throw pies at each other.
6. Most people talk to themselves, especially when they are trying to figure out a problem. It’s nothing to worry about.
7. There was so much food at the feast that we stuffed ourselves until we couldn’t eat any more.
8. Mr. and Mrs. Smith said to give them a call whenever you got home.
9. Didn’t Father give you the name of the gentleman he wanted you to call?
10. Sit down here next to me, and let’s talk. We can keep each other company until they it’s time for our flight to leave.
11. When we set up the April Fool’s prank, we didn’t realize it would backfire on us.
12. Congratulations, Team 6! Give yourselves a round of applause – you deserve it!
13. If I had wanted you to come to the party, I would have invited you.
14. Sometimes it’s good to remind ourselves of how much progress we’ve made in our English studies.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 64 – myself, yourself, etc.

In this lesson we’re going to continue our look at personal pronouns, focusing on the reflexive pronouns – pronouns that are generally used when the object of a sentence is the same as the subject:

  First person Second person Third person
Singular myself yourself himself, herself, itself
Plural ourselves yourselves themselves

What does it mean for the subject of a sentence to be the same as the object?  Let’s look at the following example:

The barber cut him while shaving.

Here, the barber is shaving another man – someone different than the barber – and it is this other man who was cut.

The barber cut himself while shaving.

Here, there is no other person.  The barber and the cut man are the same person – the barber is the one who is shaving, and the one who was cut.

More examples:

I burned myself while making Christmas candy.
If you’re hungry, there’s some leftover spaghetti in the refrigerator.  Help yourself!
John is so vain.  He looks at himself whenever he passes a mirror.
I think Sally should practice the piano more before her recital, but she seems sure of herself.
The baby cried itself to sleep.
We yelled ourselves hoarse, but no one came to rescue us.
You kids only got yourselves into trouble by cheating on the history test.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith enjoyed themselves on their honeymoon in Hawaii.

Note:  by myself / by yourself, etc. is a phrase that means “alone”:

Jack usually goes to the library and studies by himself. (= studies alone)
I don’t think Mary has any friends.  She’s always sitting by herself at lunch. (= sitting alone)

Note:  The phrase “each other” may seem similar to the reflexive pronoun “themselves,” but they are different.  Consider:

Kirk and Kevin gave each other a present.

Here, Kirk gave Kevin a present, and Kevin gave Kirk a present.

Kirk and Kevin gave themselves a present.

Here, Kirk gave himself a present (Kirk gave a present to Kirk), and Kevin gave himself a present (Kevin gave a present to Kevin).

Exercises.  Complete the following sentences using a reflexive pronoun:  myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.

Example:

I knocked the glass over and spilled wine all over _______.   ==>  I knocked the glass over and spilled wine all over myself.

1.    Our anniversary present to _______ is an Alaskan cruise.
2.    The harried mother treated _______ to a relaxing afternoon at the spa.
3.    You kids need to behave _______ if you want to go on the field trip next week.
4.    The dog injured _______ in a coon fight.
5.    The children had to clean up after _______ before the teacher would let them go outside for recess.
6.    The roof of the abandoned building collapsed in on _______ from the heavy snow.
7.    Father chided _______ for leaving the gate open and letting the pigs escape.
8.    If I’m not home when you arrive, just let _______ in and wait for me.
9.    One reason why Mark didn’t enjoy single life was because he got tired of cooking for _______ all the time.
10.    The campgrounds were nice and quiet – we had the whole place to _______.
11.    The makeup artist did such a tremendous job that Aunt Elaine was hardly able to recognize _______.
12.    If you boys are hungry, just help _______ to some frozen pizzas.
13.    The guards were ashamed of _______ for falling asleep on duty and letting the enemy sneak past them into the camp.
14.    Sometimes I surprise _______ when I have a good idea like that.
15.    Careful – don’t hurt _______!
16.    I was angry at _______ for forgetting my lunch at home, and having to go all day without eating.

Exercises.  Write sentences with by myself, by yourself, etc.

Example:

He stayed home alone.  ==>  He stayed home by himself.

1.    That’s a very nice drawing, Jack – did you draw it all alone?
2.    I hope you girls can bake that cake alone – I won’t be able to help you.
3.    I usually sit alone in the last row at the theater.
4.    You’re going to have to do some weeding if you want some vegetables this year – the garden isn’t going to get weeded alone, you know.
5.    After Grandfather died, Grandmother had six children to take care of alone.
6.    Never mind – I think it’s better if I go to the store alone, anyway.
7.    Jim took a few steps alone in physical therapy today.
8.    The twins are such troublemakers – you can’t leave them alone for even a minute.
9.    For our anniversary we are planning on staying home and having a quiet dinner alone.
10.    Grandmother sewed my sister’s wedding dress all alone.
11.    Building a patio fireplace was an easy project that we could manage alone.
12.    Last summer the Griswolds decided to hike the Appalachian Trail alone.
13.    If you can’t do the homework alone, you should ask the teacher for some extra help.
14.    Let Tommy tie his shoes alone – he’s going to have to learn it one of these days.
15.    You are big boys now – you should be able to get dressed alone.
16.    Come on, now – who broke Grandmother’s antique vase?  I’m sure it didn’t get broken alone!

Exercises.  Look at the picture and write sentences using the phrase “each other.”

Example:

clean

(clean) ==> They are cleaning each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.  chase

1. (chase)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. (enjoy)

2. (enjoy)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. (hold)

3. (hold)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.  (kiss)

4. (kiss)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.  (rest on)

5. (rest on)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.  (smile at)

6. (smile at)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercises.  Complete the sentences, using “each other,” “ourselves/yourselves/themselves,” or “us/you/them.”

Example:

Mr. Brown and Mr. Black know _______.   ==> Mr. Brown and Mr. Black know each other.

1.    The teacher didn’t ask _______ if we understood the material.
2.    You lazy salesmen have no one but _______ to blame for your poor monthly figures.
3.    Jack knew he had seen his keys earlier that morning, but he couldn’t remember where he had seen _______.
4.    The students in class 7B never behave _______, it seems.
5.    It was funny to see the two clowns throw pies at _______.
6.    Most people talk to _______, especially when they are trying to figure out a problem.  It’s nothing to worry about.
7.    There was so much food at the feast that we stuffed _______ until we couldn’t eat any more.
8.    Mr. and Mrs. Smith said to give _______ a call whenever you got home.
9.    Didn’t Father give _______ the name of the gentleman he wanted you to call?
10.    Sit down here next to me, and let’s talk.  We can keep _______ company until they it’s time for our flight to leave.
11.    When we set up the April Fool’s prank, we didn’t realize it would backfire on _______.
12.    Congratulations, Team 6!  Give _______ a round of applause – you deserve it!
13.    If I had wanted you to come to the party, I would have invited _______.
14.    Sometimes it’s good to remind _______ of how much progress we’ve made in our English studies.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 63 – I, my, me, mine (Solution)

Exercises.  Complete the sentences, using the pattern of the following example.

Example:

I asked him _______.  ==> I asked him to bring my book home for me.

1.    We asked you to bring our books home for us.
2.    She asked them to bring her book home for her.
3.    He asked me to bring his book home for him.
4.    They asked us to bring their books home for them.
5.    I asked her to bring my book home for me.
6.    You asked him to bring your book home for you.

Exercises.  Complete the sentences, using the pattern of the following example.

Example:

I gave him _______.   ==> I gave him my business card, and he gave me his.

1.    She gave us her business card, and we gave her ours.
2.    You gave me your business card, and I gave you mine.
3.    We gave him our business cards, and he gave us his.
4.    I gave them my business card, and they gave me theirs.
5.    He gave her his business card, and she gave him hers.
6.    They gave you their business cards, and you gave them yours.

Exercises.  Complete the following sentences, using him, her, yours, etc.

Example:

Where’s Waldo?  Have you seen _______?  ==> Where’s Waldo?  Have you seen him?

1.    Father was busy, so Jack couldn’t meet him for lunch.
2.    The twins played a prank on their teacher.
3.    We had to change our plans at the last minute.
4.    Have you done your homework?
5.    Mike brought his girlfriend to the party.
6.    Every morning I take my dog for a walk.
7.    Mother wasn’t sure where she left her keys.
8.    Why don’t you relax and let me cook for you?
9.    I’m sorry – what did you say your name was?
10.    Mary wasn’t home, so I left a note for her.
11.    Although the team scored well in the second half, it wasn’t enough to help them win the game.
12.    Even though we have heard his stories many times before, Mr. Brown is unable to convince us that he was once a star wrestling champ.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 63 – I, my, me, mine

Let’s review what we’ve seen so far regarding personal pronouns:

Subject Form Object Form Possessive Adjective Possessive Pronoun
I

I love Mother.

me

Mother loves me.

my

That’s my pencil.

mine

That pencil is mine.

We

We love Mother.

us

Mother loves us.

our

Those are our pencils.

ours

Those pencils are ours.

You

You love Mother.

you

Mother loves you.

your

That’s your pencil.

yours

That pencil is yours.

He

He loves Mother.

him

Mother loves him.

his

That’s his pencil.

his

That pencil is his.

She

She loves Mother.

her

Mother loves her.

her

That’s her pencil.

hers

That pencil is hers.

They

They love Mother.

them

Mother loves them.

their

Those are their pencils.

theirs

Those pencils are theirs.

 Exercises.  Complete the sentences, using the pattern of the following example.

Example:

I asked him _______.  ==> I asked him to bring my book home for me.

1.    We asked you _______.
2.    She asked them _______.
3.    He asked me _______.
4.    They asked us _______.
5.    I asked her _______.
6.    You asked him _______.

Exercises.  Complete the sentences, using the pattern of the following example.

Example:

I gave him _______.   ==> I gave him my business card, and he gave me his.

1.    She gave us _______.
2.    You gave me _______.
3.    We gave him _______.
4.    I gave them _______.
5.    He gave her _______.
6.    They gave you _______.

Exercises.  Complete the following sentences, using him, her, yours, etc.

Example:

Where’s Waldo?  Have you seen _______?  ==> Where’s Waldo?  Have you seen him?

1.    Father was busy, so Jack couldn’t meet _______ for lunch.
2.    The twins played a prank on _______ teacher.
3.    We had to change _______ plans at the last minute.
4.    Have _______ done your homework?
5.    Mike brought _______ girlfriend to the party.
6.    Every morning I take _______ dog for a walk.
7.    Mother wasn’t sure where she left _______ keys.
8.    Why don’t you relax and let _______ cook for you?
9.    I’m sorry – what did you say _______ name was?
10.    Mary wasn’t home, so I left a note for _______.
11.    Although the team scored well in the second half, it wasn’t enough to help _______ win the game.
12.    Even though we have heard his stories many times before, Mr. Brown is unable to convince _______ that he was once a star wrestling champ.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 62 – Whose is this? It’s mine / yours, etc. (Solution)

Exercises.  Complete the following sentences, using one of the possessive pronouns:  mine, ours, yours, his, hers, theirs.

Example:

These are my shoes.  They’re _______. ==> These are my shoes.  They’re mine.

1.    This is my sandwich.  It’s mine.
2.    That is our dog.  It’s ours.
3.    This is your sweater.  It’s yours.
4.    These are his books.  They’re his.
5.    That is their car.  It’s theirs.
6.    These are her sunglasses.  They’re hers.
7.    That is their house.  It’s theirs.
8.    This is our new sofa.  It’s ours.
9.    That’s my laptop.  It’s mine.
10.    This is your pen.  It’s yours.
11.    That is his cell phone.  It’s his.
12.    Those are her gym shoes.  They’re hers.

 

Exercises.  Choose the right form of the possessive.

Example:

Those are not (my/mine) shoes.  (My/Mine) are brown. ==> Those are not my shoes.  Mine are brown.

1.    I’ve met her parents, but I don’t know their names.
2.    At whose house do you want to have the surprise party?  Yours or ours?
3.    Be sure to take your project home.  I’ve got mine.
4.    My dog is smarter than yours.
5.    I took the money out of my pocket and put it in her purse.
6.    The Smiths had some old books, so we sold theirs, along with ours, at a garage sale.
7.    Whose backpack is this?  Yours or hers?
8.    The Jones send their children to camp every summer.
9.    The teacher reminded us to bring all our books home to study over the holidays.
10.    Your garden is bigger than mine, isn’t it?

 

Exercises.  Complete the sentences using the phrase “friend(s) of mine / yours,” etc.

Example:

I saw an old _______ the other day.  ==> I saw an old friend of mine the other day.

1.    After the show, Jack and Jill went out with some friends of theirs.
2.    Mother had lunch with a high school friend of hers.
3.    If you gossip about my brother, you’re no friend of mine!
4.    When we went out for a walk, we ran into a friend of ours.
5.    Once a month, my uncle goes fishing with a friend of his.
6.    I was just writing a letter to a friend of mine.
7.    Grandmother and Grandfather went on a cruise with some friends of theirs.
8.    My sister got into a fight with a friend of hers, and now they’re not talking.
9.    Aunt Molly got the recipe from a friend of hers.
10.    We asked a friend of ours to take care of our dog while we were on vacation.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 62 – Whose is this? It’s mine / yours, etc.

Last time we looked at possessive adjectives, which MUST have a noun following them:

(possessive adjective) + N:  my, your, his, her, its, our, their

my alarm
your keys
his book
her father
its tail
our children
your hats
their pictures

Now, let’s look at possessive pronouns, which do NOT have a noun following them:

First person Second person Third person
Singular mine yours his, hers
Plural ours yours theirs

 Pattern:  (possessive pronoun) + (nothing)

Examples:

Where did you get your book?  I bought mine from the local bookstore. (= I bought my book)
I found a pen – is it yours? (= is it your pen)
Mary is done with her project, but Jack didn’t finish his. (= Jack didn’t finish his project)
Mother told me that the sweater on the sofa is hers.  (= the sweater is her sweater)
Did you see the Wilsons got a new tent?  It looks just like ours. (= it looks just like our tent)
John and Susan said that the dog barking last night wasn’t theirs. (= the dog wasn’t their dog)

Note:  The possessive pronouns are used when showing possession with the preposition “of.”

Examples:

A friend of mine gave me that book.  (not friend of me)
That dog of hers is nothing but a troublemaker. (not dog of her)
The Wilsons went out for dinner with some friends of theirs.  (not friends of them)
A neighbor of ours recently got a new car.  (not neighbor of us)

To ask about possession, use “whose”:

Examples:

Whose cell phone is this?  It’s mine.

or (if it’s clear what item is meant)

Whose is this?  It’s mine.

Whose glasses are these?  / Whose are these?  They’re Jack’s.

 

Exercises.  Complete the following sentences, using one of the possessive pronouns:  mine, ours, yours, his, hers, theirs.

Example:

These are my shoes.  They’re _______. ==> These are my shoes.  They’re mine.

1.    This is my sandwich.  It’s _______.
2.    That is our dog.  It’s _______.
3.    This is your sweater.  It’s _______.
4.    These are his books.  They’re _______.
5.    That is their car.  It’s _______.
6.    These are her sunglasses.  They’re _______.
7.    That is their house.  It’s _______.
8.    This is our new sofa.  It’s _______.
9.    That’s my laptop.  It’s _______.
10.    This is your pen.  It’s _______.
11.    That is his cell phone.  It’s _______.
12.    Those are her gym shoes.  They’re _______.

 

Exercises.  Choose the right form of the possessive.

Example:

Those are not (my/mine) shoes.  (My/Mine) are brown. ==> Those are not my shoes.  Mine are brown.

1.    I’ve met (her/hers) parents, but I don’t know (their/theirs) names.
2.    At whose house do you want to have the surprise party?  (Your/Yours) or (our/ours)?
3.    Be sure to take (your/yours) project home.  I’ve got (my/mine).
4.    (My/Mine) dog is smarter than (your/yours).
5.    I took the money out of (my/mine) pocket and put it in (her/hers) purse.
6.    The Smiths had some old books, so we sold (their/theirs), along with (our/ours), at a garage sale.
7.    Whose backpack is this?  (Your/Yours) or (her/hers)?
8.    The Jones send (their/theirs) children to camp every summer.
9.    The teacher reminded us to bring all (our/ours) books home to study over the holidays.
10.    (Your/Yours) garden is bigger than (my/mine), isn’t it?

 

Exercises.  Complete the sentences using the phrase “friend(s) of mine / yours,” etc.

Example:

I saw an old _______ the other day.  ==> I saw an old friend of mine the other day.

1.    After the show, Jack and Jill went out with some _______.
2.    Mother had lunch with a high school _______.
3.    If you gossip about my brother, you’re no _______!
4.    When we went out for a walk, we ran into a _______.
5.    Once a month, my uncle goes fishing with a _______.
6.    I was just writing a letter to a _______.
7.    Grandmother and Grandfather went on a cruise with some _______.
8.    My sister got into a fight with a _______, and now they’re not talking.
9.    Aunt Molly got the recipe from a _______.
10.    We asked a _______ to take care of our dog while we were on vacation.

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