3A: Talk about Your Possessions

Nội dung lý thuyết

Talk about your possessions

Vocabulary

Word

Pronunciation

Vietnamese Meaning

Example

Vacation

/və'kei∫n/

Kỳ nghỉ

We had to cancel our vacation plans.

Pack

/pæk/

Gói, bọc, balo

He took a map and a bottle of water out of his pack.

Luggage

/'lʌgidʒ/

Hành lý

Passengers are limited to two items of carry-on luggage.

Sunblock

/ˈsʌnˌblɑːk/

Kem chống nắng

Don’t forget to apply sunblock before going outside for a long period.

Passport

/'pɑ:spɔ:t/

Hộ chiếu

I lost my passport.

Example: 

  • I can't wait for my vacation next month; I'll be relaxing on the beach all week.
  • Don't forget to pack your toothbrush before we leave for the trip!
  • The airport staff helped us with our luggage after we checked in.
  • It's important to apply sunblock if you're going to be outside for a long time.
  • Make sure your passport is valid before booking your international flight.

Grammar: Possession

Possessive 's and s'

Possessive Adjectives

Possessive Pronouns

Belong to

 

X

my

mine

It belongs to

They belong to

me.

X

your

yours

you.

Tim's passport

his

his

him.

My sister's bag

her

hers

her.

X

our

ours

us.

The children's toy

My parents' bag

their

theirs

them.

Possession with 's

We use apostrophes to show that something belongs to a person or an animal. We use 's for singular nouns and ' for plural nouns ending in s.

Nelson Mandela's words 
the dogs' blankets 
people's busy working days

We don't usually use 's with things. We either use of or a noun modifier.

The door of the house (NOT the house's door)
The door handle (NOT the door's handle)

However, we can use 's with things:

  • when we're talking about a place or group made up of people

different countries' lifestyles
our school's cafeteria
the government's new policies

  • with some time expressions

in today's busy world
last week's meeting
a day's journey

  • with the word 'life'.

life's stresses and pressures
life's daily challenges
life's little pleasures

Possession with of

For things, ideas, etc. we usually use of between two nouns to show possession. 

in different parts of the world
the lifestyles of other cultures
the demands of daily life

We normally use of to talk about position or to say which part of something we are referring to. This is true with phrases such as the beginning of, the end of, the top of, the side of, etc. 

the middle of winter
the front of the house

's or of?

Sometimes, both 's and of are possible.

others' work and achievements
the work and achievements of others

In these cases, it is a matter of the writer's or speaker's preference in that particular context. 

Noun modifiers

We often use two nouns together, using the first noun as an adjective. The first noun is called a noun modifier. We do NOT use a possessive form for them. The first noun and second noun sometimes become one word.

a film night (NOT a film's night)
the winter months (NOT the winter's months)
a city bus (NOT a city's bus)
an earring (NOT an ear's ring or an ear ring)

We can use noun modifiers to show what something is made of.

a stone bridge
silver earrings

Or they can show that one thing is a part of something else.

the car door
the chair leg

Sometimes we find more than two nouns together.

London interior designers
a home office chair

Measurements, ages and values can also be used as noun modifiers.

a ten-minute break
a four-hundred-year-old tree
a ten-pound note
a fifty-kilometre journey

REAL LANGUAGE: To ask about possession, we can ask, Whose... is this?

Example:

They belong to me. They're mine.

Goal check:

You: (Handing your pencil case to your teacher) "Here is my pencil case."

Teacher: (Receiving your pencil case and giving you someone else's personal item, like a watch) "Here, take this watch."

You: (Looking at the watch) "Hmm, whose watch is this? Let me check."

Now, to find the owner:

You could ask your classmates: "Does anyone recognize this watch?"

You could try asking, "Is this your watch?" or "Who owns this watch?"

Once you find the owner, you could return it and say something like:

You: "Hey, I found your watch! It was with my teacher."

 

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