Comparisons with French Possessives | English Grammar Guide for French Students

• 1 Indicate ownership or relationship between nouns
• 2 Change based on person, number, and gender
• 3 Can function as adjectives or pronouns
• 4 Essential for clear communication

1 my - first person singular
2 your - second person singular/plural
3 his - third person masculine singular
4 her - third person feminine singular
5 its - third person neuter singular
6 our - first person plural
7 their - third person plural

1 mine - first person singular
2 yours - second person singular/plural
3 his - third person masculine singular
4 hers - third person feminine singular
5 its - third person neuter singular
6 ours - first person plural
7 theirs - third person plural

1 mon - masculine singular before consonant, ma - feminine singular, mes - plural
2 ton - masculine singular before consonant, ta - feminine singular, tes - plural
3 son - masculine singular before consonant, sa - feminine singular, ses - plural
4 notre - masculine singular, notre - feminine singular, nos - plural
5 votre - masculine singular, votre - feminine singular, vos - plural
6 leur - masculine singular, leur - feminine singular, leurs - plural

1 le mien, la mienne, les miens, les miennes
2 le tien, la tienne, les tiens, les tiennes
3 le sien, la sienne, les siens, les siennes
4 le nôtre, la nôtre, les nôtres
5 le vôtre, la vôtre, les vôtres
6 le leur, la leur, les leurs

Person	English	French	Notes
1st singular	my	mon, ma, mes	English: no gender agreement
2nd singular	your	ton, ta, tes	English: no gender agreement
3rd masc. singular	his	son	Both languages: same form
3rd fem. singular	her	sa	English: no gender agreement
3rd neuter singular	its	son	English: has neuter form
1st plural	our	notre, nos	French: agrees with noun gender
3rd plural	their	leur, leurs	French: agrees with noun gender

1 French: Possessive adjectives agree with the gender and number of the possessed noun
2 Example: "mon livre" (my book - masculine), "ma maison" (my house - feminine)
3 English: Possessive adjectives do not change for gender or number of the possessed noun
4 Example: "my book", "my house" - same form regardless of noun gender

1 French: Elision occurs with "mon", "ton", "son" before vowel sounds: "mon ami" (not "mon ami")
2 French: Liaison with "mes", "tes", "ses" when followed by vowel
3 English: No elision or liaison rules for possessives
4 Example: "my book" always pronounced the same

• 1 Transferring gender agreement from French: saying "my book" for masculine and "ma book" for feminine (incorrect)
• 2 Overusing gender-specific forms when English doesn't distinguish
• 3 Confusing "its" (English possessive) with "it's" (contraction for "it is")
• 4 Misunderstanding the lack of elision in English possessives

1 ✓ Correct: "my book", "my house", "my car"
2 ✗ Incorrect: "my book" vs "ma house" (transferring French rules)
3 ✓ Correct: "its color" (possessive)
4 ✗ Incorrect: "it's color" (should be "it is color")

1 English: Uses 's for genitive: "John's book", "the children's toys"
2 French: Uses "de" construction: "le livre de Jean", "les jouets des enfants"
3 English: Also uses "of" construction: "the book of John"
4 French: Does not use apostrophe genitive like English

1 English: "a friend of mine", "a book of his"
2 French: "un ami à moi", "un livre à lui"
3 English: Uses "of" + possessive pronoun
4 French: Uses "à" + stressed pronoun

1. "mon chat" → _______ cat

2. "ta voiture" → _______ car

3. "son frère" → _______ brother

4. "mes parents" → _______ parents

5. "notre maison" → _______ house

6. This is _______ book. (I)

7. _______ house is beautiful. (we)

8. _______ car is red. (you - singular)

9. _______ toys are scattered. (children)

10. _______ job is interesting. (he)

1. my

2. your

3. his

4. my

5. our

6. my

7. Our

8. Your

9. Their

10. His

1 For English: "No gender agreement needed!" (unlike French)
2 Remember "its vs it's": "its" shows possession, "it's" means "it is"
3 For French transfer: "In English, my/my/their stays the same regardless of noun gender"
4 Practice with real examples: Compare both languages side by side

• 1 Practice with real objects around you using both languages
• 2 Create side-by-side comparison charts
• 3 Read English texts to see natural usage patterns
• 4 Focus on the key differences first

1 English: Simpler possessive system reflects emphasis on individualism and direct communication
2 French: More complex gender agreement reflects historical grammatical sophistication
3 English: Consistent forms across genders reflect pragmatic language development
4 French: Gendered forms maintain grammatical distinctions from Latin heritage

1 English simplified its possessive system during Middle English period
2 French maintained gender agreement from Latin influences
3 Both systems evolved from Indo-European roots but took different paths
4 Understanding history helps appreciate current differences

• English possessives do not change for gender of the possessed noun
• French possessives agree with the gender and number of the possessed noun
• English has consistent forms regardless of noun gender
• French requires attention to noun gender for possessive agreement
• Both languages have attributive and independent possessive forms

Remember: English possessives stay the same, French change with noun gender!

• Start with the simplest English forms first
• Focus on the gender agreement differences
• Practice translating between languages regularly