Text types: Particular Descriptions

Describing people and things

Describing what people and things possess

In a particular description we often describe what people and things possess. To do this, we can use a clause with the relating verb have. Here are some examples:

To describe what people and things possess, we can also use a possessive adjective (eg her) or possessive noun (eg Granny Gong's) as a Pointer at the beginning of a noun group.

In the noun groups below possessive adjectives describe what Tess possesses:

In the noun group below a possessive nouns describes what the characters possess:

noun group which? Pointer whose? Pointer - possessive noun what type? Classifier what? Thing   Granny Gong's half-moon glasses the  cat's   name the  dog's   name

To see how possessive relating clauses and possessive adjectives are used in the particular description My dog Tess, click here:

To see how possessive relating clauses, possessive adjectives and possessive nouns are used in the particular description Granny Gong, click here:

To see how possessive relating clauses are used in the particular description The Gong family flat, click here:

For more information about possession, see

	Grammar: Clause: Using the clause to represent experience: The processes:' What's happening?': 'Naming and describing'
	Grammar: Word classes: Nouns: Noun formation: Indicating possession
	Grammar: Word classes: Pronouns: Possessive pronouns (mine)