My and your show belonging — Language, 4–6
You learn how small words can show who something belongs to. Language, 4–6 years.
My and your show belonging
Words such as “my”, “your”, and “our” connect a thing with a person. “My coat” tells you the coat belongs with me; “your cup” connects the cup with you. These little words help us talk about belongings without saying a long sentence.
Why name whose thing it is?
When several cups, coats, or pencils are together, “the cup” may not be enough. Saying “my cup” or “your pencil” solves the mix-up quickly. The words do not describe the object’s colour or shape; they give a clue about its connection to a person.
Choose the belonging word
A red scarf is around your neck, and a blue scarf is around mine. If I point to the red scarf, I say, “your scarf.” If you point to the blue one, you say, “my scarf.” Start with the person connected to the scarf, then choose “my” or “your”.
The speaker changes the word
A common mix-up is saying “my” for every thing you point at. It feels reasonable because “my” means belonging to the speaker, but the speaker can change. Check who is talking: the person who owns the thing says “my”; the other person hears “your”.
Where this helps
You use these words when you find a lost hat, share a toy, or put away coats. You can say, “Is this your bag?” and answer, “No, it is my sister’s.” Listen for the small word: it can stop a toy, book, or lunch from going to the wrong person.
Keep exploring
Other languages
Loading MyLeoNes™…