Possessive Nouns, Inanimate Nouns - English Grammar with JenniferESL

[@stunninglad1]

I must confess to never using an apostrophe after 'week' or 'month' when saying 'I must give two weeks notice' or 'We get two months redundancy pay.' I will from now on. So, a possessive adjective example would be 'Jennifer's laptop is a good one.' A noun modifier doesn't go by the term 'possessive adjective,' an example being: 'the garden tools.' This makes sense as the garden doesn't own the tools, just like the laptop didn't own the cord. A terrific lesson, Jennifer.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+stunninglad1 When I prepared this lesson, I saw quite a lot of instances where the apostrophe wasn't used. I think it's often a case of prescriptive vs. descriptive grammar. Most language specialists teach the use of the apostrophe, but I think we need to acknowledge it's not done consistently by everyone. However, in the news the rules are observed fairly well. Look in the video description. I list a couple sources. My copy of Greenbaum and Quirk is getting old, but for the most part I like their explanations. One, I admit, I didn't fully agree with. They listed "England's cheeses," but I think phrase like "California wines" and "French cheeses" are more common. It's worth doing more research on this.

[@stunninglad1]

Thank you, Jennifer. One important point about the apostrophe, which you of course know but your students may not, is that without it, the noun looks plural: Jennifers lessons are fun. The cars wheels have been cleaned. The dinners main ingredient has been prepared. So, apostrophes are used in contractions, noun modifiers and in possessive nouns. I think further lessons in this area would be well received. I have noticed that You Tube viewers like the subject of punctuation. As for writing 'England's cheeses: One would normally say 'English cheeses.' i never hear much about American cheeses by the way. I'm not even sure if you fine people even make them over there. He-he!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+stunninglad1 Yes, commas are a helpful punctuation mark. :) Actually we have a type called "American cheese." Kids usually love it. It's a kind of processed cheese used for sandwiches. I miss the cheeses I ate in Russia.

[@mxwu9639]

You are such a great teacher, Jennifer! 😊

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you for your kind support!

[@Iammrunkown]

Absolutely right!!!

[@didiercampaz4759]

you know what i love about you, the patient you take to speak and explain it's a natural ability. keep up the excellent work

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+Didier Campaz I appreciate your encouragement, Didier. Have a wonderful weekend!

[@gloriaramirez-oliveri9287]

Professor Jennifer, Thanks for being the sweetest teacher on the internet. You are so kind, clear and cute. A teacher is the most remarkable person to a society. God Bless you and yours.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+Gloria Ramirez-Oliveri Hello Gloria. Thank you for your kind comment. I return the good wishes to you and your family. Regards!

[@legendarylord7992]

I like teacher's teaching

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you. There are review exercises on my website. :)

[@Vagner_Christian]

You make English grammar look so easy, but I wouldn't expect anything less of you.Thanks Jennifer.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+Vagner Iupi And you make it pleasure to create these tricky grammar lessons. :) Thanks, Vagner.

[@randaziaduh9371]

Now i practice in a plural noun and you are so good teacher thanks for you helping me by by thanks you teacher

[@mustafabedri3456]

You deserve much complement over your excellent presentation of teaching us English languages . I'm delighted to find a teacher like you .

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you for the very kind support. Please consider following me on Instagram and Hallo. :)

[@priscatvilfort7809]

Teacher, I love your style and your smile.Have a wonderful week!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you. You too! You'll find more grammar videos here: kzbin.info/aero/PLEEA0D5FA42DB4C58

[@LUZIVALDETF]

hello JENNIFER,I"m LUZIVALDE from the city JUNDIAÍ,SÃO PAULO. JENNIFER am very happy with their way of theaching grammar in general,every day .I see a video and I can understand you perfectly.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hello Luzivalde. Thank you for studying with me. Kind wishes to you! Warm regards from the U.S.A.!

[@LUZIVALDETF]

thank you for your attention,warm embrace of BRAZIL

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hugs from Boston, U.S.A. :)

[@mohammadrezasalehi7185]

Tnx alot. Finally, I got the answer to one of my most confusing questions in English grammar.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Very glad to hear that!

[@serdarmatraimov214]

Hi Jennifer. First of all, thank you for the great explanation, but I still have some doubts when it comes to your first question "my laptop's cord or the cord of my laptop?" You just changed the sentence structure and got the grammatically correct sentence. However, what about this sentences: "the handle of the door was broken or door's handle was broken"; "the wheels of the car were black or the car's wheels were black" Thank you for Your help.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hi Serdar. Often grammar is about guidelines and patterns, not rules that you can't break. Most will understand you if you say it either way, but a general guideline is that we don't use possessive forms with inanimate objects. Exceptions are things involving people or made of up people, like a city or a company (the city's party atmosphere/the company's laid back culture). In your first example, we'd use a noun modifier: the door handle was broken> In the second, we could do the same thing: the car wheels were black. OR we could say that the car had black wheels. In short, we often find a way to avoid using the possessive 's with inanimate objects. Hope that helps.

[@serdarmatraimov214]

JenniferESL Thank you very much for the explanation. It was very helpful. ☺

[@Englishwithjennifer]

We'd say: the movie Titanic/ the film Titanic

[@nitros64-inenglish11]

Jennifer you are making the world a better place to live

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you! :)

[@mohammedalauddin5256]

You are a good teacher.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you for studying with me.

[@pierrepigati8704]

Many thanks Jennifer, it becomes very clear ! For me it was total confusion. The way you teach is great !!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I'm so happy it's becoming clearer! :)

[@engin7787]

A language is like a fine tuned instrument , when is rightly used ,it is like a beautiful melody. You are like a magician, that with your magical want showing us the colours of the English language .With a pleasing note ,I say ;thank-you .

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Oh what a lovely comment! Thank you very much. ❀ ✿ ❁ Kind wishes to you!

[@sgdusdm8225]

By far the best for the possessive! Especially the modified!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Glad you like it! Thank you.

[@yovannymotolinia4787]

wow you are an amazing teacher thanks for your videos, i will use them in my classroom in Mexico as the main course in English, Thanks a lot.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hello Yovanny. I'd be delighted if you used my videos. Here are all my playlists. englishwithjennifer.com/students/yt-videos/ Kind wishes to you!

[@yovannymotolinia4787]

Thanks a lot, in fact yesterday I was exploring your wavepage and everything is great, something that captured my attention is a section where you uploaded class commands very good idea for teachers like me that strugle with class commands, thanks a lot, i am your fan here after :)

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I hope you'll find other ideas here. englishwithjennifer.wordpress.com/

[@edsonmotamorais5525]

This is my favorite teacher. His teaching is perfect in my opinion. Thank you so much Jennifer.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+edson motamorais Hello Edson. Thank you for continuing to study with me. Have a lovely weekend!

[@ondererbak9935]

Thanks Jennifer ESL very good teacher, see you later.Good bye.From Turkey.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+Onder Erbak You're welcome. Have a wonderful Friday!

[@tzorenthon1]

Hi dear Jennifer, I want to thank you for helping me with the two videos explanation about possession that’s really great 👍🏻👏🏻😊 I’ve been watching them all to listen 👂 to the pronunciation and writing ✍️ it’s so good 😊 These videos you’ve made are very helpful. And you’re so sweet 😃😍. Your children are lucky and blessed to have you 💪🏻

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you for making my videos a part of your studies, Lucas. :)

[@tzorenthon1]

JenniferESL they’re awesome 👏🏻 Jennifer, I’ve seen in conversation people talking to each other in movies and series, using this word hereafter for desire and got me a bit confused. Could you give me some sentences using ‘will’ for the difference between it and wish, please? I’m desperate to know more this 😃 and I’m afraid to use it the wrong way. I have searched on the internet, but what I most found is about ‘will’ for the future. So, I’m asking you.. thank you 😊

[@adamayoub7144]

All thanks and appreciation to you, my professor wonderful

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+Adam Ayoub Hi Adam. Thank you for choosing to study with me.

[@adamayoub7144]

I have the honor

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+Adam Ayoub ❀

[@hendan2127]

Hello Jenni 🥹, I hope you to see my message. “Graphics software can now create a simulated world's rules logic and physics” There LOGIC and PHYSICS are defining the phrase ( simulated world’s rules) -> Which rules

[@Englishwithjennifer]

See my lesson on making inanimate objects possessive. As the object of the verb, I'd prefer to see: "create [the rules, logic, and physics of a simulated world]." Graphics software [SUBJECT] can now create [VERB WITH ADVERB OF TIME] + [OBJECT].

[@miriamllumiquinga8846]

You are a great teacher thank you

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you! 😃

[@aecioflavioperim2392]

Once more a great lesson. I love it. I learn a lot. Thanks.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Remember there's more practice here. englishwithjennifer.com/students/interactive-exercises/

[@sumitjaiswal639]

I like your calmness while teaching

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you for studying with me.

[@shakti051]

Very Good Morning mam , May Everyday Of Your Life Full Of Love,Peace & Happiness. We are very fortunate to have a teacher as wonderful loving and caring as You. Having Lovely Day........ Good Bye................

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+shakti051 What lovely words to hear at the start of my day. Thank you for supporting me. Have a beautiful weekend!

[@shakti051]

Dear Mam, Your students respect you and also Love You from their heart & soul .So, We pray to GOD that you should remain always happy and smile like beautiful flower..... .. Really Our love is endless for You.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+shakti051 ❤

[@maryamjaved4849]

Exactly what I was pointing is that you have given example of inanimate object with apostrophe. Your example for discussion : Can you name one of Hawaii's top beaches ? Mam beaches of Hawaii is inanimate object still You have you apostrophe & I was pointing towards this.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Remember to think in patterns and not rigid rules. Language often needs flexibility.

[@notdubaimarina]

Hi! Nice video! Thank you! I have some questions: 1) Is it correct to say Twitter's CEO? 2) Is it correct to say network's mechanism? 3) Is it correct to say Amazon's solution?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

1) You'll see variations: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey/ Twitter's CEO/ the CEO of Twitter. 2) It's not incorrect, but maybe not preferred. 3) Again, you'll see variations. It's not always about what's right or wrong, but more about what's preferred and what's common.

[@notdubaimarina]

@@Englishwithjennifer Thanks a lot! So what variation is more common in the US? With apostrophe or without?

[@aminatahri5906]

You promised me once to make a video about this topic after I had asked you questions about it, so thank you so much teacher ❤ Among the examples you gave, there's one like (Let's look at this year's best movies) If we're referring to (best movies) here, why don't we say (THESE year's best movies) instead of (THIS...........) ? Thanks again 😘

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+Amina TAHRI Dear Amina, thank you for asking tough questions that challenge me. A set of your questions prompted me to make this lesson. :) We say "this year's best" because THIS is modifying YEAR, not MOVIES.

[@aminatahri5906]

+JenniferESL No problem. Jennifer! Can we use the article "a" next to the word "gas" ?? for example ( H2o is a gas that.......)

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+Amina TAHRI Yes. Many uncountable nouns become countable when we focus on the types: gases, cheeses, meats, and more. That's another topic worth exploring through a few videos!

[@aminatahri5906]

Haha. Bear with me :* Good luck dear teacher.

[@ankithvasista]

Hello Jennifer, Thanks for the informative video. As I was a reading an article I saw a sentence, which was like" the film's hero". Is this correct or should we say the hero of the film ? Or should we film hero

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Yes, you'll see works of art use the possessive sometimes. I'd say "the hero of the film" is more standard. Do a Google search for the two variations, and you'll see that "of the film" is the preferred structure.

[@ankithvasista]

@@Englishwithjennifer Thank you so much

[@maju1332]

Thanks a lot Jennifer Ma'am. 1." a tulip valley" or " a tulips' valley" or " a valley of tulips".. which one to use among these. 2. when we are referring to a particular thing or object, for example. " where is the black horse's rider" or " where is the black horse rider", which of these is to be used. pls consider my doubt. thank you.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hello. 1. I'd say, "A valley of tulips." This means the valley is full of tulips. There's no possession here. 2. Sometimes it's more logical to use verbs that express ownership or a connection: Who owns the black horse? Who's riding the black horse? I see a black horse. Where's the rider?

[@maju1332]

Thanks a lot Jennifer Ma'am.

[@khalidalhusseiny349]

Hi Jennifer, I am preparing for the OET exam, and I always find your lectures very helpful. Many thanks this means that the following structures are correct, are not they? On ( today's) review, she came reporting that she had had progressively excruciating pain in her both knee joints over the last (6 weeks). -- by the way, is better to write ( in her both knee joints) or (in both her knee joints) ? she noticed a soft lump on the back of her right knee of ( 4 weeks' duration) with limited mobility and persistent pain. One last question, please? she has been first diagnosed with osteoarthritis since 2003. -or - she has first been diagnosed with osteoarthritis since 2003. do you have a lecture about that, Jennifer. Yours sincerely,

[@Englishwithjennifer]

today's review = OK in both her knee joints/ in both knee joints I'd say, "The lump was present for four weeks."

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Correct: She was first diagnosed in 2003. specific point in time = simple past

[@khalidalhusseiny349]

JenniferESL thank you.

[@sujithkumar886]

Awesome video's and really use full thanks Mam, thanks a lot. I got many information from this

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Happy to hear that. Thanks for watching!

[@cloudwalker1]

This lesson is helpful, but mam ,I was looking for double genitive and double possessive rule but I can't find good explanation for that rule anywhere. Could you explain me what it is and how it works?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Do you mean "one of Mary's brothers" or "a friend mine"? Useful links: www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/double%20genitive www.thoughtco.com/double-genitive-grammar-1690474 www.thefreedictionary.com/double+genitive englishwithjennifer.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/student-stumper-9-my-friend-v-a-friend-of-mine/

[@mustafabedri3456]

You're an amazing teacher. I have supposed you're operating with my brain activity of understanding. Many thanks indeed my sister and my teacher.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

You're most welcome.

[@rolandflabber5497]

Hi Jennifer. You have nicely explained, thanks a lot. I could watch your's lessons all days.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

What a lovely thing to hear. Thank you, Roland. :)

[@maryamjaved4849]

Mam , you have given this example for discussion: Can you name one of Hawaii 's top beaches? I don't understand why you have used apostrophe with( Hawaii's )as you have said that we can't use apostrophe with city and States. when they are used in geographical sense.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Think of flexible guidelines rather than rigid rules. There will often be variations and exceptions. Hawaii's warm, friendly culture >> The possessive noun is a more obvious choice here because we imply that the people have this nature. Hawaiian food/the food in Hawaii >> This has more of a focus on the inanimate object(s), so the adjective or use of prepositional phrase makes more sense.

[@edoyonatan3999]

Nice video. It's a simple problem but I often find this problem. Thanks Jennifer

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+edo yonatan Thanks for studying with me. :)

[@juliocesarlimadesousa9109]

Dear Jennifer, thank you for this very interesting lesson. I'll practice now: "Jennifer's English classes are great, we can learn a lot with them." See you next time! Bye!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+Júlio César Lima de Sousa Hi Júlio. Good use of an apostrophe. Thank you for the kind words! I like to seize a teachable moment, so just remember to use periods between sentences. I'd break up the two ideas with a period rather than a comma. Or you can use "and" after the comma to create a compound sentence. Have a good weekend!

[@Amanabouba]

+Júlio César Lima de Sousa follow Jennifer on facebook there is exercise to test your understanding

[@juliocesarlimadesousa9109]

+JenniferESL Thank you and have a nice weekend too, Jennifer!

[@tavocholo18]

Nice lesson, thank you very much.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+tavo_fr You're welcome. Kind regards!

[@medinekrit7291]

Great video. Thank you Jennifer!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+Médine Krit I'm glad you liked it, Médine! Have a great week!

[@niko18sasuke]

Thank you! Iam student and this video was very useful ^^

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I'm happy you found the lesson useful!

[@niko18sasuke]

I have a quizz and this video was very useful ..Iam glad know you :D

[@musk4mars116]

Example: The pauses in Jennifer’s videos are unnecessarily long. (However the video is very helpful.)

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Ha ha. Yes, I've experimented with shorter transitions. Please check out some of the newer videos (not Basic English). kzbin.infovideos Note that we need a comma after "however" in the initial position. It's also useful to note that if we shift the focus to the video rather than me, we can use "video" as a noun modifier: The video quality has improved. We'd avoid making "video" possessive. Regards!

[@manjusharma755]

Thanks and also make a video on, what is transitive and intransitive

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Transitive verbs take an object. Intransitive verbs don't. I like you. I need help. I found the answers. >> Those verbs have objects. They're transitive. He's sleeping. She sneezed. >> Those verbs don't have objects. They're intransitive. Some verbs can be both. I have a video on that. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGKmoGCspt9jfq8

[@haridasness]

clear and helpful. thank you.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

You're welcome.

[@haridasness]

could you please give us a lesson about "State Verbs"?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Do you mean non-action verbs/stative verbs? Here's a link you may find useful. learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/quick-grammar/stative-verbs I also have a lesson on the stative passive. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYfdea2Gbb-sqaM

[@haridasness]

Yes, thanks again!

[@alexdrake1162]

I'm so confused. So, if you can use the Possessive to talk about parts in a whole in inatimate objects, so can we say things like "The car's engine" and "The table's leg", "Life's adventures", things like that? Thanks in advance!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

The acceptable variations are confusing. Look for common practices. Common nouns that are high frequency words are often turned into noun modifiers: the school staff the school entrance the car stereo But you might find that we use "car engine" in a generic sense and "the car's engine" about a specific car. Example: I don't know anything about car engines. I just know that my car's engine isn't working right. Try this tool. The results are very clear for "table leg, table's leg." books.google.com/ngrams

[@alexdrake1162]

@@Englishwithjennifer You're an amazing teacher! Thank you a million!

[@adrianaruizalonzo9567]

You are great jennifer, I can learn faster,without any presure.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

That's wonderful! :) Thanks for studying with me.

[@trungbiscuit1]

your work is amazing ma'am!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+trungbiscuit1 Thank you for joining me today!

[@zaibullahofficial846]

I like your teaching way very much 👍🌟❣️🇵🇰

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I'm happy to hear that.

[@kimlam7429]

Hi Jennifer Can I use possessive with "number + noun", "noun + noun" and "adjective + noun"? 1) I guess this is one man's shirt. 2) I guess this is two women's house. 3) I guess this is three boys' house. 4) I guess this is some boys' house. 5) I guess these are an ancient man's weapons. 6) I guess this is a big man's shirt. 7) I guess this is a giant mouse's tail.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

The first two patterns are a little awkward and uncommon. Suggested wording: 1) I guess this is a man's shirt. 2) I guess this house belongs to a couple of women. 3) I guess three boys live in this house. 4) I guess some boys live in this house. 5) I guess these are ancient weapons. 6) I guess this is a big man's shirt./ I guess this shirt belongs to a big man./ I guess this shirt is for a big man. 7) I guess this is a giant mouse's tail./ I guess that's a tail of a giant mouse.

[@luisgobea2896]

Hello Jennifer I have two questions for you and i'm not sure about the answer, first, should I say Chicago's cloudy sky? or the cloudy sky of Chicago and my second question is: should I say the birthday of my friend's cousin or my friend's birthday cousin? thanks for your time and for your answers

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I'd likely talk about "the weather in Chicago" and specifically "the cloudy skies (or lack of sun) in Chicago." Also, you could say "the birthday of my friend's cousin" or even "my friend's cousin's birthday" (but that second variation is wordy).

[@hassanmir4813]

Thank you verymuch😇😇

[@Englishwithjennifer]

You're welcome.

[@ebdaalaithaar3736]

Hey Jennifer, my grammar guru, I hope you and all members of your family are in good health and safe. Could you please tell me whether or not this question is correct: What did you have done? Please give an example for both answers, yes or no. Your answers would be appreciated a lot.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hello. It's not a yes-no question, but I can offer some possible replies. Q: What did you have done? I had a little something done. I didn't have anything done.

[@ebdaalaithaar3736]

@@Englishwithjennifer I have just written you my reply, but I lost it due to pressing the wrong button. However, I summarise the detailed and lost reply to you. Any grammar teacher says that this question is correct, I disagree with them because it does not look right. The rules for making questions are crystal clear. If the person meant the simple past, the question should have been like this one: What did you do? If he meant the present perfect question, it should have been like What did you do? Above all, the guy gave examples of passive causative sentences to persuade me. Take one of the examples he wrote to me. I have my hair cut at a saloon near my house. In this sentence, we have the personal pronoun determiner, my. Please let me know about your further comments.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

If you wish to note a change in someone's appearance, the present perfect makes sense. The person had a stylist cut their hair, and now it's different. Note that Americans sometimes use the simple past in place of the present perfect. You got you hair cut! You've changed your hair style! What did you have done to you hair? I love it. The passive causative is useful when talking about hair because we usually have someone else do the cutting and styling.

[@robertlee2967]

Thank you, Jennifer !!!!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+robert lee You're welcome. :)

[@pplantivorous3928]

Thank you for your teaching Jennifer.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Think of patterns and guidelines rather than rules when it comes to grammar. There will always be exceptions. We can often use nouns as a noun modifiers. Examples: a VIP pass (not "a VIP's pass") committee rules (rather than "committee's rules") student handbook ((not "student's handbook")

[@darkseed2k9]

Thanks for the video! I had this question for a long time. Some points: 1) Isn't "cord to the computer" only used when there is a verb in the sentence which requires the preposition "to" (eg. connect the cord to the computer) ? For instance, would you say "The cord to the computer is long enough to reach the power outlet" ? "computer cord" sounds much more natural in this context to me. 2) It seems to me that the rule of using 's for inanimate things when there is a whole-part relationship does not apply to several cases, which idiomatically use noun modifiers instead. Some counterexamples you mentioned in your video: "a school nurse" (the nurse can be seen as part of the school), the "car speakers" (the speakers can be seen as part of the car if they are installed on it), "the kitchen sink" (the sink is part of the kitchen). Given your previous explanation of the whole-part rule, I'd use "a school's nurse", "a car's speakers" and "a kitchen's sink". I have already seen your answer about "school nurse" in another comment. I assume the other two cases are also not idiomatic with 's ? It'd be nice to add that point about specific idiomatic expressions to your video to avoid confusion.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

(1) Often there isn't a right or wrong way to say something. There's usually a more common wording, though. You could use "a/the cord to the computer" with or without a verb. - Which cord it this?/ What's this cord for? >> It's the computer cord. OR It's the cord to the computer. The other one is for the printer. You're right that you'll likely hear VERB + "(power) cord to the computer" more often. But that's an action: connect one thing to another. We often use "computer cord" to identify the cord. Does that make sense? (2) There are general guidelines I can give to help you make accurate, natural choices. In the end, you learn phrases to use according to the situation you're in. "Car speakers" are a familiar, standard part. If I talk about a noise inside the car, it's not a common thing. We might say: a noise in the car, a noise coming from the car...("noise" + prepositional phrase or reduced adjective clause). Hope that helps.

[@darkseed2k9]

@@Englishwithjennifer Thanks for answering the two questions! Yes, it helps. It seems to me that the only case where using 's with inanimate things in a part-whole relationship is really idiomatic is when the second noun has additional determiners (eg car's four wheels, school's two campuses, hotel's 200 guest rooms). Otherwise, I'll just avoid using 's in this context.

[@marcelagabriela7487]

Why would be ungrammatical " the Job's book" ? It is because it refers to book that tells about Job, and not that there is a book that belong to Job, as a possession? Or "the Job's book" is correct?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

If Job is a person, then we use an apostrophe S to show possession. That's the pattern: Job's family/ Anna's family Job's book/ Anna's book Don't use an article (the) before a person's name. More often we use "of" constructions with inanimate objects: the front of the book, the cost of a vacation, etc.

[@marcelagabriela7487]

@@Englishwithjennifer thanks for the answer. The problem is that my native language is Spanish, and I am studying in English a subject called "Language Acquisition" for TESOL. The problem to solve is: the learner knows the rules for possessive, but someone tells him/her "Job's book" is wrong, "the book of Job" is correct, what will the learner do?. At the beginning I did not know what's going on. But, later I realized that "the book of Job" is part of the Bible and tells the story of Job. This phrase is not saying that the book belongs, as a property, to Job. Am I right? studying these tricky things of English when it is not my NL is really hard.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

True. The Book of Job in the Bible wasn't written by Job, right? It's about him. Consider other grammar patterns used in fiction: "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" (a short story) The Truman Show (a movie about a TV Show that featured a man called Truman) About a Boy (a movie about the relationship between a single man and a lonely boy)

[@marcelagabriela7487]

@@Englishwithjennifer Then, is it correct to say "the Job book" ? Job as a Truman would be a noun-adjective.

[@jgduarte2400]

Hello Jennifer. Thank you for your nice work teaching us English. If you will permit me, I have a request. Could you teach us somethings that have to do with school? As for instance, I failed my school year. Is that correct? How to say if I failed my exam and I have to repeat it over again. Is it repeat, retake, take it over or...? Is that correct? I am traing to find those words (looking up them) in the dictionary, but it takes long time. "I´m between a rock and a hard place." Thank you for your hard work and now, I am learning your Idioms. We say here "modismos". Thank you. Muchas gracias.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+J G Duarte Hi! School is a useful topic. :) A person can fail a course. If they didn't do well enough to move to the next grade, we can talk about flunking a grade. "Flunk" is conversational. If you fail a test, you can take it again/ retake it. Have a great week!

[@jgduarte2400]

JenniferESL Thank you, you are very kind.

[@josuev6963]

Great topic thank you for sharing it! Let's keep it up!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thanks for the support!

[@ilanlivne4472]

great explanations. exactly what I needed!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Happy to hear that!

[@andreagiraldomdphd.8376]

Jennifer the best in the whole world. A

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+Andrea Giraldo Good morning, Andrea. Thank you for watching this lesson and giving it a thumbs-up. :)

[@andreagiraldomdphd.8376]

I did it. a

[@morenaluna5534]

Hello Jennifer! Thank you so much for this lesson. I have a question. In the case of programs and projects, as they have lifetimes, I would treat them as animate things, but I'm not sure. I would say the Wings Program's staff worked hard....., the Program's lifetime, the projects' names are... Should we use 's with them? or not?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thanks for watching. You can usually use the name of an organization or program as a noun modifier. For example, there's a charity called Operation Smile. The doctors volunteer, as I understand. So we can talk about "Operation Smile doctors" and know that those are doctors who work as a part of Operation Smile. Example: Operation Smile doctors help children around the world. Does that help?

[@jgduarte2400]

Wow, I thought I was "The cord -of- my laptop". As you can see, I am paying attention to your classes. My other question is. Can I use the possesive ('s) with the surname Rodriguez's? Rodriquez's house. Thank you.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+J G Duarte Yes, you can use it with family names: the Smiths' house, the Smiths' (the whole family). Be careful with possessive nouns. This might help. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3qro2CDaJt3pLM

[@qwerty_____146]

Thank you, Dear Jennifer

[@Englishwithjennifer]

You are so welcome!

[@ronenr1405]

Great! I did eventually fully understand the issue

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Super!

[@marcelagabriela7487]

How correct is to use 's with inanimate nouns? I mean, if we see "the sky's color", it is wrong? if you were the teacher and your student does something like this? how do you grade it?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

More often we use "of" constructions with things: the color of the sky. In contrast, a company is made of people, so we can talk about "the company's decision." Does that make sense?

[@wierdxvibes2199]

Really helpful ! explained very nicely

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you.

[@tatianelemos7751]

Very cool,your class.👏👏👏

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you! 😃

[@alireza4734]

Hi Jennifer Could you please explain more about noun modifier and its difference with possessive? How should we detect them? Ex. "the car door" or "the car's door"? "the chair's leg" or "the chair leg"? "Road laws" or "Road's laws"? "Project scope" or "Project's scope"? "customer satisfaction" or "customer's satisfaction"? It's a little confusing and hard to separate these with each other. Plus, I studied in a website that British people do not use possessive for inanimate objects. Is that right? Based on this statement, we have "the book's cover" in American English but "the book cover" in British English. Is it right? Thank you for you help and your useful video. examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-possessive-nouns.html

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I actually disagree with some of the examples listed on that page. Do a search on Google and you'll see that "computer keyboard" gets over 15 million results. "Computer's keyboard" gets only 324 thousand. I think our patterns for possessives are similar in British and American English. We say "book cover," too," here in the U.S. The general guidelines are: Don't make inanimate objects possessive, but common exceptions are made for nouns that refer to people or that somehow represent people, for example, "city" or "Boston."

[@ElianeSantos-pi7zy]

Hi Jennifer, Thanks for this useful video. This subject is over tough for me. Could you please clarify this question: when we are talking about the products a company manufactures or example, would you possessive: Sadia's product (Sadia here is the name of the company) or just Sadia Products? Thank you very much!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Usually the company name can function as a modifier: Apple products, Microsoft employees, etc. But you'll likely see some variation. If you're referring to the people, it's more likely you'll use the possessive form: Apple's decision to release the latest iPhone...

[@mariajoaobarata5471]

sometimes i see exemples like this: London landscape and Lomdon's landscape . Could you help me with please?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Variations exist. Look for preferences and patterns. You can do a Google search and filter for news or books and see what writers prefer. You're right. People use "London's landscape" and "the London landscape." Less frequently you'll see "the landscape of London." Cities often have possessive forms.

[@naser9953]

Thank you very much teacher what is you nationalty?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hi. I'm American. :) englishwithjennifer.com/about/bio/

[@naser9953]

JenniferESL thanks

[@yuliamarkina611]

Hi! Thanks. But I still don't understand why we use a possessive apostrophy after the word "town" in the sentence - That's the town's only baker's?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

The people use that service, so "town" has a connection to the people, that is, the community. The baker is part of it: That's the town's only baker. / That's the town's only bakery. Also possible: That's the only bakery in town. (I like this variation.)

[@yuliamarkina611]

@@Englishwithjennifer Oh, thanks a lot for your answer. So, there're two explanations: part of a whole and connection to people. Right?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I think the connection to people is the stronger argument. We don't usually make inanimate things possessive, but a town is a community of people.

[@yuliamarkina611]

@@Englishwithjennifer I'm really greatful to you. I was confused with this example just because the "town" is an inanimate object.

[@mohammedalauddin5256]

Very nice teacher

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you for watching! 😃

[@JuanManuel-bs6yg]

Hello, Jennifer. Ialways find your lessons very useful but I still have a doubt: may I use apostrophe s ('S)with movie or book titles? May I say Space Odyssey's special effects for instance?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I believe it's more common to use prepositions phrases: The director of Space Odyssey The special effect in Space Odyssey The script for Space Odyssey Or you could use the film title as a noun modifier: Space Odyssey special effects

[@JuanManuel-bs6yg]

Thanks. You have just helped me a lot as always.

[@bandulawijesiri2875]

Really helpfull. Great way of teaching

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you.

[@jmdentz33]

Let's take a look at this year's best movies. Why is there an apostrophe for lets?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

It's an abbreviation. Let's = let us

[@zlandorio2838]

Hi ! I‘m from Germany but I understood this really Good . Thank you! Edit:sorry for my Bad English 😅

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you for watching! :) Correction: I understood this really well. Please join me on Hallo for a live stream next week. hallo.tv/

[@felipe.canever.fernandes]

Very helpful lesson. Thanks, Jennifer! And kudos for mentioning the Titanic - I really like the ship. :)

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+Felipe Canever I'm very interested in the history of the Titanic, too. :)

[@raihanadekayanti476]

Hi Jennifer, which one is correct, "Teachers' room or teachers room?" My English teacher said that we can't say "Teacher's / teachers' room". because that room doesnt belong to the teacher. the teacher cant bring that to anywhere.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hello. I believe we're going to see variation here. You usually read about a Teachers' Lounge, but I think some might use Teacher's Lounge. I think it should be in the plural since more than one teacher uses it. I think we also see "staff" used as a modifier: Staff Room. Links to check out: www.pbs.org/education/teacherslounge www.the-teachers-lounge.com/ www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2016/08/09/why-i-avoid-the-teachers-lounge-and.html facebook.com/weloveteachers/

[@raihanadekayanti476]

Thank you

[@yetty763]

Спасибо, Дженнифер )

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+yetty763 My pleasure. Всего хорошего!

[@yetty763]

+JenniferESL your russian is so good, did you learn it?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+yetty763 Yes. В университете. И я жила в Москве пять лет, хотя это было давно! I don't speak it every day.

[@yetty763]

+JenniferESL земляк ) училась в институте лумумбы?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+yetty763 My Russian wasn't strong enough for me to study with the Russian students. :( I studied in a program for foreigners, but it was at МГУ.

[@nhatdoannguyen8116]

wow ...i love this video

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+nhat doan nguyen So happy to hear that! Have a good day.

[@trendyoutfits2065]

Hello, mam , I am confused how to decide whether we should use apostrophe or not Like these examples Pakistan 's foreign policy Or Pakistan foreign policy Pakistan 's visit Vs Pakistan visit

[@Englishwithjennifer]

The country has a government that creates policies. You can write "Pakistan's foreign policy." You'd probably mention whose visit it is. The leader's? The Pakistani President's visit.

[@johnconnor9787]

Great!!! Thank you very much

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you.

[@TheHappymyo]

Please add more advanced English. Thanks.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hi. Any specific topics? Feel free to post a question.

[@nightmare7800]

The house's doors is it right that is part of a whole and the kitchen sink is not the sink part of the kitchen like part of a whole ? that confuses me alot like i heard ones that it is the doors of the house that we use to use of with parts of something but why the hotel's 200 guess rooms . Is not it the 200 hubdred guess rooms of the hotel are not the rooms part of the hotel.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

We'd more likely say "the front door" or perhaps "the door to the kitchen." We wouldn't use an apostrophe s. We can use any room as a modifier: the kitchen sink, the bathroom door, the basement floor, etc. Often when referring to parts, we can make use of a noun modifier or a preposition like "of": the car engine, the hood of the car, etc. It's not wrong to say "the 200 hundred guest rooms." Mostly online descriptions are advertising what the hotel can offer. You might read: The hotel's 200 guest rooms are spacious and comfortable.

[@allissondelarosa7754]

This helped me

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I'm glad. :)

[@abrahumlinkon6227]

it can be said laptop cord. as there is only one laptop and one cord. but when there are two or more laptops and their cords. what should be the compound noun. "computer cords" or "computers cords". i mean the cords to the computers. and what should we say when many cords to a computer. please help me madam.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Only the main noun becomes plural: laptop cords, cell phones, desktop computers, high school students, etc.

[@markjhiansoriano9101]

Hey! Thank you for teaching. I have subscribed to your amazing KZbin Channel. Nevertheless, I was confused with our exam here's why. Number one says The knife of the chef And the bonus answer was The chef's knives. So all sentences when transforming into possessive shall end in plural form? How?? Number 2 which I should answer. The home of the lady So it must be The lady's home? I'm so perplexed. Help. Btw, I didn't skip any adds to show support. Thanks a (Urgent)

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thanks for subscribing. No. "The knife of the chef" = "the chef's knife." "The knives of the chef" = "the chef's knives." "The home of the lady" = "the lady's home" In all these examples, the possessive form sounds more natural. Thanks for letting the ads play. :)

[@markjhiansoriano9101]

@@Englishwithjennifer omg thank you for educating me, So our exam was actually incorrect. Thanks miss Jennifer

[@Mfrancoaleman]

hi Jenniffer, excellent video. One question. Do you have a video for to use correctly the will, would, can, could, ? I serched but didn´t get yours!!!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

+Ing. Franco Alemán M.A. In some old videos I talk about using modals in conditional sentences with IF, in requests, and in statements about past possibilities. I will try to address all modals at some point. It will be a big project, like what I've done on prepositions. :) In the meantime, feel free to post questions on Facebook. :)

[@Mfrancoaleman]

+JenniferESL ok very thankfully :-)

[@Mfrancoaleman]

Thankful :-D

[@72odair]

Is it correct " the sky color" or " the color of the sky" thank you so much!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I'd say "the color of the sky."

[@mehwishshah1892]

hi. can i say the table's drawer? or the drawer of table? is it inanimate possesive form of noun?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

If it's a desk, we often use the noun modifier: the desk drawer. Not all coffee tables or end tables have drawers, so you can clarify: the drawer of the coffee table.

[@liftkit1672]

8:51 I'm still confused. Can I say "The computer's cord" ? and how can I know when to use a modifier instead of an apostrophe + s. And thanks for the great vid.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

No, we'd say either "the computer cord" or "the cord to the computer." Remember the guidelines: In general, we don't use the apostrophe to show possession with inanimate objects. However, if the noun refers to people, like "the city," then we can make an exception: The city's support of the ban was very strong. (The residents of the city strongly supported the ban.)

[@liftkit1672]

@@Englishwithjennifer Thanks

[@mariocristobalcolladoavile448]

Hi, I got a question. What would be the grammar behind the subject in this sentence: The user device creates a second circle around a random point located within the first circle. Could we say?: The user's device creates a second circle around a random point located within the first circle.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hi. You'll see and hear "user" as a noun modifier and the possessive noun "user's" especially with more common head nouns like "manual": user manual/user's manual. There isn't much difference. Maybe "user manual" is more like "the manual for the user" and "user's manual" is more like "the manual belonging to the user." Compare my preferences: 1. The user device is lightweight and compact. 2. The user's device is not operational, and he wishes to replace it rather than repair it. Hope that helps.

[@mariocristobalcolladoavile448]

@@Englishwithjennifer Thanks for answering

[@DaNZealand]

Hello Jennifer. I hate to bother you again but this possessive apostrophe thing is obsessing me. Your lesson helped me A LOT; after watching it I began noticing how many errors people make because they do not know the basic grammar rule. I came across one more interesting case of using possessive apostrophes. This one is from the Guardian. I would be very, very grateful if you comment. Here it is.The NHS’s public health boss is urging local councils and shopping centres to ban visits from Coca-Cola’s promotional Christmas trucks because of sugar’s key role in rotting children’s teeth and making them fat. This "Sugar’s key role" - is there any grammar rule which could explain such a structure?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

It's good that you're thinking and reflecting. You're more aware of grammar. Just remember that rules can always be broken, so we usually talk about patterns rather than rules. It's easier. :) The "rule" is only to make animate objects possessive. There are exceptions. The more common patterns are: the role of sugar, the role that sugar plays. But you'll also see the pattern "sugar's (key) role." If you do a Google search, there are more results for "the role of sugar" in general and in the news compared to "sugar's role." The writer likely wanted a more concise phrase and chose the shorter pattern. :)

[@DaNZealand]

Thank you very much for the explanation, Jennifer!

[@sabinsabin2083]

hi. But what about coca cola's promational Cristmas trucks?Is it correct?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Yes. It's quite common to make a company name possessive. That's likely because it represents a group of people. Kind of like a city representing a population.

[@sabinsabin2083]

Thank you very much!

[@ucthuatruong3031]

I hope you will make videos about speaking ....I really like the way of teaching your grammar 😊from vietnam 🇻🇳

[@Englishwithjennifer]

All my playlists are here. www.englishwithjennifer.com/students/yt-videos/

[@kunalpuri6035]

Nice explanation ma'am. But I have a confusion. You said in start that it would be "Pittsburgh's" because there Pittsburgh refers to sports fan community not geographical location. But at the end there was a question "Can you name one of Hawaii's top beaches". Here "Hawaii" been used as geographical location not as community, so why we have used "Hawaii's"? Thank you ma'am

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hi. Pittsburgh's love sports refers to the residents' love of sports. In the case of Hawaii, the beaches aren't really owned by the residents. They're simply beaches located in Hawaii. The connection to the residents isn't as strong or obvious. There's a stronger focus on the land. Does that make sense?

[@kunalpuri6035]

+JenniferESL so with that logic Hawaii's should not be used and it should be Hawaii only right ma'am? But at the end of video there was a question "Can you name Haiwaii's top beaches?" means here Hawaii refering to a geographical location or an archipelago right? not as a community or not representing people of Hawaii. so why we have used "Hawaii's top beaches" instead of beaches of Hawaii Thanks for reply ma'am

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Sorry for the confusion. In truth, you'll see variation. On the one hand, you won't see many geographical names with apostrophes already in them. (Exception: I live in Massachusetts. One popular island here is called Martha's Vineyard.) On the other hand, we often find alternative structures for the use of an apostrophe with a place name. (Boston's historic district vs. the historic district in Boston) Indeed, "Pittsburgh's love of sports" is acceptable to many speakers because of the connection to the community. It's the people's love. There's ownership or belonging. In the case of Hawaii, some would argue that an apostrophe is fine if we're stating an attribute (Hawaii's natural beauty) or naming parts (Hawaii's eight main islands). So that's also likely why "Hawaii's beaches" sounds acceptable to my American ears. Here's an example in the news. www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/hawaii-s-big-island-warned-ahead-powerful-hurricane-madeline-n639831

[@kunalpuri6035]

JenniferESL​​ oh! ok thank you ma'am now it's somewhat clear. I must say english is very dynamic and keep evolving and also varies according to country. And it becomes very difficult for non natives to go along with this evolution and variation. Thanks again for your kind reply. And good work other lectures on you tube i found were not covering each and every detail about apostrophe, this channel is the only one. Thank you ma'am.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I'm sorry I don't have a crystal clear answer, but then again I think grammar and writing are about identifying common patterns and standards. There may not always be a rule that cannot be broken. Usually there are "rules" with several exceptions. Hopefully, I can help call attention to some patterns and develop a stronger sense of what's acceptable. :) Do you know this series I have on punctuation? kzbin.info/aero/PLfQSN9FlyB6Q8MTULKyIHzqKeXpBbxES6

[@eugenioandreev]

Hello Jennifer, Can you tell me which playlist (I mean the playlists that you created) this video is in? I haven't found the video in the Grammar playlist. Where is it taken from? Thank you.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hi Evgeniy. I have a separate playlist on prepositions. kzbin.info/aero/PLfQSN9FlyB6TT9yUCjC6QLTMphzLq2Ay0 All my playlists are here: www.englishwithjennifer.com/students/yt-videos/

[@tsri2052]

What will be the possesive form of 'the cleanest cities of India " in this sentence "Which are the cleanest cities of India?" How can this sentence be written in possesive form. Please reply

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I think "cities of India" is much more natural than "India's cities."

[@tsri2052]

Thank you , this question created confusion , so the statement of possesive will be " which are the cleanest cities of India ? According to you there will be no change, I hope i correctly understood what you replied