Spanish possessive adjectives

(Gramática I, Unidad 6)

Possessive adjectives (Gramática I)

• Make sure you actually learn these adjectives. There are only 10 words you need to know. You can do that.
   
• Study the Resumen Gramatical in the Gramática I section of Contraseña.
   
• Also, watch the entire grammar video ("Presentación"), which is on the same page in Contraseña.

The possessive adjectives you should be using in the sections of the Unidad 6 Exam that deal with this topic are:

• (1-2) If you need to express my, use "mi" (no accent!) if the noun that follows is singular. Use "mis" if the noun that follows is plural.
   
• (3-4) If you need to express informal your, use "tu" (no accent!) if the noun that follows is singular; use "tus" if noun that follows is plural.
   
• (5-6) If you need to express his, her, their or formal your, use "su" if the noun that follows is singular--use "sus" if the noun that follows is plural.

The possessive adjectives you should be using in these exam sections are (con't):

(7-10) If you need to express "our", use

• "nuestro" if the noun that follows is masculine and singular,
• "nuestra" if noun that follows is feminine and singular,
• "nuestros" if noun that follows is masculine and plural and
• "nuestras" if noun that follows is feminine and plural.
   
• We do not use "vuestro"-based forms in this course. Do not write them as answers in this exam.

By far, the most common error students make with this grammar concept is trying to make the possessive adjective "agree" with the person doing the possessing, rather than with the thing possessed.

• So, if students need to express "my" but the noun that follows is plural "libros", they will write singular "mi", because the possessing "I" is just one person.
   
• This is WRONG.

Adjectives agree with the nouns they modify. The noun "libros" is plural.
 

• Thus, the adjective modifying it must be plural:
   
• "mis libros" is correct.
   
• Do not "overthink" this. Make the adjective agree with the noun that follows it. Period.
   
• Generally, if the noun ends in an "s", your adjectival form should in an "s", too. (Yes, there are singular nouns that end in "s", like "país", but they are the exception.)

Practice examples for the more confusing of the 2 exam sections that cover this topic.
The prompt will look like this:

¿De quién es el libro? (Kiko)

Things not to do for your answer:

• Don't write "El libro es de Kiko" (or, worse yet, "De Kiko es el libro"). Notice that there is no possessive adjective in that sentence!
• Don't write just "su" or "su libro". That's not a complete sentence.
• Don't  just copy the question. That's never going to earn credit.

The prompt will look like this:

¿De quién es el libro? (Kiko)

Instead, follow this structure:

• Start with the same verb from the question (it will always be "es" or "son").
• Then, give the possessive adjective that corresponds to the prompt noun or pronoun (which will be in parentheses):
• If you see (yo), use "mi" or "mis"
• If you see (tú), use "tu" or "tus"
• If you see a (él), (ella) or (usted) or any single name (Kiko), use "su" or "sus"
• If you see (nosotros), (nosotras) or (anybody plus "y yo"), use "nuestro", "nuestra", "nuestras" or "nuestros"
• If you see (ellos), (ellas) or (ustedes) or any pair of names (Kiko y Marta), use "su" or "sus", then too.

Practice examples for the more confusing of the 2 exam sections that cover this topic.
The prompt will look like this:

¿De quién es el libro? (Kiko)

We will write:

• The same verb from the question: "Es"
• The possessive adjective that corresponds to the prompt noun in parentheses--We see a single name (Kiko), so we know we have to use either "su" or "sus"
• We choose which one based on the noun at the end of the question--which is singular "libro".
• This tells us we have to use the singular adjective "su".
• We write that after "Es"--now we have "Es su"
• The last thing we do is bring in the noun from the end of the question: "libro".
• This makes the complete, correct response "Es su libro".

Let's practice.
Prompt:

¿De quién es la ropa? (nosotras)

To answer:

• Start with the same verb from the question.
• That's "Es"
• Give the possessive adjective that corresponds to the prompt noun or pronoun in parentheses:
• We see (nosotras), so we know we need to use "nuestro", "nuestra", "nuestras" or "nuestros"
• We note that "ropa" is a feminine, singular noun, so we'll use feminine, singular "nuestra".
• We have "Es nuestra" so far.
• Now we write "ropa" to finish the sentence:
• "Es nuestra ropa".

Let's practice.
Prompt:

¿De quiénes son los videojuegos? (yo)

To answer:

• Start with the same verb from the question.
• That's "Son"
• Give the possessive adjective that corresponds to the prompt noun or pronoun in parentheses:
• We see (yo), so we know we need to use "mi" or "mis". 
• We note that "videojuegos" is a plural noun, so we'll use plural "mis".
• We have "Son mis" so far.
• Now we write "videojuegos" to finish the sentence:
• "Son mis videojuegos".

Let's practice.
Prompt:

¿De quiénes son los exámenes? (Pablo)

To answer:

• Start with the same verb from the question.
• That's "Son"
• Give the possessive adjective that corresponds to the prompt noun or pronoun in parentheses:
• We see (Pablo), so we know we need to use "su" or "sus". 
• We note that "exámenes" is a plural noun, so we'll use plural "sus".
• We have "Son sus" so far.
• Now we write "exámenes" to finish the sentence:
• "Son sus exámenes".

Let's practice.
Prompt:

¿De quién es el bolígrafo? (tú)

To answer:

• Start with the same verb from the question.
• That's "Es"
• Give the possessive adjective that corresponds to the prompt noun or pronoun in parentheses:
• We see (tú), so we know we need to use "tu" or "tus". 
• We note that "bolígrafo" is a singular noun, so we'll use singular "tu".
• We have "Es tu" so far.
• Now we write "bolígrafo" to finish the sentence:
• "Es tu bolígrafo".

Let's practice.
Prompt:

¿De quién es el cuaderno? (Luisa)

To answer:

• Start with the same verb from the question.
• That's "Es"
• Give the possessive adjective that corresponds to the prompt noun or pronoun in parentheses:
• We see (Luisa), so we know we need to use "su" or "sus". 
• We note that "cuaderno" is a singular noun, so we'll use singular "su".
• We have "Es su" so far.
• Now we write "cuaderno" to finish the sentence:
• "Es su cuaderno".