Grammar Exercise: Noun + “of” + Possessive Pronoun
Welcome to this interactive grammar lesson! Today we’ll explore the structure “noun + of + possessive pronoun”, such as a friend of mine or an idea of hers. This structure is commonly used in spoken and written English to refer to people or things in a natural, indefinite way.
Exercise 1: Complete the Sentences
From the dialogue between Mel, Dom, and Irene, complete the following sentences using the correct possessive pronoun (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs).
- We’re sharing a stand with Green Haven, a new start-up recently founded by a friend of ________.
- Didn’t you say a friend of ________ had a van?
- There’s a good chance you’ll meet at least one former colleague of ________.
- It was a great idea of ________ to use him.
In Context: The Dialogue
Mel: Just to remind you both, we’re sharing a stand with GreenHaven, a new start-up recently founded by a friend of mine.
Dom: Who’s going to be representing us at the stand?
Mel: We thought you and Irene could go. So, let’s discuss what printed materials you’ll need…
Irene: Dom, didn’t you say a friend of yours had a van? Do you think we could borrow it?
Mel: There’s a good chance you’ll meet at least one former colleague of ours who will be familiar with our products.
Mel: Yes, the designer who Jenni recommended did a fantastic job. It was a great idea of hers to use him.
Grammar Rule: Noun + “of” + Possessive Pronoun
Structure: [Noun phrase] + of + [Possessive pronoun]
✅ Correct: Greg is a colleague of mine.
❌ Incorrect: Greg is a colleague of me.
This structure is used for indefinite possession — it’s more natural than saying “my colleague” when introducing someone new.
Examples:
- He’s a friend of Tom’s.
- That was a good idea of Jenny’s.
- Harry ran into an ex-girlfriend of his.
- Nina used to work at UEI, and Matt is an ex-colleague of hers.
Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Option
Select the correct possessive pronoun in each sentence.
- A former boss of ________ is joining us as our new CEO.
A. me B. mine - Carol went into business with a friend of ________.
A. her B. hers - I can’t believe they took that crazy idea of ________ to the trade fair.
A. theirs B. them - A competitor of ________ has launched a very similar product.
A. us B. ours - A neighbour of ________ works at a printing company.
A. mine B. my
Common Collocations with “Image”
In business communication, choosing the right word pairings (collocations) makes your language sound natural and professional.
Email: New Company Brochure Guidelines
SUBJECT: NEW COMPANY BROCHURE
Dear Team,
Before our meeting to discuss the new brochures, here are some updated guidelines about printed materials:
- Use only high-resolution images. Poor image quality will make the brochure, and us, look unprofessional.
- Use appropriate image formats. Digital images should be in JPEG or PNG.
- Always consider the image size. A full-page image should fill the whole page without being pixelated or stretched.
- We can use stock images where necessary, but consider whether they add value.
- Background images should not overpower the text.
I look forward to your report and hearing about your ideas.
Best regards,
J. Zull
Head of Marketing
🚫 False Friends: “Stapel” ≠ “Staple”
German “Stapel” = English “pile” or “stack”
✅ There’s another pile of brochures on my desk.
English “staple” = (Heft-)Klammer
✅ Ow! These brochures have got staples in them!
💡 What Is a Franchise?
A franchise is an agreement where a company allows someone else to sell its goods or services in a specific area.
Common in industries like:
- 🍔 Restaurants (e.g., McDonald’s – 38,000+ locations)
- 🏪 Convenience stores (e.g., 7-Eleven – 71,000+ stores)
- 🚚 Package shipping
- 🚗 Car repairs & rentals
- 💇 Hair salons
Descriptive literature = brochures, flyers, or documents explaining a business opportunity.
