English Language Arts
Grade 6
15 min
Describe the difference between related words
Describe the difference between related words
Tutorial Preview
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify possessive pronouns in various sentences.
Correctly use possessive pronouns to show ownership.
Distinguish possessive pronouns from possessive adjectives.
Differentiate possessive pronouns from contractions that sound similar.
Revise sentences to correct common errors in possessive pronoun usage.
Explain why precise use of possessive pronouns is important for clear communication in writing.
Ever wondered why we say 'That book is mine' instead of 'That book is my'? 🤔 Let's unlock the secret to showing ownership with power!
In this lesson, you'll learn all about possessive pronouns – special words that show who owns something without needing an apostrophe. Understanding these words and how they differ from other simi...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Possessive PronounA word that replaces a noun and shows ownership or possession. It stands alone in a sentence and does not describe another noun.The blue backpack is *mine*.
Possessive AdjectiveA word that modifies (describes) a noun to show ownership. It always comes before the noun it describes.That is *my* blue backpack.
ContractionA shortened form of two words, often using an apostrophe to replace missing letters.It's (it is) a sunny day.
PronounA word that takes the place of a noun or another pronoun.*She* went to the store, and *it* was closed.
AntecedentThe noun or pronoun that a pronoun refers to or replaces.When *Sarah* finished her homework, *she* went outside. (Sarah is the antecedent for 'she')
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Key Rules & Conventions
Possessive Pronouns Stand Alone
Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs) do not modify a noun; they replace a noun phrase and stand by themselves.
Use a possessive pronoun when you want to show ownership without repeating the noun. For example, instead of 'That is John's book, and this is my book,' you can say 'That is John's book, and this is *mine*.'
No Apostrophes for Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns never use an apostrophe to show possession.
This is a key difference! Words like 'its,' 'yours,' 'hers,' 'theirs,' and 'ours' already show possession without an apostrophe. An apostrophe usually signals a contraction (like 'it's' for 'it is')...
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Challenging
Read the paragraph: 'Our team is ready for the championship. Its been a long season, but the players feel that the trophy should be their's. You're going to see a great game.' How many errors related to possessive words and contractions are in this paragraph?
A.Two errors: 'Its' should be 'It's', and 'their's' should be 'theirs'.
B.One error: 'their's' should be 'theirs'.
C.Three errors: 'Our' should be 'Ours', 'Its' should be 'It's', and 'their's' should be 'theirs'.
D.One error: 'You're' should be 'Your'.
Challenging
A student argues, 'An apostrophe-s shows possession, like in 'the dog's bone.' Therefore, to show a book belongs to her, it must be 'her's'.' What is the best counter-argument based on the tutorial?
A.The student is correct because the rule for nouns and pronouns is the same.
B.While apostrophes show possession for nouns, possessive pronouns are a special category of words that have possession built-in and never use apostrophes.
C.The student should use 'hers'' with the apostrophe after the 's' because the word already ends in 's'.
D.The student is confusing a possessive pronoun with a contraction like 'it's'.
Challenging
The following sentence is confusing: 'After the computer updated its software, it stopped working, and it's screen went blank.' How can you revise the sentence for maximum clarity?
A.After the computer updated it's software, it stopped working, and its screen went blank.
B.After the computer updated its software, it's screen went blank and it stopped working.
C.After the computer updated its software, it stopped working, and its screen went blank.
D.The computer stopped working after its update; it's screen went blank.
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