Possessive adjectives tell us who something belongs to. They replace the subject pronoun (I, you, he…) and go directly before a noun. You already know how to say "I have a car" — now you can say "my car".
💡 The Big Difference from Romanian
In Romanian, the possessive changes to match the gender and number of the noun: câinele meu / pisica mea / câinii mei.
In English, the possessive never changes — it only depends on the owner, not what is owned.
"his dog" / "his cat" / "his dogs" — always his, regardless of what he owns.
"Ion has a cat. His cat is orange." / "Maria has a cat. Her cat is orange."
| Subject + verb | Possessive | Romanian |
|---|---|---|
| I have a car. | My car is red. | Mașina mea este roșie. |
| You have a bag. | Your bag is big. | Geanta ta este mare. |
| He has a dog. | His dog is friendly. | Câinele lui este prietenos. |
| She has a cat. | Her cat is orange. | Pisica ei este portocalie. |
| We have a house. | Our house is new. | Casa noastră este nouă. |
| They have a garden. | Their garden is beautiful. | Grădina lor este frumoasă. |
✏️ Practice – Fill in the correct possessive adjective
✏️ Practice – Choose His or Her
Read the context carefully and choose the correct possessive.
There is a second way to show possession in English — the possessive 's. You add 's directly to the owner's name or noun. This is very common with people and animals.
💡 How it works
Add 's to the name or noun of the owner, then add the thing owned.
Ion + 's + car → Ion's car (mașina lui Ion)
Maria + 's + cat → Maria's cat (pisica Mariei)
my brother + 's + job → my brother's job (jobul fratelui meu)
✅ "Ion's car" (not "the car of Ion")
✅ "the end of the street" (not "the street's end")
"Maria's cat is orange." → possessive (pisica Mariei)
"Maria's happy." → contraction of Maria is
Context always makes it clear which one it is.
✏️ Practice – Rewrite using possessive 's
Rewrite each phrase using 's instead of "of".
Asking "Whose?" – Whose bag is this?
Whose is the question word you use to ask about ownership — Al cui este? in Romanian.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Whose car is this? | It's Ion's car. / It's his car. |
| Whose bag is that? | It's Maria's bag. / It's her bag. |
| Whose keys are these? | They're my keys. |
Maria's family is large and close. Her parents live in Sibiu. Her father's name is Gheorghe and he is a retired engineer. Her mother's name is Viorica. She is a teacher. Their house is old but beautiful — it has a large garden and a small orchard.
Maria has one brother, Andrei. Andrei's flat is in Cluj-Napoca, not far from Maria's flat. His flat is modern and has a great view of the city. Andrei's job is in finance. His office is in a tall building near the centre.
Maria has a cat called Mici. Mici's favourite place is the sofa. Her favourite food is tuna. Andrei has a dog. The dog's name is Bruno. Bruno is big and friendly. His favourite activity is walking in the park.
Every Sunday, the whole family meets at their parents' house in Sibiu. Their mother cooks a big lunch and their father tells old stories. It is Maria's favourite day of the week.
Comprehension Questions – Answer in English
2. Andrei's job is in finance.
3. Maria's cat is called Mici. Its favourite place is the sofa.
4. Bruno is Andrei's dog.
5. Sunday is her favourite day. The whole family meets at her parents' house.
Translation – English → Romanian
Translate each sentence using possessive adjectives or possessive 's.
2. Our house is big.
3. Ana's dog is called Bruno.
4. My sister's job is interesting.
5. Their cat sleeps all day.
6. Whose suitcase is this?
7. My father's office is next to the train station.
8. Her book is on the table.
Topic: Describe your family
Write at least 80 words. Use at least 4 different possessive adjectives and at least 3 possessive 's constructions.
- Who is in your family? (parents, siblings, partner, children…)
- What are their names? What are their jobs?
- Where do they live? What do they have?
- Describe one person's pet, car, or home using 's.
Lesson Complete!
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