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Review: Bobbie the Wonder Dog – possessives and have got

This A1 ESL lesson plan reviews possessive adjectives and possessive 's, closing the unit on family, friends and pets.

Grammar
Possessive adjectives from my to their, 's for is, has or whose (Emma's dog), have got with Do you have…?, and adjectives with very or really, all from lessons 5 to 7.
Topic
The true story of Bobbie the Wonder Dog's walk home from Indiana to Oregon, with words such as lost, brave and famous.
Activities
A sign beside Bobbie's mural to read, a dialogue to follow, five review drills from a quiz to a memory game, a chat about a lost dog, a spin-the-wheel game and a recorded retelling.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Hello, dog lovers!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Open a box and answerOpen the boxUnlock
    • Study the new wordsVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: the Wonder Dog

    • Look at the photo: Bobbie's muralPictureUnlock
    • Read the signReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: Pickle's dog sitter

    • Listen to Mia and LiamListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Review: what can you do now?

    • Do you remember? Choose the correct answerQuizUnlock
    • Is the sentence correct? True or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Sort the sentences: 's = is, has or whose?Sort into columnsTry it
    • Complete the house group chatFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Find the pairs: question and answerMemory gameUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk!

    • Choose the right repliesChatTry it
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Choose the right word: Bobbie and PickleChoose the optionUnlock
    • Match the words and their meaningsMatchUnlock
    • Record yourself: Bobbie's storySpeaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

21 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.

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

  • lost
  • mural
  • doghouse
  • road
  • gas station
  • famous
  • brave

Grammar: possessives, have got and 's, reviewed

Bobbie's story is full of owners and their things: his owners, his doghouse, Bobbie's mural. That makes it a natural possessives review at the end of the unit on family, friends and pets. Learners mix possessive adjectives such as my, his and their with have got, the three jobs of 's and adjectives with very and really, in sentences they haven't seen before.

My, his, her, their: follow the owner

The possessive matches the owner, not the thing: Bobbie is he, so his home; his owners are they, so their dog. Before a noun, it's my, never me.

  • This is Bobbie. His home is in Silverton, Oregon.
  • His owners are happy. Their dog is home again!
  • Pickle isn't my dog. It's Emma's.

Have got, has got and Do you have…?

I, you, we, they and plurals take have got; one person or animal takes has got. A Do you have…? question gets Yes, I do or No, I don't, never Yes, I have.

  • Bobbie's owners have got a restaurant in town.
  • She's got really big ears.
  • Do you have a pet, Liam? No, I don't.

's: is, has or whose?

Students sort sentences by what 's means. Right before got, it's has; if the sentence has another verb, it says whose; otherwise, read it as is.

  • Mia's a vet tech. (is)
  • Liam's got a podcast. (has)
  • Emma's dog is small. (whose)

It's or its? They're or their?

The short forms hide a verb: it's is it is, and they're is they are. Its and their say whose, like his and her.

  • It's red. My phone number is on it.
  • Lucky Pickle! Its dog sitter is a vet tech!
  • Mia and Liam are roommates. Their house is in Brooklyn.

Describing with very and really

Very or really goes before the adjective, the adjective goes before a noun, and it never takes -s. A plural subject takes are.

  • He's really brave!
  • She's very friendly, and she's really happy now!
  • His owners are very happy.

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

Try the possessives review exercises

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

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 11 auto-checked exercises
  • 3 games
  • 1 teacher-checked task
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 1 audio clip
  • 2 pictures
  • 1 transcript

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • choose the possessive by the owner: His home is in Silverton. Their dog is home again!
  • use have got and has got, and answer Do you have a dog? with Yes, I do or No, I don't
  • say what 's means: Mia's a vet tech (is), Liam's got a podcast (has), Emma's dog is small (whose)
  • describe people and animals with very or really: He's really brave! She's very friendly.
  • retell a short true story in the present, with dates: In 1923, he's lost in Indiana.

Lesson 8 of English A1.1 · Hello, World closes the unit My people with no new grammar. It brings back my, your, his and her with family words from lesson 5, have got and the possessive 's from lesson 6, and pronouns with their possessives, it's or its and adjectives for people from lesson 7, all in new sentences. A famous dog with owners, a doghouse and a mural puts his or have got in every paragraph of the sign.

Students open boxes of questions about pets and learn ten words for the story, from collie to gas station, with pictures and audio. They read the sign beside Bobbie's mural in Silverton and check it with true-or-false and quiz questions, then listen to Mia and Liam (an AI-voiced dialogue). The review chapter has five exercises that mix the unit's grammar: a Do you remember? quiz, true-or-false on correct sentences, a sort by what 's means, the house group chat with gaps and a memory game of questions and answers, all checked as students answer. In the speaking chapter, students chat with Mia about a lost dog and spin a wheel of prompts, from Bobbie's story to whose bag is black.

Homework starts with two exercises that check themselves: choosing the right word in sentences about Bobbie and Pickle, and matching the new words with their meanings. It ends with a recording, checked by the teacher, in which students tell Bobbie's story and talk about a pet they know.

Grammar:
review · family words; my, your, his, her · have got and Do you have…? · possessive 's · pronouns, possessives and describing people
Topic:
Bobbie the Wonder Dog · Oregon · pets · review

Teaching tips

  • Put a US map on the screen before the reading and let students guess how far it is from Indiana to Oregon. The sign gives the answer: about 2,500 miles, a lot of it in winter.
  • Turn the true-or-false review into a repair job: for every incorrect sentence, pairs say the fixed version aloud, such as his home for he's home.
  • Play the sort as a finger vote: read a sentence aloud, and students hold up one, two or three fingers for is, has or whose before anyone drags it.
  • Write 1923, February 1924 and Today on the board, and let students retell Bobbie's story from the dates alone before they record it for homework.

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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 5Why 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 8 · you're hereReview: 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 possessives in English?
Possessives are the words and endings that show who owns something: possessive adjectives like my and their, 's on a name or noun, and possessive pronouns like mine. The dog's name is Bobbie. It's mine. Two slips are common: look-alikes such as his and he's, and a verb that agrees with the word before 's, not the noun after it: Bobbie's owners have got a restaurant, not has got.
What's the difference between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns?
A possessive adjective needs a noun after it; a possessive pronoun replaces the noun. That's my dog. That dog is mine. The pairs are my and mine, your and yours, his and his, her and hers, our and ours, their and theirs. A name with 's can do both jobs: Emma's dog, or just It's Emma's.
What does 's mean: is, has or whose?
's can mean is, has or whose, and the words around it tell you which. Followed by got, it stands for has: He's got the key to Silverton. If the sentence has a verb of its own, it shows the owner: Bobbie's doghouse is near the mural. Anywhere else, it's is: He's far from home. Review: Bobbie the Wonder Dog on edio.ai has learners sort twelve sentences from the story into these three columns.
Is it "he's home" or "his home"?
Both are correct, with different meanings: he's home is he is home, back where he lives, while his home is the home that belongs to him. He's home again! His home is in Oregon. The slip is mixing them in one sentence, as in he's home is in Oregon; if you can't say he is there, write his.
Where do "very" and "really" go in a sentence?
Very and really go right before the adjective they make stronger: You're very kind. That's a really long walk! Before a noun, the order is article, very or really, adjective, noun: It's a really big mural, never a mural really big. The adjective never takes -s, even before a plural: very kind owners, not very kinds owners.
What's the difference between "look for" and "find"?
Look for is the search; find is the result: His owners look for him, but they can't find him. You can look for something all day and still not find it. Use look for while you search, as in I'm looking for my phone, and find for the happy end: I found it! I'm finding my phone is a common slip.
How do you describe a lost pet in English?
Say My dog is lost, then give the pet's name, color and one or two features, and anything that helps, such as the collar. Her name is Daisy. She's brown and white. She's got really big ears. Her collar is red, and my phone number is on it. Have got and be do most of the work in a description like this.
How do I run a possessives review with beginners?
Mix all the forms in one new story, so learners must choose each time: his or their, it's or its, has or have. Review: Bobbie the Wonder Dog on edio.ai sets the unit's possessives in a true story told by a sign and a dialogue, then runs five mixed drills, from a quiz whose wrong options are typical slips, like me for my, to a memory game of questions and answers.
What's a good game for reviewing possessives?
Try a whose-is-it round: point at things in the room and ask Whose bag is this?, and students answer with a possessive or a name with 's: It's my bag. It's my friend's. Review: Bobbie the Wonder Dog on edio.ai puts that question on its spin wheel and closes the review with a memory game, where Is Pickle your dog, Mia? pairs with No, it isn't. It's Emma's dog.
How do you review possessives one-to-one?
Ask about real owners and real things: the student's family, friends and pets, as in Whose car is that? and What's your brother's name? In Review: Bobbie the Wonder Dog on edio.ai, the student plays a lost dog's owner in the chat, describing the dog's color, ears and collar to an animal hospital, and the spin wheel works with just two people.
What's good homework for reviewing possessives?
Good homework is a short retelling of a story about someone else, since nearly every sentence needs his, her, their or 's. Review: Bobbie the Wonder Dog on edio.ai sets eight self-checking sentences first, with choices like his or he's and their or they're, and a word match; then students record the dog's story and a few lines about a pet they know, for the teacher.
Are there interactive possessive adjectives exercises?
Yes: possessive adjectives suit exercises that mark each answer as it goes in. Visitors can try two without signing up, on the page of Review: Bobbie the Wonder Dog, an A1 lesson on edio.ai: a sort of twelve sentences by what 's means, and a chat about a lost dog, where Her name is Daisy beats She's name is Daisy. The sign and a dialogue about the dog are there too; the rest is locked.
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