MULTIMEDIA-ENGLISH
ACTIVITY SHEET (created by the user: Profe)

Before doing this activity you may need to read the text you will find at the end


  SmartMemo
Saxon Genitive: special cases
Focus Grammar
Description Let's practise with some special cases of the Saxon Genitive.
Instructions 1- Look at the sentences and try to express the same idea in the other language. 2- Move your mouse over the black button to check your answer. 3- If you were right, click on the green button, if wrong, click on the red.
 
Item Match Comments
Él está en lo alto de la pared He is at the top of the wall
Este es mi teléfono y este es el de Rosa This is my phone and that's Rosa's
¿Es este el periódico de hoy? Is this today's newspaper?
Los jugadores del Real Madrid están celebrando la victoria Real Madrid's players are celebrating their victory
Ayer estuve en casa de Ben Yesterday I was at Ben's también: in Ben's house
Ven a tomar algo al bar Richard Come and have something to drink at Richard's también: Richard's bar (pero no hace falta)
No me gusta tu coche, perfiero el de tu hermano I don't like your car, I prefer your brother's
My padre ha salido. Está en casa de mi abuela My father's out. He's at my grandmother's también: at my grandmother's house
Fue un viaje de tres días It was a three-days' trip Cuando usamos números también es corriente la construcción: noun + noun
It was a three-day trip
La fiesta del sábado que viene es a las 10 Next Saturday's party is at 10
El invierno del año pasado fue muy frío Last year's winter was very cold
La pata de la silla está rota The leg of the chair is broken
Este libro es tuyo? - No, es de Megan Is this book yours? - No, it's Megan's
Los ojos de mi perro son marrones My dog's eyes are brown
Las ventanas del palacio son rojas The windows of the palace are red
Tenemos que pintar la puerta de la cochera We need to pain the door of the garage
La cabeza del león es muy grande The lion's head is very big
Los domingos vamos a la iglesia de Saint Peter On Sundays we go to Saint Peter's también: to Saint Peter's church (pero no hace falta)
Casi todos los trabajadores de Coca-Cola están de vacaciones Most Coca-Cola workers are on holiday
¿De quién es esta silla? - Es de Henry Whose is this chair? - It's Henry's
Total number of items: 20
This is an activity from Multimedia-English www.multimedia-english.com
 

To learn the basic use of the Saxon Genitive click here: Saxon Genitive.

We use 'S to express possession when talking about people:

Phoebe has a cat This is Phoebe's cat

 

SPECIAL CASES

We can also use it with time words and expressions:

Today's newspaper
Come to next Saturday's party
It was a three-weeks' journey

We often use it when talking about things referring to people (countries, organizations, firms...)

Italy's first president was De Nicola
Manchester United's players are in Egypt
Bill Gates revealed Microsoft's plans for the future

We can also use the 'S with animals, especially your pets and big animals

My dog's leg is broken = The leg of that dog is broken
The elephant's baby is very cute = The baby of the elephant...

  We can use the  'S  as a pronoun when the noun has been mentioned or it is understood

Is that Peter's car? - No, that's Kevin's  (= Kevin's car)
This is my book and this is Mike's

For the same reason, when the context is clear we don't mention the "thing" possessed when we are talking about some places: people's house, shop, church or firm

Yesterday I went to Susan's   (Susan's house)
We had a beer at Paco's   (Paco's bar)
They got married at St Joseph's   (=St Joseph's church)
I went to the baker's    (=the baker's shop)
I must go to the doctor's   (=the doctor's office)