A1 · Beginner Chapter 15

Ownership and Possession

3 Total Rules
17 examples
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of describing what you own and what you desire in everyday English.

  • Identify ownership using possessive apostrophes.
  • Differentiate between countable and uncountable items.
  • Express your personal preferences and necessities.
Own your language, express your world.

What You'll Learn

Whose bag is this? In this chapter you will learn how to show ownership using apostrophe s, how to ask whose something is, and how to talk about things you like, want, or need.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: correctly identify the owner of an object using the possessive 's.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: describe your shopping needs using countable and uncountable nouns.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to: state your likes and wants clearly in a social setting.

Key Examples (6)

1

This is Sara's book.

Possessive 's and Whose: Tom's Car, Whose Is This?
2

My brother's car is very old.

Possessive 's and Whose: Tom's Car, Whose Is This?
3

I have two apples and some milk.

Countable and Uncountable Nouns
4

Can I have some water, please?

Countable and Uncountable Nouns
5

I like pizza and pasta.

Like, Want, Need: I Like Coffee / I Want to Eat
6

She likes to read books before bed.

Like, Want, Need: I Like Coffee / I Want to Eat

Tips & Tricks (3)

💡

Names ending in S

You can write 'Boss's' or 'Boss''. Both are correct.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Possessive 's and Whose: Tom's Car, Whose Is This?
💡

The 'Piece' Trick

If you are unsure if a noun is uncountable, try adding 'a piece of' before it. If it makes sense, it's likely uncountable.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Countable and Uncountable Nouns
💡

The 'to' rule

Always check if you have two verbs. If yes, add 'to'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Like, Want, Need: I Like Coffee / I Want to Eat

Key Vocabulary (6)

bag a container for carrying things coffee a hot drink apple a round fruit need to require something want to desire something whose asking for the owner

Real-World Preview

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Lost and Found

Review Summary

  • Owner + 's + Object
  • Countable (a/an/plural) vs Uncountable (some)
  • I + like/want/need + noun

Common Mistakes

In English, we prefer the possessive 's for people rather than 'of'.

Wrong: This is the bag of Tom.
Correct: This is Tom's bag.

Coffee is uncountable. You must add a countable container like 'cup'.

Wrong: I need two coffees.
Correct: I need two cups of coffee.

Like is followed by a noun or a verb with -ing. Do not use 'to' with a noun.

Wrong: I like to coffee.
Correct: I like coffee.

Next Steps

Congratulations on finishing the final chapter of Level A1! You have built a strong foundation for your English journey. Keep practicing and stay curious.

Write a list of 5 things you need for your next trip.

Continue to: Nouns and Quantities

Quick Practice (10)

Fill in the blank.

I ___ to eat.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: want
Subject 'I' takes base form.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Like, Want, Need: I Like Coffee / I Want to Eat

Find the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

The dogs's bone is here.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The dog's bone
Don't double the s.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Possessive 's and Whose: Tom's Car, Whose Is This?

Fill in the blank with the possessive form.

This is ___ (Tom) car.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tom's
Add 's to the name.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Possessive 's and Whose: Tom's Car, Whose Is This?

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I have two pieces of furniture.
Furniture is uncountable.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Fill in the blank with 'a' or 'some'.

I need ___ water.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: some
Water is uncountable.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Select the correct quantifier.

I don't have ___ friends.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: many
Friends is countable.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Fix the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

She want to go.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She wants to go.
3rd person 's'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Like, Want, Need: I Like Coffee / I Want to Eat

Fill in the blank.

She gave me ___ good advice.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: some
Advice is uncountable.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I like coffee.
Like + noun.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Like, Want, Need: I Like Coffee / I Want to Eat

Choose the correct word.

___ is this bag?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose
Whose is for possession.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Possessive 's and Whose: Tom's Car, Whose Is This?

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

Mostly yes, but for inanimate objects, 'of' is often safer in formal writing.
You can add 's or just an apostrophe. Both are accepted.
Information is an uncountable noun in English. You must use 'pieces of information' instead.
No, 'money' is uncountable. You can count 'dollars' or 'euros', but not 'money'.
No, you must say 'I want to eat'.
No, it is very informal.
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