Prepositions of Possession
In English grammar, prepositions of possession are used to show ownership, connection, or association between people, animals, places, or objects.
While apostrophes (‘s) are commonly used to show possession for people (e.g., John’s car), prepositions are used in other structural contexts, especially when describing objects or characteristics.
The Primary Prepositions of Possession
The main prepositions used to express possession are:
1. Of
The most common preposition of possession. It is primarily used to show possession or relationship when the owner is an inanimate object, concept, or place.
- The roof of the house is leaking. (Not: the house’s roof).
- She is the director of the company.
- Berlin is the capital of Germany.
Note: We also use of with people when expressing relationships of groups or attributes: He is a friend of mine.
2. With
Used to show possession of a physical feature, characteristic, or accessory that someone or something has.
- The boy with blue eyes is my cousin. (He “possesses” blue eyes).
- I want to buy a house with a large garden.
- She is looking for the man with the red jacket.
3. To
Used to show connection or belonging, especially with verbs like belong or in terms of relationships.
- This book belongs to me. (Shows direct possession).
- He is the assistant to the regional manager.
- The keys to the car are lost.
Comparison: Apostrophe (‘s) vs. Preposition (Of)
| Subject Type | Preferred Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Living Things (People/Animals) | Apostrophe (‘s) | The dog’s tail / Sarah’s book |
| Non-living Things (Objects/Places) | Preposition (Of) | The cover of the book / The streets of London |
Complete Sentence Examples
Here are more examples of prepositions of possession in action:
- What is the name of that book?
- He is the author of several novels.
- The girl with long black hair won the race.
- The key to my heart is trust.
- This phone belongs to my brother.
- The colors of the flag are red and white.
- I prefer a laptop with a back-lit keyboard.
- She is married to a doctor.
Next, we will explore Prepositions of Source & Origin to learn how to express where things come from.