Possessive pronouns in Russian. Possessive pronouns in English Possessive pronouns with English transcription

A pronoun is a part of speech that is used instead of a name. Not "Peter Vasilyevich", but "he", not "the author of these lines", but "I". Possessive pronouns, just like personal pronouns, allow you to make a message more concise. Compare: “Peter Vasilyevich’s shoes” and “his shoes”. in English, as well as in Russian, they answer the questions “whose” (Whose?), “to whom does it belong?”.

This is my hat. - This is my hat.

Her cat trampled on my tulips! - Her cat trampled on my tulips!

Your offer is very attractive, but I've already found the job. - Your offer is very attractive, but I have already found a job.

Types of pronouns

Possessive pronouns in English can be divided into two large groups depending on what kind of grammatical form they take - absolute or relative. Pronouns in absolute form are quite independent, while relative pronouns cannot be used autonomously - only before a noun.

Compare:

This is my suitcase (This is my suitcase). - This suitcase is mine (This suitcase is mine).

As you can see, in Russian the form of the pronoun has not changed. In both cases, we use the same word - "my". However, these two sentences have a different semantic emphasis. The second statement is more categorical. But it's not only that. An independent possessive pronoun is often necessary in order not to clutter up speech with unnecessary repetition. For example, take this dialogue:

No, it is not my car. (No, this is not my car.).

And now another version of the same dialogue:

Is it your car? (This is your car?).

No, it is not mine. (No, not mine.).

And if two people know what they are talking about, then the dialogue can look even shorter.

Is it yours? (This yours?).

No, it isn't mine. (No, not mine).

Relative possessive pronouns in English, as already mentioned, are used only before nouns. There are several subtleties: if there is a pronoun, then the article is no longer needed. A pronoun can be followed by another adjective. For example: my funny red ball is my funny ringing ball. However, there are two adjectives that are used before relative possessive pronouns: both (both) and all (all). For example: All my balls are red (All my balls are red).

A summary table of pronouns in English is given below.

Main difficulties

Learning forms is usually easy, just like understanding and translating English texts. But when translating back, from Russian into English, some difficulties arise. For example, "I called him" and "this is his hat." It would seem that we see here two completely identical words - “his”. But can we translate them the same way? If you understand the essence of possessive pronouns well, then you will not get confused in this situation. The possessive pronoun is used here only in the second case. Whose hat is this? - His. That is - his. But in the sentence “I called him,” the pronoun in no way characterizes ownership. This is a pronoun in the genitive case, answering the question "who?", respectively, here you need to use the pronoun he in the genitive case - him.

There is another common mistake. In Russian there is a universal pronoun "his". There is no such thing in English, we will say instead of “ours” - her, instead of “ours” - theirs, and so on. And what is important, this pronoun in some cases replaces the definite article, especially before nouns that mean personal things, close people or parts of the body. For example, "He put on his glasses." As you can see, we consider it superfluous to indicate that he put on his own glasses. This is implied. When building a phrase in English, we must use either a possessive pronoun before the word glasses. In this case, it is the pronoun that will sound more natural. He puts on his glasses.

How to learn possessive pronouns in English

On the advice of experienced teachers, it will not be difficult to study grammar if you follow these rules: take your time, analyze all the grammar rules with examples, and make tables yourself. In fact, pronouns are one of the simplest topics that the English language contains. Exercises in which possessive pronouns are repeated in one form or another can be found in a wide variety of tasks. The main exercise to consolidate the above material, which is found in textbooks or tests, is sentences with missing words, where you need to insert the correct form of the possessive pronoun. In most cases, to master this topic, it is enough to complete 4-5 of these exercises and analyze several texts.

In English, each personal pronoun corresponds to a possessive pronoun that expresses ownership and answers the question whose? - whose?

Possessive pronouns have two forms: basic and absolute. Pronouns of the first or main form perform the function of definition in the sentence and stand before the noun. Pronouns of the second or absolute form replace the noun itself in the sentence.

Pronouns-adjectives (basic form)

The possessive pronoun in this form always comes before the noun to which it refers and is pronounced without stress. Being a determiner of a noun, it excludes the use before it:

I left my books on his table. I left my (my) books on his desk.
I couldn't find their house. I couldn't find their house.

If the noun is preceded by other definitions, then the possessive pronoun is placed before them:

Where is my red pencil?) Where is my red pencil?

But the possessive pronoun, like the article, is placed after all and both:

All my pencils are in that box. All my pencils are in this box.
Both his brothers live there. Both of his brothers live there.

Possessive adjectives can be followed by own - own, own , reinforcing the meaning of the pronoun:

This is my own car. - This is my own car.
He saw it with his own eyes. - He saw it with his own eyes

A design on one's own means alone, alone as well as on your own, on your own :

She does all the cooking on her own. She cooks everything herself.
I like being on my own. I love being alone.

Russian possessive pronoun "own"

In English there is no special form of the possessive pronoun corresponding to the Russian pronoun " mine" . It is translated by one of the possessive pronouns: my, mine, his, her, hers etc. depending on the person and number of the subject:

I use my notes. - I use my notes.
They love their children. - They love their children.

note that English possessive pronouns are also used in cases where in Russian the pronoun " mine" absent (implied). Possessives are obligatory for nouns denoting parts of the body, items of clothing, personal belongings, family relations, and are usually not translated into Russian. In this case, you can not use the article instead of the possessive pronoun the.

Take off your coat. (but not the coat) - Remove your coat.
The dog wagged its tail. - The dog wagged its tail.
The woman put his hand into his pocket and took out his wallet. The woman reached into her pocket and pulled out her purse.

If this noun does not refer to the performer of the action, but to the object of the action, then it is used, for example:

She took the child by the hand. She took the child by the hand. (here "hand" does not belong to the performer of the action)

Noun pronouns (absolute form)

In English, possessive pronouns in this form are used instead of nouns, which means that nouns are never placed after this form. These pronouns can perform the function of a subject, object, or nominal part of a predicate in a sentence:

1) As a subject:

This is not my pen, mine is red. - This is not my pen, my red one.
My room is large, yours is larger. My room is big, yours is bigger.
Where are all our toys? - Mine are here. - Where are all our toys? - Mine are here.

2) Direct addition:

His room is larger than hers. - His room is bigger than hers.
Our plan is better than theirs. (instead of their plan) - Our plan is better than theirs.

3) The nominal part of the compound predicate (another name is the predicate):

Whose pencil is this? - It's hers. - Whose pencil is this? - Hers.
Here is your hat, but where is mine? Here is your hat, where is mine?
That "s her own business, not yours. - This is her business, not yours.

A pronoun in English is an independent part of speech, indicating a specific object or group of objects, without clearly naming any of them exactly. It usually replaces the noun that acts as the subject of the sentence. This is done in order to avoid repetition in speech when a person or object has already been named in a sentence.

Personal pronouns - Personal pronouns

Personal pronouns indicate the object performing the action, without naming it, the group to which it belongs. In English, subject pronouns are most often placed before the verb-predicate.

Table of subject personal pronouns

In speech, the English replace any inanimate object, regardless of the gender of the noun, with the pronoun "it".

The river is beautiful. It is beautiful. - This river is beautiful. She is beautiful.

The novel is endless. It is endless. - This novel is endless. He is endless.

Also through "it" they refer to animals and newborns, whose gender is unknown to the speakers.

The baby is laughing. It is laughing. - The kid laughs. He/she laughs.

The dog is crying at the moon. It is crying at the moon. - The dog howls at the moon. He/she howls at the moon.

If the gender is clear, then the appeal becomes more specific.

Beethoven is the first dog the children saw on TV. He is the first dog the children saw on TV. - Beethoven (he) is the first dog that children saw on TV.

"It" can also refer to impersonal pronouns when the English sentence refers to the weather, seasons, natural phenomena, etc., where there is clearly no person performing the action:

• It snows - It's snowing.
• It is a good day - Good day.
• It is warm today - It's warm today.

Through "they" ("they") indicate both inanimate (indefinite gender) and animate objects.

Mike, Henry and Ted are triplets. They are triplets. - Mike, Henry and Ted are triplets. They are triplets.

Tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots are vegetables. They are vegetables. Tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots (they) are vegetables.

Objective case

In the "objective" (by analogy with the genitive / dative / prepositional / instrumental) case, personal pronouns change form.

Declension table for object personal pronouns

Call him, please, that I am already at home. - Tell him, please, that I'm already at home.

Possessive pronouns - Possessives

Possessive pronouns in English answer the question "whose?" and denote belonging to someone or something. In the attached form, they are placed before the noun belonging to the person (or object) about which the story is in progress.

If the possessive pronoun is at the end or beginning of a sentence in absolute form (that is, it replaces a noun), then in most cases it modifies its form to make a semantic stress (emphasis) on the word.

This library is mine. This library is mine.

Those bags are ours. Those bags are ours.

This is not my pen. Mine is red. - It's not my pen. Mine is red.

There are verbs after which, instead of a possessive pronoun, you must use the definite article "the" when talking about body parts:

• hit - hit;
• kiss - kiss;
• bite - bite;
• touch - touch;
• sting - sting;

She kissed me on my cheek. She kissed me on the cheek. She kissed me on the cheek.

The bee stung Mike on his ear. The bee stung Mike on the ear. The bee stung Mike in the ear.

Reflexive pronouns - Reflexive pronouns

Reflexive pronouns in English are used when we say that someone has done an action on himself: burned, hit, washed, etc. The difficulty lies in the fact that Russian and English verbs do not always coincide in reflexivity: not every reflexive verb in the Russian language will be reflexive in English as well.

His sister can always laugh at herself. - His sister always knows how to laugh at herself.

Mary taught herself how to take photos. - Masha learned to take photos.

He has just burnt himself. - He just got burned.

A reflexive pronoun can never be placed after a preposition of place.

He looked behind himself. He looked behind him. - He looked back.

List of verbs followed by reflexive pronouns:

• behave - behave;
• burn - burn;
• cut - cut, cut;
• enjoy - enjoy;
• hurt - hurt;
• kill - kill;
• look at - look at;
• laugh at - laugh at;
• introduce - introduce yourself;
• dry - to dry;
• teach - teach.

Reflexive pronouns are not allowed after the following verbs:

• wash - wash;
• shave - shave;
• dress - put on;
• allow - allow;
• complain - complain;
• meet - meet;
• relax - relax;
• stand up - get up;
• get up - wake up;
• sit down - sit down;
• wake up - wake up.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked in the mirror.

He gets up at ten. He wakes up at ten.

She repaired the car herself. She fixed the car herself.

He'd like to find someone kinder than himself. He would like to find someone kinder than himself.

Demonstrative pronouns - Demonstratives

Demonstrative pronouns in English are used to indicate the physical, spatial or temporal remoteness of the described subject or object.

This man is your new neighbor. This man is your new neighbor.

This week Jane is going to have her hair dyed. Jane is going to get her hair done this week.

That year we were in Italy. We were in Italy that year.

That's what I mean! - That's what I mean!

Interrogative and relative pronouns - Interrogative and relative pronouns

Interrogative pronouns in English are used to form special questions. Relative - to express uncertainty about the subject or object in subordinate affirmative sentences.

What she really wants to know is where the building was located a hundred years ago. - What she really wants to know is where the building was a hundred years ago.

I don't know who has burnt all the documents in a fireplace. - I don't know who burned all the documents in the fireplace.

It's a writer whose books became bestsellers. - This is a writer whose books have become bestsellers.

The notebook, which she left in her room yesterday, suddenly disappeared. The notebook she left in the room yesterday suddenly disappeared.

With whom are you going to the concert? Who are you going to the concert with?

Indefinite pronouns - Indefinite pronouns

Indefinite pronouns in English are used in cases where the object or subject in question is unknown or too generalized.

"Some" on approval

"Any" when negated

Those pronouns that begin with "some" are used in affirmative sentences or in polite questions. "Any" - in negative and interrogative sentences. The rest can be used in sentences of various types, focusing on the context.

Can anybody help them finish their work? - Can anyone help them finish the job?

Someone has forgotten the glasses on a table. Someone forgot their glasses on the table.

Everything changes when you do what you like. Everything changes when you do what you love.

No one tried to recognize what had been written there. - No one tried to understand what is written there.

Someone is calling: answer, please. - Someone is calling: answer, please.

The audience hadn't seen anyone better than that actress. - The public has not met anyone better than that actress.

Nobody wanted to listen to his speech. Nobody wanted to hear him speak.

Has anything changed in you since your childhood? Has anything changed in you since childhood?

Everyone was sure that they are talking to a human, but none of them appeared to be right. - Everyone was sure that he was talking to a person, but no one was right.

Shall I tell anyone about your solution? Should I tell anyone about your decision?

English possessive pronouns- a basic topic for language learners. They are in many ways similar to the corresponding pronouns in Russian, but they have their own characteristics. What - we will tell in this article.

One of the differences between English and Russian is that possessive pronouns have two types: simple and absolute form. Let's figure out what this difference is and how not to get confused in different forms.

Possessive pronouns

Possessive pronouns indicate the ownership of an object. They are used when we want to say that this item is mine, yours, or, for example, his.

Possessive pronouns are formed from personal ones. Personal forms replace nouns and stand in the position of the subject. They vary in person, number, and gender. Let's remember what personal pronouns look like in English:

For every personal pronoun there is a formpossessive pronoun in English:

These forms are called relative possessive or simple possessive. They can replace nouns with the indicator 's or the construction with the preposition of to convey the idea of ​​belonging.

Philip’s house / house of Philip - Philip's house → His house - His house

The form is determined through the gender, number and person of the person to whom the object belongs. The number of objects in question does not affect the form of the pronoun: the pronoun does not agree in number with the object. Let's demonstrate with examples:

my / your / his / her books - my / your / his books

our / your / their book - our / your / their book

The meaning of possessive pronouns is to convey the connection between the subject and the person to whom the subject belongs. When we say "mine" or "our", we indicate to whom the object belongs. But a reference to a noun does not mean direct possession of the subject, as, for example, in the phrases my house (my house), his book (his book). The value of belonging can be indirect and only indicate who we refer to in such constructions:

his passion for drawing - his passion for drawing
my homework - my homework

Such pronouns can also refer to animate persons:

your grandmother - your grandmother
his child - his child

Typical usagepossessive pronouns in English- indication of body parts:

my arm - my hand
his head - his head
He took my hand - He took my hand

Possessive pronouns can be added to the construction with a full noun:

my husband's house / house of my husband - my husband's house

Use in a sentence

Simple possessive pronouns in Englishare placed before nouns and are not used without it.

The function of such pronouns is the function of the adjective. They answer the question "whose?" and characterize the following object: my room (my room) / our son (our son) / his game (his game).

When combined with a noun, possessive pronouns can take different positions in a sentence. For example, to act as a subject definition:

My pen is on the table - My pen is on the table

Their car looks like a new one - Their car looks like new

Your grandmother is such a nice person - Your grandmother is such a nice person

A noun with a possessive pronoun can take the position of a direct object:

I can't find my pen - I can't find my pen

She invited my wife - She invited my wife

Or stand in the position of an indirect object:

I will be in their house this Sunday - I will be in their house this Sunday

I was there with your father - I was there with your father

He wants to talk to our son - He wants to talk to our son

With a possessive pronoun, the use of the article is not possible. The pronoun itself in sentences replaces the article:

We have just seen a car - We just saw a car

We have just seen his car - We just saw his car

The book is on the table - The book on the table

Also cannot be used together.possessive and demonstrative pronouns in English.

We have just seen that car - We just saw that car

We have just seen his car - We just saw his car

This book is on the table - This book is on the table

Your book is on the table - Your book is on the table

Adjectives can be added to constructions with possessive pronouns. Such definitions refer to the subject, the belonging of which is reported in the phrase. The position of the adjective in this case is between the possessive pronoun and the noun to which it refers:

We have just seen his new car - We have just seen his new car

Your blue pen is on the table - Your blue pen is on the table

I will see their wonderful house this Sunday - I will see their wonderful house this Sunday

Absolute possessives

Absolute possessive pronouns in Englishdiffer in form from relative ones. For them, the first person singular form of my becomes mine, and in other persons and numbers, the ending -s is added. Since the simple possessive form of the pronoun he already ends in -s (his), no additional indicator is added here and the absolute form is the same as the simple one.

Forms of absolute possessive pronouns:

• mine - mine
• yours - yours
• his - his
• hers - her
• ours - our
• yours - your
• theirs - theirs

Let's add absolute forms to the table we already knowpersonal and possessive pronouns in English:

Note that the inanimate it does not form an absolute possessive form, and pronoun its not used as such. In such cases, it is possible to use only the simple form of the pronoun with a noun:

The cat plays with its toy - The cat plays with its toy

The formation of the absolute form will be incorrect:

The cat plays with its toy and the dog with its → The cat plays with its toy and the dog with its ball - The cat plays with its toy, and the dog with its ball

Using absolute possessives in a sentence

The difference between the absolute form of possessive pronouns is that they do not adjoin the corresponding nouns, but are used independently. Their function in a sentence is that of a noun, not an adjective. Therefore, sometimes such pronouns are called independent.

When the absolute formEnglish possessive pronounstands in the position of the subject, this means that the noun has already been used in speech. Since there is no noun in such forms, its appearance earlier in the text is necessary to determine which object is being discussed.

Where is your book? Mine is on the table - Where is your book? mine is on the table

Such pronouns can appear in sentences as part of the predicate:

This pen is mine - This is my pen

The whole world is yours - The whole world is yours

Another use of independent possessive pronouns is constructions with the preposition of to indicate the ownership of an object.

John is my friend → John is a friend of mine - John is my friend

Absolute forms of possessive pronouns can appear in various positions in a sentence. For example, as a subject:

My husband prefers to stay at home and yours adores travelling - My husband prefers to stay at home, and yours loves to travel

Or in direct object position:

I cannot find my book, I only see yours - I cannot find my book, I only see yours

Independent possessives are also used in place of an indirect object:

He always spends time with their children and never with ours - He always spends time with their children and never with ours

As in the case of simple forms of possessive pronouns, absolutes cannot be used together with articles. Also cannot be used together.possessive and demonstrative pronoun in English. Such suggestions would be wrong.

Error: We have just seenthe his car. But the hers looks more fashionable.

Correctly: We have just seen his car. But herslooks more fashionable - We just saw his car. But her car looks more stylish.

Error: I can't find that book butthis yours is on the table.

Correctly: I can't find that book butyoursis on the table - I can't find that book, but yours is on the table.

Unlike simple forms of possessive pronouns, independent ones do not allow the use of adjectives. Since such words are not used with nouns, the adjective that is attached to the noun is impossible in such constructions. If the speaker wants to use an adjective, then the absolute form must be replaced by a combination of a simple possessive with a noun.

Error: We have just seen his car. Buther new looks more fashionable.

Correctly: We have just seen his car. Buther new carlooks more fashionable - We just saw his car. But her new car looks more stylish.

Error: I can't find my pen butyour red is on the table.

Correctly: I can't find my pen but your red penis on the table - I can't find my pen, but your red pen is on the table.

Use of independentpossessive pronouns in Englishallows you to get rid of unnecessary repetition of words. From the use of such pronouns, it is already clear which object is being referred to, so the repeated use of a noun is redundant. Compare the following sentences:

This pen is my pen → This pen is mine (This is my pen)

Where is your book? My book is on the table → Where is your book? Mine is on the table (Where is your book? Mine is on the table)

My husband prefers to stay at home and your husband adores travelling → My husband prefers to stay at home and yours adores travelling (My husband prefers to stay at home, and yours loves to travel)

I cannot find my pen, I only see your pen → I cannot find my pen, I only see yours (I can't find my pen, I only see yours)

He always spends time with their children and never with our children → He always spends time with their children and never with ours (He always spends time with their children and never with ours)

Often independent formsEnglish possessive pronounsused as an opportunity to oppose one object to another:

We have just seen his car. But hers looks more fashionable - We just saw his car. But her car looks more stylish.

I can't find my book but yours is on the table - I can't find my book, but yours is on the table.

As we can see, there are many differences between simple and absolute forms in English. The two kinds of possessive pronouns differ in form and in their use in sentences. But despite this, the meaning of the two types of pronouns when translated into Russian is the same.

As you know, all parts of speech are divided into independent and auxiliary. As in Russian, pronouns in English belong to an independent part of speech, which denotes an object or is its attribute, but does not name persons and objects directly. These words do not name relations and properties, they do not give a spatial or temporal characteristic.

Pronouns (Pronouns) in English replace the noun, which is why they are called “in place of the name” - He, you, it. These words can also be used instead of an adjective - Such, that, these. As in Russian, so in English, there are a lot of such lexical units, but it is necessary to know them and use them correctly. Therefore, we proceed directly to the study.

According to their meaning, Pronouns can be classified into several groups. I suggest that you familiarize yourself with this classification and the features of each of the groups:

Personal (Personal) - the most important and common pronouns. In a sentence, they act as the subject. And the word "I (I)" is always capitalized, regardless of whether it is at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. And the pronoun you (you, you) expresses both the plural and the singular.

It should also be remembered that lexemes he (he) and she (she) use when they want to designate an animated person, and it- to refer to animals, abstract concepts and inanimate objects. BUT "they" It is used both for inanimate objects and for animate persons.

Personal pronouns in English are declined by case. In the case when they play the role of a subject in a sentence, they are in the nominative case, and when they play the role of an object, they are in the object case. To make it clearer to you, study the table

Possessive pronouns

English possessive pronouns (Possessive) we discussed in detail in the previous article. But still, let me remind you that they express belonging, have two forms - an adjective and a noun, answer the question “Whose?” and do not change in numbers. There is also a special absolute form. Look at the table, how Possessive Pronouns are declined:

Demonstrative pronouns in English

Demonstrative or demonstrative - point to a person or object. Demonstrative pronouns in English do not change by gender, but decline by number, that is, they have singular and plural forms. Wherein " this"They call an object that is next to the speaker, and the word" that” denotes an object located at a considerable distance.

In addition, “that” can be translated into Russian as “this, this”. Demonstrative pronouns in English in a sentence can act as a subject, object, attribute or noun.

Reflexive pronouns in English

Reflexive or reflexive - express a reflexive meaning, show that the action is directed to the actor himself, therefore, reflexive pronouns in English in a sentence correspond in form to the subject.

Their distinguishing feature is that they end in "- self"in the singular or "- selves" in plural)". In Russian, this is the verbal suffix “-sya (-s)” or the pronoun “himself (himself, himself, himself)”: He cut himself - He cut himself

Indefinite pronouns in English

Indefinite is one of the most numerous groups of English pronouns. In sentences, nouns and adjectives can be replaced. Indefinite pronouns in English can be conditionally divided into words, formed from “no” (no, not at all), “any” (any, a few, a little) and “some” (a few, a little).

Other Indefinite Pronouns include: every, each, both, all, few, little, many, much.

Interrogative pronouns in English

Interrogatives are very similar to relative ones, but perform completely different functions in a sentence where they are subject, adjective or object: Who is there? - Who's there? Sometimes they can be a nominal part of the predicate. Interrogative pronouns in English are also called "question words":

• who? - who?
• which? - which?
• whom? - whom? to whom?
• where? - where?
• what? - what?
• whose? - whose?
• when? - when?
• why? - why?

Other pronouns

We have looked at the main and more numerous pronouns in more detail, but there are other groups of pronouns in English:

• Universal: all, both, everyone, everybody, everything, every, either, each
• Dividers: another, other
• Negative: no, nobody, nothing, no one, neither, none
• Relative: that, which, whose, who