Intermediate Possessives

Table of Contents

  • With Other Determiners
  • Own
  • On My Own & By Myself

With Other Determiners

A possessive cannot be put before another determiner and a noun . One can say John’s friend, my friend, a friend or that friend but one cannot say a John’s friend, that my friend, the construction of + possessive is used.

Examples:

  • A friend of mine is coming to stay next week.
  • That neighbour of his saved his life.
  • It was a good idea of yours to go to the clinic.

On can also say a friend of John’s or a friend of my sister’s.

Examples:

  • The person who has bought the house next door to you, is a  psychiatrist.
  • It was a good idea of Jim’s to take her temperature .

Own

Own can only be used after a possessive word – it cannot follow an article ie: an own house.

Examples:

  • Fred has just bought his own car.
  • It’s my own fault that it’s so cold in here, I forgot to shut the window.
  • Unfortunately the flat hasn’t got it’s own garage, so we have to park on the street.

Own can also be used to say that you do something yourself, rather than someone else doing it for you.

Examples:

  • My mother always cuts her own hair.
  • Do you do your own pilates exercises?

On my Own & By Myself

On my own and by myself both mean alone.

Examples:

  • She seems quite happy on her own.
  • They can manage to cook lunch by themselves.
  • Peter was on his own when he had the heart attack.
  • You should not ski off piste on your own in case you have  an accident.

Note that there are two meanings of on one’s own.

Examples:

  • The old lady lives on her own now. (Without anybody else.)
  • He managed to look after his aged mother on his own. (Without any help from anybody).
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