Business English A2 · Lesson 1B

Grammar Bank

The rules behind this lesson — form, use, model sentences and the mistakes to avoid.

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Grammar focus of this lesson

Possessive adjectives, possessive 's + Wh- questions

3 structures

Possessive adjectives (my / your / his / her…)
They say who something belongs to and come before the noun.
I've got this
Rules & form
- ›I → my · you → your · he → his · she → her · it → its · we → our · they → their.
- ›They never change with plural nouns: my brother / my brothers.
- ›Use his/her according to the owner, not the object.
Examples
- “This is my laptop and that's her phone.”
- “Their children go to my school.”
- “Our team is small but our clients are big.”
Watch out · its = possessive · it's = it is. Never write “it's colour”.
Your own example
Possessive 's and whose
's shows ownership; whose asks who the owner is.
I've got this
Rules & form
- ›Singular noun + 's: Ana's car, my boss's office.
- ›Plural noun ending in -s + ': my parents' house.
- ›Ask with whose: Whose bag is this? — It's Tom's.
- ›For things, prefer of: the name of the company.
Examples
- “That's Pedro's brother.”
- “The students' books are on the table.”
- “Whose keys are these?”
Watch out · Whose (owner) is not who's (= who is).
Your own example
Question forms and short answers
The word order that makes every English question work.
I've got this
Rules & form
- ›(Wh-) + auxiliary + subject + main verb: Where do you work?
- ›With be, invert: Are you free? Was it useful?
- ›Short answers repeat the auxiliary: Yes, I do. / No, she isn't.
- ›Question tags check information: You're new here, aren't you?
Examples
- “How long have you worked here?”
- “What time does the call start?”
- “You've met Ana, haven't you?”
Watch out · Never keep statement order: Where you work? ✗
Your own example

Grammar Bank

Possessive adjectives (my / your / his / her…)

Possessive 's and whose

Question forms and short answers