Possessives using ‘s & s’

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Before you learned about the possessive adjectives my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. They are used to show possession over something or someone. You can also use possessives with ‘s and s’ to show possession.[1]https://www.ef.com/wwen/english-resources/english-grammar/forming-possessive/

How to form possessives

possessives

Possessives are formed by adding apostrophe + s after a noun that doesn’t end in “s”.

For example:

  • The house of Michael = Michael’s house (this means Michael owns the house)
  • The car of the company = the company’s car (this means that the company owns the car)
  • Clothes for women = women’s clothes (this is talking about clothing for females in general)
  • The yard of the neighbor = the neighbor’s yard (this means that the neighbor owns the yard)

As you can see, it doesn’t matter if the noun is singular or plural to add ‘s. If the noun doesn’t end in the letter “s”, then you must add ‘s to the end of the word to make it possessive.

The possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe after a noun that already ends in “s”.

For example:

  • The book of Thomas = Thomas’ book (this means that Thomas owns a book)
  • The children of the parents = the parents’ children (this means that there are many parents how have children)
  • The toys of the dogs = the dogs’ toys (this means that there are several dogs who have several toys)

As you can see, it doesn’t matter if the noun is singular or plural to add s’. If the noun already ends in the letter “s”, than you need to add the apostrophe after it.

Proper Pronunciation

When using either ‘s or s’, you need to make sure you are properly pronouncing the word, so that other people understand you are using the possessive when talking.

In both cases, the sound is a “z” sound.

In other words, you would pronounce “Bob’s” as Bobz

Expressions of Time

  • a day’s work
  • today’s news
  • in a month’s time
  • a year’s pay

Practice Exercises

Convert the following sentences to the possessive using either ‘s or s’.

 10%

Question 1 of 10

1. The pants of Lucas

Question 1 of 10

Question 2 of 10

2. The shoes of the basketball player

Question 2 of 10

Question 3 of 10

3. The shirt of Frank

Question 3 of 10

Question 4 of 10

4. The car of the father

Question 4 of 10

Question 5 of 10

5. The nest of the geese

Question 5 of 10

Question 6 of 10

6. The books of Uncle Fred

Question 6 of 10

Question 7 of 10

7. The eggs of the chickens

Question 7 of 10

Question 8 of 10

8. The computer of Charles

Question 8 of 10

Question 9 of 10

9. The opinion of the people

Question 9 of 10

Question 10 of 10

10. The ball of the children

Question 10 of 10


 

References[+]

Common Phrasal Verbs

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Phrasal Verbs

phrasal verbs

Phrasal verbs are groups of words (2 or 3) that when put together form an action.

In many cases they can mean multiple things.

In addition, they are generally used when talking more than in formal writing.[1]https://7esl.com/phrasal-verbs/

phrasal verbs

Take in

We decided take in the stray cats. (adopted the cat)

Turn around

The CEO helped turn around the failing company. (helped improve the failing company)

Turn up

Can you please turn up the volume? (increase the volume)

Turn out

It turned out that she was right all along. (ended up)

Go down

The boat went down to the bottom of the ocean. (sunk)

Bring back

Please bring back the kids before 7pm. (return)

Get in

Get in the car right now! (enter)

Break off

Break off a piece of chocolate for yourself. (take a piece)

Take on

She had to take on a lot of obstacles in her life. (to face, encounter)

Get out

Get out of the car right now! (exit)

Pick up

Do you mind picking up some vegetables at the store for me on your way back? (to take, to get)

Go on

Go on, explain yourself and why you were late. (continue)

Work out

They were able to work out the problem. (fix)

Bring out

The teacher manages to bring out the best from her students. (to reveal)

Point out

The teacher pointed out that if we don’t study, we won’t do well on the test. (to show)

Move on

After breaking up with her boyfriend, it took her a long time to move on. (to keep going, get over)

Give back

The billionaire gave back a lot to his community. (after receiving something to return it)

Move in

The couple decided it was time to move in with each other. (to enter something)

Look back

Look back before getting out the parking space. (to look behind you)

Go over

Make sure to go over the exam a second time before turning it in. (to look at something an additional time)

Come round

The ice cream truck comes round our neighborhood every week. (to return)

Go up

Go up the stairs. (to ascend)

Set up

Don’t forget to set up the camera for the photo shoot. (to prepare)

Bring about

Technology has brought about a lot of change in our society. (to cause)

Look round

We looked around the store. (to browse)

Put out

It took a long time to put out the forest fire. (to extinguish)

Turn off

Can you please turn off the lights for me? (to stop)

Turn back

The police officer said that we had to turn back as the road was not safe. (to turn around, return from the direction you were coming form)

Come off

The stain on my dress won’t come off! (remove)

Turn round

We had to turn round as the road was a dead end. (go back in the direction you were coming from)

Go out

Would you like to go out tonight? (to leave)

Make up

They had a big argument, but later made up. (to fix)

Bring down

Can you bring down some for me too? (to take down)

Take over

The new company took over all the planning. (to take charge)

Break down

There was a break down in communication. (not working correctly)

Give in

The parents finally gave in to their kids demands for ice cream. (to give up and allow)

Sit back

Just sit back and enjoy the ride. (to sit in a relaxed position)

Carry on

They carried on like nothing had happened. (to continue on)

Sit up

Please sit up in your chair! (to sit straight)

Go along

They decided to go along with the plan. (to follow)

Carry out

We carried out the plan without any problems. (proceeded with, executed)

Put off

Your bad attitude is a real put off. (to make someone not like something/someone)

Get off

You need to get off the metro at this station. (to depart)

Take down

Please take down the poster. (to bring down, remove)

Take out

I would like some take out food for dinner. (to bring out something/someone)

Put back

Don’t forget to put it back where you found it. (after taking something, returning it to its original place)

Put down

Please put that down. (to place something on a surface)

Break up

I don’t mean to break up your conversation, but can I talk to you for a moment? (to separate)

Put on

You are really good at putting on a brave face. (to show)

Give up

I will never give up. (to surrender)

Look out

Can you keep a look out for the delivery man? (to regard and search)

Come down

Your Uber driver has just arrived, please come down to meet them. (to descend)

Break out

That was a break out performance! (to suddenly be shown)

Set off

The smoke set off the fire alarms. (to start)

Pick out

You can pick out anything you want from the store to buy. (to choose)

Hold out

The union held out for a better deal. (to continue to not move)

Sit down

Please sit down. (to sit)

Bring in

They brought in a lot of new customers. (to invite)

Hold on

Hold on for a second please. (to wait)

Look down

If you look down the drain, you can see it is clogged. (to look in a downward direction)

Go round

Go round to the other side, the entrance is over there. (to circle around something)

Come back

You can come back in 1 hour for your package. (to return)

Put in

You can put it in the cabinet. (to place something inside something else)

Come over

Would you like to come over and hang out. (to come)

Give out

The store was giving out free samples. (to give)

Find out

I found out that I would be getting a promotion. (to discover)

Move up

Please move up in line. (to move forward)

Get back

I will get back to you in a minute. (to return)

Move out

We moved out of our old apartment. (to leave)

Come in

Come in out of the cold. (to enter)

Get up

I get up at 7 AM every day. (to rise)

Come about

The increase in productivity has come about due to the new technology. (happen)

Look up

You can look it up on the internet. (search)

Go in

Go in the store and buy me some groceries please. (to enter)

Take back

This is broken, I need to take it back to the store. (to return something)

Get through

They need to get through this difficult time in life. (to survive)

Set out

They set out on their hike. (to start)

Take off

I am going to take off my clothes. (to remove)

Make out

The letters were too small to make out. (to perceive)

Come out

Can you please come out to talk to me. (to exit)

Come through

My baggage finally came through the gate. (to exit)

Move back

Move back  one step otherwise the object will hit your head! (to reverse backwards)

Come up

This question will probably come up on the exam. (to appear)

Hold up

Hold up for a second. I have something to tell you. (to stop)

Hold back

The athlete held back during the match. (to not try your hardest)

Get on

Get on the train. (to board/enter)

Take up

I am going to take up a new hobby. (to start)

Go off

The gun went off. (to explode)

Set down

I set down the chair right there. (to place)

Set about

We set about cleaning the house. (to start)

Put up

We put up the Christmas lights. (to build)

Come along

Do you want to come along to the mall? (to join)

Get down

We yelled at the cat to get down from the cabinets. (to get off)

Look around

I was looking around the store. (to regard)

Go through

We went through the tunnel. (to pass through)

Turn down

We had to tell the neighbors to turn down the volume. (to decrease)

Turn over

They turned over a new page. (to change)

Get in

Get in the car. (to enter)

Go back

Can you please go back to the store? (to return)

Bring up

She brought up a sore subject. (to mention)

References[+]

Past Continuous

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In English, the past continuous is used to describe actions that happened in the past. However, unlike the past simple tense, it describes actions that happened for a period of time in the past.[1]https://7esl.com/past-continuous-tense/

past continuous

When do we use the past continuous?

It is important to know when to properly use the past continuous tense.

Parallel Actions

The past continuous is used to describe two actions happening at the same time in the past.

For example:

  • I was studying for the exam, while she was watching tv.
  • They were setting the table, while she was cooking the meal.
  • We were sleeping while it was raining.
  • The class was taking a test, while the teacher was sleeping.

Two Actions

It can also be used to describe when one action is interrupted by another action in the past.

In this case, the first action uses the past continuous tense, while the action that is doing the interrupting uses the past simple tense.

For example:

  • I was washing the dishes, when she said that she had to go.
  • Susie was running when the bike crashed into her.
  • Frank was driving when he received the call.
  • They were walking on the street when it started to rain.

Describe a point in time

The past continuous can describe a period of time in the past.

For example:

  • The truck driver was driving all day yesterday.
  • I was studying all weekend.
  • They were cooking all morning for the Thanksgiving meal.
  • The dog was barking all night long.
  • I was working all weekend.

Repetition

It can be used to describe repetition in the past.

For example,

  • I was taking the bus to school every day when I was young.
  • They were eating at the same restaurant every Friday.
  • We were watching the same movie every Christmas.

Example Exercises

Please go to Past Continuous to view this quiz

References[+]

Modals – should

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The modal “should” talks about giving advice and making recommendations.[1]https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/should-modals It is similar to the modals of “must” and “have to”, but used in a slightly different way.

modal should

Advice

The modal “should” can be used to give advice. In addition, it can be used in the past, present, and future verb tenses.

For example:

Past

  • You should have eaten less for dinner.
  • She should have arrived earlier to class.
  • They shouldn’t have yelled loudly during the movie.

Present

  • I should exercise more regularly.
  • We should eat now.
  • Joe should help us with the housework.

Future

  • Susie should start studying for the test.
  • Mark shouldn’t start complaining.
  • You should start eating more healthily.

Expectation

The modal “should” can be used for expectation. In addition, it can be used in the past, present, and future verb tenses.

For example:

Past

  • We should have arrived by now.
  • They should have been finished by now.
  • Frank should have stopped cooking.

Present

  • I should be arriving now.
  • You shouldn’t be studying now.
  • It should be arriving now.

Future

  • My friends should be arriving in an hour.
  • The plane should be landing in 2.5 hours.
  • The restaurant should be opening in 30 minutes.

Note: you can replace “should” with the words “be supposed to” and “ought to be”.

Obligation

The modal “should” can be used for obligations. There is not negative form when talking using should and talking about obligations.

For example:

  • We should let her know.
  • You should go to sleep.
  • They should be quite.

Note: you can replace “should” with the words “be supposed to”.

Question

You can used the modal should to ask for advice about something. The question form of the modal “should” is:

  • Should I wait for you?
  • Should we tell her about it?
  • Should they let us know?

Example Exercises

Please go to Modals – should to view this quiz

References[+]

Modals – Must vs. Have to

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The modals “must” and “have to” talk about obligation.[1]https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-modals-have-to-must-not.htm The difference between the two types of obligation is if it internal or external.

must

Must

In general, you use “must” to talk about personal opinion. This is subjective. That means, the speaker thinks it is necessary.

must

For example:

  • I must study; otherwise, I won’t do well on the test.

(The implication is that the speaker wants to do well on the test. Therefore, they are going to study. It is not a requirement for them to study.)

  • You must try this sandwich! It is so tasty!

(The implication is that you really should try the sandwich that I think is very tasty. However, if you don’t want to, you are required to.)

  • If I am going to become a professional basketball player, I must practice every day.

(The implication is that it is necessary to practice every day in order to become a professional basketball player. However, neither becoming a professional basketball player nor practicing every day is a requirement.)

Have to

In general, you use “have to” to talk about external rules or opinions. In other words, you use it when rules and other people are telling you to do something. It is not a personal opinion.

have to

For example:

  • In England, you have to drive on the left hand size of the road.

(The implication is that it is the law in England to drive on the left hand side of the road.)

  • I have to wear a uniform at work.

(The implication is that it a requirement to wear a uniform at work.)

  • You have to wait for the stop light to turn green before you can move forward.

(It is the law that you can’t drive through a red light. You must wait for the green light to drive.)

Practice Exercises

Please go to Modals – Must vs. Have to to view this quiz

References[+]

Gerunds

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In English, gerunds are a type of verb form that function as nouns.[1]https://7esl.com/gerunds/#The_Gerund_Can_be_Used_after_Certain_Expressions

Form

Gerunds are formed by taking a verb and adding -ing.

gerunds

When do you use the gerund?

Subject

The gerund form of verbs is used when it is the subject of a sentence.

For example:

  • Learning English is easy!
  • Playing video games is my favorite thing to do.
  • Swimming is my favorite hobby.

Direct Object

The gerund form of verbs is used when it is the direct object of a sentence.

For example:

  • I like eating ice cream.
  • She loves swimming in the pool.
  • They like going to the movies.

Subject Complement

The gerund of verbs is used when it is the subject complement.

For example:

  • My dog’s favorite hobby is sleeping.
  • One of their responsibilities is cleaning the dishes.
  • Their favorite activity is swimming in the lake.

Object of a Preposition

The gerund of verbs is used when it is the object of a preposition.

For example:

  • The teacher said that she would be interested in hearing your excuse as to why you are late to class.
  • I was interested in running a marathon.
  • She is thinking of changing his job.

After Certain Expressions

The gerund form of verbs is used when it is after certain expressions such as it’s no use, it’s no good, there’s no point in.

For example:

  • It’s no use cleaning the floor; it is only going to get dirty again.
  • It’s no good only trying a little bit, you will never succeed.
  • There’s no point going back.

Gerunds vs. Infinitives

It can be confusing to understand when to use gerunds vs. infinitives.

Infinitives are the “to” form of a verb.

The easiest way to remember the difference between the two is:

  1. Gerunds are used with completed, fixed, and real actions.
  2. Infinitives are used with future, abstract, and unreal actions.

A Few Common Verbs Used with Gerunds

  • Admit: I admit making a mistake.
  • Advice: I advise not doing that.
  • Anticipate: She anticipates having to study a lot for the tests.
  • Began: They began eating at 4 pm.
  • Delay: I delayed studying for the exam.
  • Enjoy: He enjoys eating ice cream.
  • Keep: They keep running stop signs.
  • Love: We love running in the rain.
  • Prefer: I prefer sleeping on the left side of the bed.
  • Recommend: They recommended trying the appetizer.
  • Suggest: I suggest studying hard for the test

Practice Exercises

Please go to Gerunds to view this quiz

References[+]

Articles with Countable and Uncountable Nouns

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In English, there are both countable and uncountable nouns. When using them, it is important to know which articles to use with them.[1]https://7esl.com/articles-with-countable-and-uncountable-nouns/

Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns are concepts, materials, and information that cannot be counted.

A few examples include:[2]https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/nouns-countable-un.htm

  • Currency
  • Money
  • Electricity
  • Gas
  • Power
  • Water
  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Rice
  • Milk
  • Music
  • Love
  • Art
  • news

Countable Nouns

Countable nouns are places, people, and objects that can be counted.

For example:

  • 8 kids
  • 4 men
  • 12 apples
  • 6 oranges
  • A car
uncountable nouns

Articles with Uncountable Nouns

The

You can use the article “the” with uncountable nouns to talk about specific things.

For example:

  • The water is very cold.
  • I am listening to the news.
  • I love the art in the museum.

No Article

You can use no article in front an uncountable noun when you are talking about something in general.

For example:

  • He loves listening to music.
  • Milk is an important part of this recipe.

Articles with Countable Nouns

Number

You can use numbers in front of countable nouns.

For example:

  • I have 2 kids.
  • We have 3 dogs, 2 cats, and 6 fish as pets.

A/An

You can use “a/an” in front of singular non-specific countable nouns. This means that you are talking about something in general/nonspecific.

For example:

  • She has a cat.
  • Can I have a book please?
  • Joe is an English teacher.

The

You can use “the” in front of singular and plural specific countable nouns.

  • I like the book.
  • I like the books.

No Article

You can use no article in front of countable nouns when you mean all or any of it.

For example:

I am eating with my friends. (this can mean with some of my friends or all of my friends)

I like dogs. (this means that I like all dogs in general)

She hates cats. (this means that she hates all cats in general)

Practice Exercises

Please go to Articles with Countable and Uncountable Nouns to view this quiz

References[+]

At the Airport

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Look at the airline ticket below and do the exercises for at the airport to improve your English reading skills.[1]https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/beginner-a1-reading/train-station

Preparation

Match the pictures with the corresponding vocabulary words below.

at the airport
  1. Boarding gate ____
  2. terminal ____
  3. airport ____
  4. airplane ____
  5. plane ticket ____
  6. passport ____
1. E 2. F 3. D 4. C 5. A 6. B

Reading

at the airport

Fill in the blank

  1. The airline’s name is _______.
  2. The passenger’s name is _______.
  3. The plane departs from _______.
  4. The boarding ticket is an _______ fare.
  5. The passenger is going to _________.
  6. The flight leave on _____________.
  7. The flight number is _______.
  8. You must go to Gate _____ to board the plane.
1. Blue Airlines 2. Joe Smith 3. Los Angeles 4. Economy 5. Paris 6. 14 June 7. A1982 8. 20A

True or False

Select true or false for each statement.

  1. The flight is on July 15. True/False
  2. The first name of the passenger is Smith. True/False
  3. The destination is Paris. True/False
  4. You can board the plane at 8:00. True/False
  5. The passenger has a business class ticket. True/False
  6. The flight leaves at 8:25. True/False
  7. You can’t board the plane at Gate 20A. True/False
  8. The passenger is leaving from Paris. True/False
  9. The flight number is A1982. True/False
  10. The name of the company is Blue Airlines. True/False
1. False 2. False 3. True 4. True 5. False 6. True 7. False 8. False 9. True 10. True

Discussion

Now that you have read the article about an airport and the vocabulary that goes along with it:

  • Have you ever flown on an airplane before?
  • Where did you go?
  • Did you fly in Economy class?
  • How long was the flight?

If this is too difficult to understand, check out the A1 grammar points to help out!

References[+]

At the Restaurant

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Look at the menu below and do the exercises for at the restaurant to improve your English reading skills.[1]Restaurant

Preparation

Match the pictures with the corresponding vocabulary words below.

food vocabulary
  1. orange juice ____
  2. tea ____
  3. fruit cake ____
  4. salad ____
  5. coffee ____
  6. pizza ____
  7. chicken tenders ____
  8. ice cream ____
  9. nachos ____
  10. cheese burger ____
  11. soda ____
  12. chocolate cake ____
1. D 2. L 3. C 4. B 5. K 6. G 7. A 8. J 9. I 10. F 11. E 12. H

Reading

At the Restaurant

Fill in the blank

  1. Caesar salad costs _______.
  2. _______ costs $9.50.
  3. There are _______ items under drinks.
  4. The three flavors of ice cream are _______, _______, and _______.
  5. Every main dish comes with a _______________.
  6. The cheapest appetizer is _____________.
  7. ____________ pizza is cheaper than ____________ pizza.
  8. Nachos cost _______.
1. $3.99 2. Cheese burger 3. 5 (five) 4. vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry 5. side of fries 6. Caesar salad 7. Cheese, meat 8. $4.99

True or False

Select true or false for each statement.

  1. You can’t eat salad at this restaurant. True/False
  2. The place sells desserts. True/False
  3. There are three different types of pizza. True/False
  4. All main dishes come with fries. True/False
  5. There are four different flavors of ice cream. True/False
  6. The most expensive item on the menu is meat pizza. True/False
  7. There are four different items for appetizers. True/False
  8. It costs $1.98 per scoop of ice cream. True/False
  9. The restaurant sells sea food. True/False
  10. You can’t buy coffee from the restaurant. True/False
1. False 2. True 3. False 4. True 5. False 6. True 7. True 8. False 9. False 10. False

Grouping

Group the food in the following categories.

ice cream/chicken tenders/fruit cake/nachos/coffee/cheese burger/chocolate cake/orange juice/tea/soda/salad/pizza

Appetizer: ___________________________________

Main Meal: __________________________________

Drinks: ______________________________________

Desserts: _____________________________________

Appetizer: nachos, salad Main Meal: chicken tenders, cheese burger, pizza Drinks: coffee, orange juice, tea, soda Desserts: ice cream, fruit cake, chocolate cake

Discussion

Now that you have read the article about a restaurant and the vocabulary that goes along with it:

  • What items on the menu do you like?
  • What would you order for appetizer, main dish, drinks, and dessert?
  • Would you go to this restaurant?

If this is too difficult to understand, check out the A1 grammar points to help out!

References[+]

Present Continuous Tense

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The present continuous tense is made from the present simple tense of the verb “to be” and a verb + ing.[1]https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/present-continuous

Subject + to be + verb –ing

present continuous tense

When do we use the present continuous tense?

Action happening right now

The present continuous tense is used to talking about an action that you are doing right at the moment.

Positive

  • I am studying English right now!
  • You are watching a movie.
  • He/she/it is eating dinner.
  • We are studying for an exam.
  • They are going to school right now.

Negative

  • I am not studying English right now.
  • You are not watching a movie.
  • He/she/it is not eating dinner.
  • We are not studying for an exam.
  • They are not going to school right now.

Question

  • Am I studying English right now?
  • Are you watching a movie?
  • Is he/she/it watching a movie?
  • Are we studying for an exam?
  • Are they going to school right now?

Action happening around right now

The present continuous tense is also used to talk about events that is happening right now but is not yet finished.

Positive

  • I am reading a great book.
  • You are cooking dinner.
  • He/she/it is learning French.
  • We are eating dinner.
  • They are taking a test.

Negative

  • I am not reading a great book.
  • You are not cooking dinner.
  • He/she/it is not learning French.
  • We are not eating dinner.
  • They are not taking a test.

Question

  • Am I reading a great book?
  • Are you cooking dinner?
  • Is he/she/it learning French?
  • Are we eating dinner?
  • Are they taking a test?

When do you not use it?

Do not use the present continuous tense verb conjugation with stative verbs. Stative verbs show a state of being.[2]https://www.grammarly.com/blog/present-continuous/

When using stative verbs you should just use the present tense.

For example:

I am preferring chocolate ice cream to vanilla ice cream. (incorrect)

I prefer chocolate ice cream to vanilla ice cream. (correct)

Practice Exercises

Please go to Present Continuous Tense to view this quiz

References[+]