Basic Details
Word: Possessive
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Wanting to keep something or someone all to yourself; in grammar, showing who owns something, as in my or Ravi's.
Synonyms: selfish, clinging, jealous
Antonyms: generous, sharing
How to Spell Possessive
Syllables: pos - ses - sive
Tricky part: Like possess, it has two pairs of double s. The ending is ive with a silent e.
Watch out for: possesive, posessive, possessiv
Memory tip: Possess + ive. Say possess slowly and you hear two hissing sounds; write each one as ss before adding ive.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Ravi became possessive about his new cricket bat and would not lend it.
Example 2: My, your and their are possessive words in grammar.
Example 3: The cat is very possessive of the sunny spot on the windowsill.
Fun Fact
In a phrase such as Ravi's book, the apostrophe shows possession, but the possessive word its never takes one; it's always means it is or it has.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Only one of these words forms a correctly spelt adjective when the ending below is added. Choose it:
ive
a) succeed
b) possess
c) attend
d) respond
Show answer
b) possess. Possess + ive gives possessive; attend, succeed and respond change their endings first (attentive, successive, responsive).
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The little puppy grew so possesive about its blue rubber ball that it growled whenever anyone in the family came near its basket.
a) possesive
b) rubber
c) growled
d) basket
Show answer
a) possesive. The second hiss in this word also needs a double s.
Spell-o-Spell
Read the four words. Choose the meaning of the only correctly spelt word:
1. generus 2. stuborn 3. jelous 4. possessive
a) refusing to change your mind
b) wanting to keep things all to yourself
c) happy to give and share
d) unhappy because someone has what you want
Show answer
b) wanting to keep things all to yourself. Generous ends in ous, jealous has ea, and stubborn takes a double b.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In the sentence This is her bag, which word is possessive?
a) is
b) her
c) bag
d) this
Show answer
b) her
2. A possessive friend might ____.
a) share lunch with everyone
b) invite the whole class home
c) sulk when you play with others
d) lend you every new book
Show answer
c) sulk when you play with others
