Context
Understanding the uses and functions of possessive pronouns and adjectives, as well as the genitive, in English, is essential for understanding possession and belonging relationships in the language. These grammatical elements allow us to express, for example, that an object belongs to a person, animal, or thing in a clear and effective way.
Possessive pronouns, such as 'mine', 'yours', 'hers', 'his', etc., are used to indicate to whom something belongs when the possessor is clear in the context. They are quite common and appear in simple expressions like 'This is my book' and more complex ones like 'This book, which is mine, is very interesting'.
Possessive adjectives, like 'my', 'your', 'his', 'her', etc., function similarly but appear before the nouns they refer to, while possessive pronouns replace these nouns. 'Her car is red' and 'The car is hers' are examples of this difference.
The genitive, represented by the use of ''s' or 's' ' (for plural), is another way to express possession. It functions like 'de' in Portuguese. A simple example would be 'This is John's book'.
It is extremely relevant to master these concepts as they are used in virtually all language contexts - in formal and informal texts, everyday conversations, news, literature, and so on.
Moreover, in the business world and other professional areas, the ability to express possession correctly and naturally in English can be a crucial skill. Whether discussing intellectual property, ownership of assets in a company, or simply referring to personal items in a work environment.
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Practical Activity
Title: 'Mine, Yours, The World's - A Board Game About Adjectives and Genitive'
Project Objective:
The main objective of this project is to create a fun board game that involves the correct use of possessive pronouns and adjectives, as well as the genitive in English. Students will design, create, play, and analyze this game, allowing them to practice and master these grammatical elements.
Project Description:
Students, divided into groups of 3 to 5, must create an educational board game about possessive pronouns and adjectives and the genitive. This game, besides being playable, should be a useful learning tool that helps reinforce and consolidate students' knowledge of the topics. As students progress through the board, they must face challenges that involve the correct use of these elements of the English language.
Required Materials:
- Cardboard or cardboard for the board
- Colored cards for the questions
- Markers, colored pencils, and pens for drawing and decorating
- Small pieces to be used as player avatars
- Dice
Step by Step:
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Research and Planning (1-2 hours): Students should research more about possessive pronouns and adjectives and the genitive in English. During the research, they should collect examples of sentences using these concepts that can be used in the game. They should plan the game, determining the rules, the trajectory on the board, the possible questions and answers, etc.
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Game Creation (2-3 hours): Next, they should create the game board and question cards. They should use creativity to make the game visually appealing and interesting to play.
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Test the Game (1-2 hours): Once created, the game should be tested by the students themselves. During the game, they should take note of any problems or inconsistencies that may arise.
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Game Adjustments (1-2 hours): After testing, students should make the necessary adjustments to the game to make it work correctly.
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Play the Game (1 hour): Once the necessary corrections and adjustments have been made, the game is ready to be played!
Project Deliverables:
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The Game: The game board created by the students will be one of the main deliverables. It should be complete with clear rules, question and answer cards, and be visually appealing.
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Written Report: In addition to the game, students must produce a detailed report containing:
a. Introduction: In this section, they should explain the purpose of the project, the relevance of possessive pronouns and adjectives and the genitive in English, and how the game can help learn these concepts in a fun and effective way.
b. Development: Here, students should explain the theory of possessive pronouns and adjectives and the genitive, the process of creating the game, and how these concepts were incorporated into it. They should describe the testing process and the adjustments that were made. Additionally, they should discuss what they learned during the game creation and testing process and how it contributed to their understanding of the concepts.
c. Conclusion: This section should reaffirm the main points of the report, the students' learnings, and what they concluded from the project.
d. Bibliography: Here, students should list all the sources they used to research and create the game: books, websites, videos, etc.
By the end of this project, students will have not only expanded their knowledge of the English language but also developed valuable skills such as teamwork, planning, problem-solving, and time management.
