Choose the possessive adjective that would match each phrase. This adjective must match the person it belongs to AND match the noun (in gender and number).
1. My books - "My"
2. Her cats - "Her"
3. Our house - "Our"
4. Their car - "Their"
5. His hat - "His"
To choose the correct possessive adjective, you need to consider the person it belongs to, as well as the gender and number of the noun it is modifying. Here are the common possessive adjectives in English:
1. First person singular (I): my (for a singular noun), my (for a plural noun)
Example: This is my book. These are my books.
2. Second person singular (you): your (for a singular noun), your (for a plural noun)
Example: Is this your car? Are these your cars?
3. Third person singular (he/she/it): his/her/its (for a singular noun)
Example: That is his hat. This is her dress. It likes its new toy.
4. First person plural (we): our (for a singular noun), our (for a plural noun)
Example: Our house is on the corner. These are our houses.
5. Second person plural (you): your (for a singular noun), your (for a plural noun)
Example: Is this your car? Are these your cars?
6. Third person plural (they): their (for a singular noun), their (for a plural noun)
Example: This is their cat. These are their cats.
Remember to choose the possessive adjective that agrees with the person, gender, and number of the noun.
To choose a possessive adjective that matches both the person and the noun in gender and number, follow these steps:
Step 1: Identify the person the possessive adjective should match. In English, there are three persons: first person (the speaker), second person (the person being spoken to), and third person (someone or something not directly involved in the conversation).
Step 2: Determine the gender and number of the noun the possessive adjective should match. Nouns can be singular (referring to one person or thing) or plural (referring to more than one person or thing), and they can be masculine (referring to male) or feminine (referring to female).
Step 3: Match the person, gender, and number of the noun with the appropriate possessive adjective from the list below:
- First person singular: my
- Second person singular: your
- Third person singular masculine: his
- Third person singular feminine: her
- First person plural: our
- Second person plural: your
- Third person plural: their
For example, if the noun is "car" and we want a possessive adjective that matches the third person singular masculine, we would use "his car."
Remember to consider the person, gender, and number of the noun to choose the correct possessive adjective.