Common mistake: “My mother mother is my grandmother.” — Correct: “My mother's mother is my grandmother.”
We use 's (apostrophe + s) to say who something belongs to or the relationship between people: 'Sofia's brother' = the brother of Sofia.
Family relationships with 's
Relationship
= your...
your mother's mother
grandmother
your father's father
grandfather
your mother's brother
uncle
your father's sister
aunt
your uncle's child
cousin
your sister's son
nephew
mother / father — madre / padre
sister / brother — hermana / hermano
daughter / son — hija / hijo
grandmother — abuela
grandfather — abuelo
aunt / uncle — tía / tío
cousin — primo / prima
niece / nephew — sobrina / sobrino
My mother's mother is my grandmother.
Sofía's grandmother is Abuela Carmen.
Ben's sister is not a teacher.
That is not Kenji's father; it is his uncle.
Is that Sofía's brother? Whose bag is this?
Who is your father's father?
Is this your sister's car? Yes, it is.
Is Abuela Carmen Ben's grandmother? No, she isn't.
Practice
My father's father is my ___. (uncle, grandfather, cousin)
My mother's sister is my ___. (aunt, grandmother, niece)
We use 's to show a relationship: 'Sofía's brother' means the brother of Sofía.
My mother's mother is my ___.
My father's brother is my ___.
My uncle's daughter is my ___.
My sister's son is my ___.
Find the mistake: This is my sister car.
the mother of Sofía — Rewrite it with 's.
Whose book is this? (Answer with 's, e.g. It's Ben's book.)
Listening
Kenji: Sofía, who is that woman in the photo?
Sofía: That is my mother's mother. She is my grandmother, Abuela Carmen.
Kenji: And the man next to her?
Sofía: That is my father's brother, my uncle.
Kenji: You have a big family!
Sofía: Yes! My uncle's daughter, my cousin, lives with us too.
Reading
Sofía has a big family. Her mother's mother is Abuela Carmen, a wise and kind woman. Sofía's father's brother is her favourite uncle, and her uncle's daughter is her cousin, María. On Sundays, the whole family eats at Abuela Carmen's house. 'Whose turn is it to cook?' asks Carmen. 'It's Sofía's turn!' everyone laughs.
Abuela Carmen is Sofía's grandmother.
María is Sofía's aunt.
The family eats at Abuela Carmen's house on Sundays.