Lesson 12: Hobbies & Possessives
Hobbies & Interests
Possessive Pronouns vs Adjectives
📌 What is a Possessive Adjective?
A possessive adjective comes before a noun. It tells us who owns something. You cannot use it alone — it always needs a noun after it.
Think of it like an adjective in Bulgarian: моята чанта, твоята книга — the possessive word is attached to the noun.
📌 What is a Possessive Pronoun?
A possessive pronoun replaces the noun completely. You use it when the noun is already clear from context. It stands alone — no noun after it.
In Bulgarian this is like saying Моята е у дома instead of repeating моята чанта.
Quick Reference Table
| Subject | Adjective (+Noun) — Притежателно прилагателно | Pronoun (No Noun) — Притежателно местоимение |
|---|---|---|
| I | This is MY book. | This book is MINE. |
| You | This is YOUR book. | This book is YOURS. |
| He | This is HIS book. | This book is HIS. |
| She | This is HER book. | This book is HERS. |
| We | This is OUR book. | This book is OURS. |
| They | This is THEIR book. | This book is THEIRS. |
🔑 Rule 1: Before a Noun?
Use the adjective form when a noun follows:
- This is my phone.
- Where is her coat?
- It is their house.
🔑 Rule 2: Alone at End?
Use the pronoun form when it stands alone:
- The phone is mine.
- The coat is hers.
- The house is theirs.
🔑 Rule 3: Whose?
Use Whose to ask. Answer with either form:
- Q: Whose bag is this?
- A: It is mine.
- A: It is my bag.
✏️ Practice Exercises
Sports Verbs: Play / Do / Go
🟢 When do we use PLAY?
Use PLAY for sports and games that involve a ball, a team, or direct competition against another person or team. These are usually structured sports with rules and a clear winner.
В български: Играя футбол / Играя тенис
🔵 When do we use DO?
Use DO for individual activities, exercise, and martial arts — activities where there is no ball and you are not competing directly in real time. These are often fitness activities or disciplines.
В български: Правя йога / Правя карате — "правя" = do
🟡 When do we use GO?
Use GO for activities that end in -ING — things you travel to do, or outdoor/movement-based activities. The activity word always takes the -ING form after GO.
В български: Отивам да плувам / Отивам да карам ски
📐 How to Conjugate — He/She/It
Remember: with he, she, it — add -s to the verb in Present Simple.
| Subject | PLAY | DO | GO |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / We / They | play | do | go |
| He / She / It | plays | does | goes |
Quick Reference Lists
PLAY
Teams, Balls, Competitions
- Football
- Tennis
- Basketball
- Volleyball
- Rugby
- Golf
- Board Games
- Chess
- Hockey
- Cricket
DO
Individual, Fitness, Martial Arts
- Yoga
- Karate
- Judo
- Gymnastics
- Aerobics
- Puzzles
- Ballet
- Cooking
GO
Activities ending in -ING
- Swimming
- Hiking
- Running
- Fishing
- Skiing
- Shopping
- Dancing
- Cycling
- Climbing
- Boxing: Can be "Do boxing" (as exercise) or "Box" (as a verb).
- Golf: Usually "Play golf", but "Go golfing" is also used.
- Workout: Always "Do a workout" — never play or go.
- Cooking: "Do cooking" as a hobby; "cook" as a verb: I cook every day.
❓ Question Words (Interrogatives)
📐 The Word Order Formula
| Word | Asks about... | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHAT | Things / Actions | What do you play? | |
| WHERE | Places / Locations | Where does she train? | |
| WHEN | Time / Dates | When is the class? | |
| WHY | Reasons / Causes | Why do you go running? | |
| WHO | People | Who teaches the class? | |
| WHOSE | Possession / Ownership | Whose ball is this? | |
| HOW | Manner / Way | How do you make coffee? | |
| HOW OFTEN | Frequency | How often do you train? |
⚠️ Special Rule: WHO as Subject
When WHO is the subject (it does the action), do / does is dropped. The verb behaves like he/she/it.
В български: Кой играе шах? — same logic, no helper verb needed.
📌 Special Rule: WHOSE + Object
After WHOSE, the object you are asking about must come immediately after it — before the verb.
🔗 The HOW Family
✏️ Practice: Question Words
✏️ Practice: Play / Do / Go
The Office Break
