POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

Grammar ProjectPablo Javier García, Julia Domene,

Mercedes Zapirain, Olimpia Navarro

1. POSSESSIVE

2. POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS 2.1. DEFINITION 2.2. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ENGLISH AND

SPANISH 2.3.PLACEMENT OF THE PRONOUN

3. QUESTIONS

INDEX

A possessive form, in linguistics, is a word or construction used to indicate a relationship of possession in a broad sense.

Possessive determiners or adjectives Possessive pronouns

POSSESSIVE

Possessive forms that indicate the possessor of something but occur independently, without qualifying a noun.

Although they have a very similar usage, we must distinguish them.

POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

NUMBER PERSON GENDER POSSESSIVE PRONOUN

SINGULAR

1st person male/female mine

2nd person male/female yours

3rd personmale his

female hers

NUMBER PERSON GENDER POSSESSIVE PRONOUN

PLURAL1st person male/female ours

2nd person male/female yours

3rd person male/female theirs

We also have to say that except mine, its and his, the other pronouns are different from the possessive determiners in that they all end in –s: ours, theirs, hers, yours…

It’s also important to say that there are some conflict with the “long form of the possessive adjectives” in English, due to their form is exactly the same with the possessive pronouns.

Unlike Spanish, possessive pronouns in English are never preceded by a definite article and have no gender or number marks.

Possessive pronouns aren’t used exactly the same as the Spanish possessive pronouns.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ENGLISH AND SPANISH

NUMBER PERSON SUBJECT OBJECT

SINGULAR1rs person Look at these

pictures. Mine is the big one.

I like your flowers. Do you like mine?

2nd person My flowers are dying. Yours are lovely.

I looked everywhere for your key. I found John's key but I couldn't find yours. 

3rd person All the essays were good but his was the best.

John found his passport but Mary couldn't find hers.

PLACEMENT OF THE PRONOUN

NUMBER PERSON SUBJECT OBJECT

PLURAL1st person Here is your

car. Ours is over there, where we left it.

Your documents are wrong,I prefer ours.

2nd person Each couple's books are colour-coded. Yours are red.

 I don't like this family's garden but I like yours.

3rd person These aren't John and Mary's children. Theirs have black hair.

John and Mary don't like your car. Do you like theirs?

*Notice: Personal pronouns can NOT be used with the apostrophe of the genitive: her's, your's, their's

1. Say whether the following statements are true or false.

Possessive pronouns indicate the possessor of something independently and qualify a noun. (T/F)

Possessive pronouns in English are never preceded by a definite article and have no gender or number marks. (T/F)

QUESTIONS

2. Translate the following sentences.

No cojas mi portátil como si fuera tuyo.

Yo creía que la paella de mi abuela era la mejor hasta que probé la suya.

3. Multiple-choice questions.

Only one of the following pronouns is marked for gender.

A. TheirsB. HisC. MineD. Yours

Which of the following sentences is correct?

A. Look at these cars. My is the red.B. Look at these cars. Mine is the red one.C. Look at these cars. The mine is the red.D. All these sentences are correct.

THANK YOU.