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Why is Mother's Day in May? Possessive adjectives and family members

An A1 ESL lesson plan on possessive adjectives and family members in English, built around Mother's Day in the US.

Grammar
Possessive adjectives my, your, his and her before a noun (Her name is Grace.), with his or her chosen by the owner and he's told apart from his.
Topic
Family members on Mother's Day, the second Sunday of May in the US, with family words such as mom, grandmother, son and daughter.
Activities
A Mother's Day post to read, a family-photo dialogue and a voicemail to follow, self-checking drills on his or her, a chat about a family photo, open-the-box family questions and a recording about their own family.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Hello, family!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock
    • Study the family wordsVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Happy Mother's Day!

    • Look at the photo: Mother's DayPictureUnlock
    • Read the postReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Family photos

    • Look at the photo: Tunde's family in DetroitPictureUnlock
    • Listen to Mia and TundeListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the right answerQuizUnlock
    • Listen to a voicemail from HonoluluListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: my, your, his, her

    • Study the scheme: my, your, his, herGrammar schemeTry it
    • Fill in the tableFill in the tableTry it
    • Choose the right word: his or her?Choose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps with the right wordFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Choose the right word for each sentenceQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk!

    • Choose the right repliesChatTry it
    • Open a box and answerOpen the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Drag the words into the gaps: Tunde and his familyDrag and dropUnlock
    • Unscramble the family wordsAnagramUnlock
    • Record yourself: my familySpeaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

25 exercises in 6 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Family vocabulary

10 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+7 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • brother
  • grandmother
  • grandfather
  • son
  • daughter
  • show
  • know

Grammar: possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her

Mother's Day gives learners a reason to talk about family: my mom, his sister, her son. The lesson teaches possessive adjectives next to the family words they go with, and clears up two classic mix-ups: his or her, and he's or his.

my, your, his, her

Talk about your family: my mom, his sister, her son.

My, your, his, her: one for each person

Each person has a word that goes before a noun to say whose it is: I and my, you and your, he and his, she and her. It stays the same whatever noun follows.

I, you, he…my, your, his…Example
ImyI'm Tunde. My mom is in Detroit.
youyourYou're Mia. Is your mom in Honolulu?
hehisThis is Liam. His mom is in Philadelphia.
sheherThis is Joy. Her son is Leo.
ititsThis is Pickle, a dog. Its ears are brown.
weourWe're roommates. Our house is in Brooklyn.
theytheirMia and Kai are from Hawaii. Their mom is in Honolulu.

His or her? Look at the person

The choice depends on the person, not on the noun after it: Tunde and his mom, because Tunde is a man, and Mia and her brother, because Mia is a woman.

his or her? Look at Tunde or Mia!

Tunde is a man: Tunde and his mom. Mia is a woman: Mia and her brother. Look at Tunde and Mia, not at mom or brother!

He's or his? You're or your?

They sound alike but do different jobs: he's means he is, while his comes before a person or thing. He's my brother. His name is Kai.

I'm, you're, he's, she's: I am, you are…

  • I'm Mia. (= I am)
  • You're my friend. (= you are)
  • He's my brother. (= he is)
  • She's my mom. (= she is)

my, your, his, her + a person or a thing

  • My name is Mia.
  • Your mom is nice.
  • His name is Kai.
  • Her name is Grace.

Family words

The family words come in pairs and groups, so learners can describe a whole photo: mother and father are parents, and son and daughter are children.

A womanA manTogether
mother (mom)father (dad)parents
grandmothergrandfathergrandparents
sisterbrotherbrothers and sisters
daughtersonchildren

Common mistakes

  • Me mom is in Detroit.

    My mom is in Detroit.

    my, not me

  • Tunde and her mom

    Tunde and his mom

    Tunde is a man: his

  • He's name is Leo.

    His name is Leo.

    he's = he is

  • Is this you're mom?

    Is this your mom?

    you're = you are

More lessons on this grammar: Possessive adjectives and pronouns lessons and exercises

Try the possessive adjectives exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

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What's in the lesson

  • 11 auto-checked exercises
  • 3 games
  • 1 teacher-checked task
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 2 audio clips
  • 3 pictures
  • 2 transcripts

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • talk about their family with words like mom, dad, sister, brother, son, daughter and grandmother
  • use my, your, his and her before a noun: Her name is Grace.
  • choose his or her by the person, and tell he's from his
  • say why Mother's Day in the US is in May, on the second Sunday

Lesson 5 of English A1.1 · Hello, World opens the unit My people. It builds on the verb to be from lessons 1 and 2, so the grammar can set he's beside his and you're beside your, and lesson 8 reviews the possessives with the rest of the unit. A day for everyone's mom fills the post and the dialogue with my mom, your mom and her son.

Students learn ten family words with pictures and audio, then read Liam's Mother's Day post: the first Mother's Day in May 1908 in Grafton, West Virginia, the idea of Anna Jarvis, and the white carnation. They listen to Mia and Tunde look at a family photo and to a voicemail from Honolulu (AI-voiced). The grammar chapter has the scheme and four exercises on my, your, his and her, each checked as students answer. In the speaking chapter, they play Mia in a chat about family photos and open boxes of family questions.

Homework is a drag-and-drop about Tunde and his family, a family-word anagram and a short recording about the student's own family, which the teacher reviews.

Grammar:
possessive adjectives · my, your, his, her
Topic:
family · Mother's Day · American holidays

Teaching tips

  • Bring a photo of your own family, or of a famous one, and introduce it with my, his and her before the scheme.
  • For his or her, point at the owner, not the noun: Tunde, his mom; Mia, her brother.
  • Ask students when Mother's Day is where they live, and compare the dates; it's easy A1 talk with real reasons to listen.
  • Let pairs show a photo on their phones and ask Who's that? and Is she your sister?, using the chat as a model.

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The whole course: English A1.1 · Hello, World

32 lessons for complete beginners in simple American English, from the verb to be to can and can't. Eight units cover greetings, family, numbers, home, food, daily routines, the town and free time, and each ends with a review lesson. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Hello!

    greetings, the verb to be, countries and nationalities, yes/no questions

    1. Lesson 1Hi, hey, howdy or aloha?The verb to be with I and you
    2. Lesson 2Ellis Island: where are they from?He's, she's, they're: the verb to be
    3. Lesson 3Six languages at the UNYes/no questions with be and short answers
    4. Lesson 4Review: hello from the Statue of LibertyThe verb to be and yes/no questions, reviewed

  2. Unit 2 My people

    family members, possessive adjectives, have got, describing people

    1. Lesson 5 · you're hereWhy is Mother's Day in May?Possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her
    2. Lesson 6Best in show!Have got and the possessive 's
    3. Lesson 7National Best Friends DaySubject pronouns, possessives and describing people
    4. Lesson 8Review: Bobbie the Wonder DogPossessives, have got and 's, reviewed

  3. Unit 3 Numbers all around

    numbers and dates, a/an and plurals, phone numbers and prices

    1. Lesson 9Why is March 14 Pi Day?Numbers 0 to 100, decimals and US dates
    2. Lesson 10How old is the General Sherman tree?A, an and plurals, with big numbers and How old…?
    3. Lesson 119-1-1 and other numbers to knowSaying phone numbers, emails and prices
    4. Lesson 12Review: 102 floors and 1,860 stepsNumbers, dates, ages and prices, reviewed

  4. Unit 4 Home sweet home

    rooms in a house, this, that, these and those, furniture, opposites

    1. Lesson 13A house with 132 roomsThis is, these are and plurals
    2. Lesson 14Boston's skinny house: where's the bed?This, that, these, those and Where's…?
    3. Lesson 15Can a dorm room be cozy?Opposite adjectives and have got
    4. Lesson 16Review: homes for everyoneShowing and describing a home, reviewed

  5. Unit 5 Food I love

    likes and dislikes, present simple questions, ordering food

    1. Lesson 17Pancakes for breakfast?I like, I don't like and plural nouns
    2. Lesson 18New York pizza or Chicago deep-dish?Present simple questions and short answers
    3. Lesson 19A coffee to go, please!Ordering food with I'd like and Can I have…?
    4. Lesson 20Review: lunch from a food truckI like, Do you like and I'd like, reviewed

  6. Unit 6 My day

    telling the time, daily routines, days of the week, prepositions of time

    1. Lesson 21What time is it in Times Square?Telling the time and daily routines
    2. Lesson 22Who brings the mail?The present simple with we and they
    3. Lesson 23Is it morning in Hawaii?Prepositions of time with parts of the day
    4. Lesson 24Review: a New York morningTime, routines and days, reviewed

  7. Unit 7 My town

    places in town, prepositions of place, giving directions

    1. Lesson 25Main Street, USAPrepositions of place: near and next to
    2. Lesson 26Meet me at Union SquarePresent simple questions and negatives with we and they
    3. Lesson 27Turn left on 42nd StreetImperatives for giving directions
    4. Lesson 28Review: streets for peoplePlaces, the present simple and directions, reviewed

  8. Unit 8 Free time

    hobbies, can and can't, sports, making plans

    1. Lesson 29Can you play Scrabble?Can and can't for ability
    2. Lesson 30Can you surf?Can for ability and how well
    3. Lesson 31Saturday morning: Little LeagueFree time and making plans
    4. Lesson 32Review: a book for every childCan, can't and free time, reviewed

Questions about this lesson

What are possessive adjectives in English?
Possessive adjectives are words that say whose something is: my, your, his, her, its, our and their. Each one pairs with a subject pronoun, from I and my to they and their, and it doesn't change for a plural noun: my sister, my sisters, our parents. The A1 lesson Why is Mother's Day in May? on edio.ai teaches them with family words such as mom, sister and grandfather.
When do you use my, your, his and her?
Use my when you're the owner, your when the listener is, and his or her when someone else is: his for a man or boy, her for a woman or girl. The word goes right before the noun: my dad, your sister, her grandmother. Never put me or him in that place: it's My mom is in Detroit, not Me mom, and his daughter, not him daughter.
Is it "his mother" or "her mother"?
It depends on whose mother she is: a man's mother is his mother, and a woman's mother is her mother. English matches his or her to the owner, never to the noun that follows, so it's my dad and his mom but my sister and her son. When a learner says her mom about a man, ask whose mom it is, and the answer points to his.
What's the difference between "he's" and "his"?
He's is short for he is, while his says whose something is and comes before a noun: He's so cute! What's his name? The two sound alike, so try the long form: He is name is Leo makes no sense, which means the word is his. The same check sorts out she's and her, and you're and your: Is this your mom?
What are the family members in English?
The main family members in English are mother, father, sister, brother, daughter and son, plus grandmother and grandfather. In everyday talk, Americans say mom and dad: My mom is in Honolulu. Three group words cover more than one person: parents, grandparents and children. Put a possessive in front to say whose: my brother, her daughter.
How do you introduce your family in English?
Start with This is my… and the family word, then give a name with his or her: This is my mom. Her name is Grace. Add where the person is with be: She's in Detroit. To ask about someone else's family photo, use Is this your sister? and What's his name?, and answer in full: Yes, she's my sister.
How do you wish someone a happy Mother's Day in English?
The usual wish is Happy Mother's Day! To a friend, say Happy Mother's Day to your mom! The friend can answer Thanks! And to your mom, too! To your own mother, add Mom, with a capital because it's used as a name: Happy Mother's Day, Mom! In the US, the day is the second Sunday of May, set for the whole country in 1914.
How do I teach possessive adjectives to beginners?
Tie each word to someone in a family photo, so the owner is always clear: my brother, his daughter, her mom. Start with my, your, his and her, and add the rest of the set later. In Why is Mother's Day in May? on edio.ai, a Mother's Day post and a family-photo dialogue come first, then a table, a choice between his and her, a gap-fill and a quiz.
What's a good game for practicing family words?
Open-the-box prompts work well for family words: each box hides a task about the player's own family, such as Show a family photo on your phone. Who is in it? The A1 lesson Why is Mother's Day in May? on edio.ai has eight boxes, from introducing a woman in your family to a Mother's Day message, and opens with a spin-the-wheel warm-up such as Is your family big or small?
How do you practice possessive adjectives one-to-one?
Work with the student's own family photos: the student introduces each person, and you ask follow-ups like Is she your grandmother? and What's her name?, so every answer needs my, his or her. For solo practice, the chat in Why is Mother's Day in May? on edio.ai has the student show a friend a family photo, choosing Her name is Malia over His name is Malia.
What's good homework for practicing family vocabulary?
A short recording about the student's own family makes good homework, because it needs the family words and my, his and her together: This is my brother. His name is… In the A1 lesson Why is Mother's Day in May? on edio.ai, students first complete seven sentences about a family with words like Her and He's, then unscramble seven family words, and only then record, for the teacher to review.
Are there interactive exercises for my, your, his and her?
Yes: my, your, his and her suit online drills that mark each answer right or wrong. Two can be tried on the page of Why is Mother's Day in May?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, with no account needed: a table where students write He's and His or We're and Our, and a chat about a family photo. The Mother's Day post and the family-photo dialogue are there too, while the rest stays locked.
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