HOW TO EXPRESS POSSESSION IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH
Abstract
This study aimed to explore how to express ownership or possession in English and French. The study was motivated by the need to identify the similarities and differences in how to express ownership in the two languages in question. To achieve this aim, some grammar textbooks on English and French were used to collect data for the study. The method adopted was the descriptive analysis. With this method, the following findings were made. First, it was found that English speakers use possessive adjectives and pronouns, proper name followed by apostrophe and ‘s’, and the preposition ‘for’ followed by proper noun or pronoun while French speakers use possessive adjectives and pronouns, the prepositions à (to) and de (of), to express ownership. Both languages also use the verbs ‘to have’ and ‘to belong’ for the same purpose. Based on the findings, the study concluded that French has more strategies than English for the expression of ownership or possession.
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