2. POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
We use possessive adjectives to show
who owns or "possesses" something. The
possessive adjectives are:
my, your, his, her, its, our, their
whose (interrogative)
3. your = possessive adjective
you're = you are
its = possessive adjective
it's = it is OR it has
their = possessive adjective
they're = they are
there = adverb (I'm not going there / look
over there / there is a car outside)
whose = possessive adjective
who's = who is OR who has
4. Be careful! There is no apostrophe (') in
the possessive adjective "its". We use an
apostrophe to write the short form of "it is"
or "it has". For example:
it's raining = it is raining
it's finished = it has finished
I'm taking my dog to the vet. It's broken its
leg.
5. We use possessive pronouns to refer to a specific
person/people or thing/things (the "antecedent")
belonging to a person/people (and sometimes
belonging to an animal/animals or thing/things).
We use possessive pronouns depending on:
number: singular (eg: mine) or plural (eg: ours)
person: 1st person (eg: mine), 2nd person (eg:
yours) or 3rd person (eg: his)
gender: male (his), female (hers)
Below are the possessive pronouns, followed by
some example sentences. Notice that each
possessive pronoun can:
be subject or object
refer to a singular or plural antecedent
6. Look at these pictures. Mine is the big one.
(subject = My picture) I like your flowers. Do
you like mine? (object = my flowers)
I looked everywhere for your key. I found
John's key but I couldn't find yours. (object =
your key) My flowers are dying. Yours are
lovely. (subject = Your flowers)
All the essays were good but his was the
best. (subject = his essay) John found his
passport but Mary couldn't find hers. (object
= her passport) John found his clothes but
Mary couldn't find hers. (object = her clothes)
7. Here is your car. Ours is over there, where we left
it. (subject = Our car) Your photos are good. Ours
are terrible. (subject = Our photos)
Each couple's books are colour-coded. Yours are
red. (subject = Your books) I don't like this family's
garden but I like yours. (object = your garden)
These aren't John and Mary's children. Theirs
have black hair. (subject = Their children) John
and Mary don't like your car. Do you like theirs?
(object = their car)
9. We use should and shouldn't to give advice or to
talk about what we think is right or wrong.
You should means something like I think it is a
good idea for you to do it.
You shouldn't means something like I think it is a
bad idea for you to do it.
Should is used to express the opinion of a
speaker and often follows I think or I don't think.
10. You look tired. I think you should take a few
days off.
Alice works very long hours. She should to
talk to her boss.
- I have an English test tomorrow.
- I shouldn't worry if I were you. You have
worked really hard.
- I never have enough money.
- I don't think you should go out so much.
11. To give advice to someone you can also
say:
I should do it if I were you.
I shouldn't be so rude, if I were you.
When you regret not doing something in
the past, you can say:
I shouldn't have spoken to him like that.
I should have apologized earlier.
