possessive determiner + OWN

At A2 in the English Vocabulary Profile, the adjective ‘own’ can be used with a possessive to emphasize that someone or something belongs or relates to the person or thing mentioned.  This phrase is also often found with advanced phrases, and sometimes they are C1 adverbial phrases related to the manner (way) in which something is done:

The least you could do is allow me to live here in my own way.

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Have it your own way!

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own‘ can also be a pronoun referring back to a noun phrase.

A conversation has a life of its ownyou know? = (its own life)

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I suppose, as a father, you‘d like your daughter to marry one of your own.  = (your own one)

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A search in the MOVIE corpus for:

* _APPGE _DA _NN1

1 MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS 789 C2 idiom = tell someone in a rude way that you do not want them to ask about something private

2 IN MY OWN WAY 201 = C1

 

3 IN MY OWN HOUSE 198
4 FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY 183
5 MINDING MY OWN BUSINESS 163

6 IT YOUR OWN WAY 138

 

7 FOR YOUR OWN SAKE 136
8 MIND MY OWN BUSINESS 128

9 IN HIS OWN WAY 126

10 IN MY OWN HOME 121
11 ‘S YOUR OWN FAULT 96

12 IN THEIR OWN WAY 92

13 TOOK HIS OWN LIFE 90

14 IN YOUR OWN WAY 89

15 FIND MY OWN WAY 88
16 AFTER MY OWN HEART 86
17 FOR YOUR OWN PROTECTION 81
18 IN MY OWN BED 77
19 SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE 74

20 IN OUR OWN WAY 73

21 FIND YOUR OWN WAY 69
22 TAKE HIS OWN LIFE 64
23 IN YOUR OWN HOME 59
24 WITH MY OWN MONEY 55
25 IN HIS OWN HOME 54
26 IN YOUR OWN HOUSE 54
27 ‘S MY OWN FAULT 53
28 IN HIS OWN HOUSE 53
29 MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS 53
30 DO YOUR OWN THING 52

31 IN HER OWN WAY 52

32 GO YOUR OWN WAY 51

33 IN ITS OWN WAY 51

34 TO THINE OWN SELF 50
35 IN HIS OWN IMAGE 48
36 AT YOUR OWN RISK 47 C2

Feel free to use our poolbut use it at your own risk.

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37 SOMEBODY YOUR OWN SIZE 47
38 TOOK HER OWN LIFE 46
39 LIVE MY OWN LIFE 43
40 MINDING YOUR OWN BUSINESS 43
41 DO MY OWN THING 42
42 GET MY OWN PLACE 42
43 MAKE MY OWN WAY 42
44 MIND HIS OWN BUSINESS 42
45 FOR ITS OWN SAKE 41
46 IN MY OWN LIFE 41
47 IN YOUR OWN BED 40
48 OF MY OWN POCKET 40
49 UP YOUR OWN MIND 40
50 IN YOUR OWN MIND 39
51 IN HIS OWN MIND 38
52 LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE 37
53 OF YOUR OWN LIFE 37
54 AT THEIR OWN GAME 36
55 IN YOUR OWN LIFE 36
56 IN YOUR OWN ROOM 35
57 WRITE YOUR OWN TICKET 35
58 IN HIS OWN RIGHT 34
59 IN MY OWN ROOM 34
60 MINDING HIS OWN BUSINESS 34
61 UP HIS OWN MIND 34
62 HAVE MY OWN LIFE 33
63 ‘M MY OWN BOSS 32
64 HAVE YOUR OWN ROOM 32
65 UP MY OWN MIND 32
66 IN HER OWN RIGHT 31
67 IN HIS OWN COUNTRY 31

68 IT MY OWN WAY 31

69 . MY OWN FATHER 30
70 IN MY OWN MIND 30
71 OF MY OWN HOUSE 30
72 OF MY OWN LIFE 30
73 START MY OWN BUSINESS 30
74 IN ITS OWN RIGHT 29
75 IN OUR OWN BACKYARD 29
76 IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD 29
77 BE YOUR OWN MAN 28
78 KNOW MY OWN STRENGTH 28
79 OF MY OWN FAMILY 28
80 FOR MY OWN SAKE 27
81 IN HIS OWN BED 27
82 IN MY OWN COUNTRY 27
83 IN THEIR OWN RIGHT 27
84 IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY 27
85 OF HIS OWN MEDICINE 27
86 SAVE YOUR OWN ASS 27
87 WITH HIS OWN GUN 27
88 ‘M MY OWN MAN 26
89 AT HIS OWN GAME 26
90 FOR HIS OWN PROTECTION 26
91 IN HIS OWN BLOOD 26
92 IN OUR OWN COUNTRY 26
93 MINDING OUR OWN BUSINESS 26
94 BE MY OWN BOSS 25
95 BY HIS OWN HAND 25
96 DOING MY OWN THING 25
97 GET YOUR OWN PLACE 25
98 IN YOUR OWN WORLD 25
99 OF HIS OWN ACCORD 25

It‘s all right.
He‘s coming out of his own accord.

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100 THINGS YOUR OWN WAY 25


At B1 with the meaning: ‘alone’

When Emily saw objects move on their own 

and felt an invisible presence on top of her

was she experiencing symptoms typical of epilepsy?

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A search in iWeb corpus for:

* _APPGE _DA .

1 ON THEIR OWN. 48691
2 ON ITS OWN. 35435
3 ON YOUR OWN. 34407
4 OF THEIR OWN. 30639
5 OF ITS OWN. 19989
6 ON MY OWN. 18301
7 ON HIS OWN. 13378
8 OF HIS OWN. 12761
9 OF YOUR OWN. 12079
10 ARE MY OWN. 9645
11 OF MY OWN. 8091
12 ON HER OWN. 8073
13 OF HER OWN. 6276
14 ON OUR OWN. 6266
15 MAKE YOUR OWN. 4696
16 OF OUR OWN. 4336
17 AS THEIR OWN. 3377
18 ALL ITS OWN. 3196
19 CREATE YOUR OWN. 2825
20 IT YOUR OWN . 2506


NOUN + OF + POSSESSIVE DETERMINER + OWN

(at the end of a sentence)

_NN of _APPGE own .

1 LIFE OF ITS OWN. 2230
2 FAULT OF THEIR OWN. 1152

By documenting your deterioration

we can ease the suffering of millions

who have, through no fault of their own, 

been left in the dark.

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3 CLASS OF ITS OWN. 1052
4 LIFE OF THEIR OWN. 1003
5 MIND OF ITS OWN. 753
6 LEAGUE OF ITS OWN. 725
7 CHILDREN OF THEIR OWN. 613
8 LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN. 503
9 CLASS OF THEIR OWN. 418
10 FAULT OF YOUR OWN. 400
11 FAMILIES OF THEIR OWN. 370
12 HOME OF THEIR OWN. 342
13 MIND OF THEIR OWN. 325
14 CHILDREN OF HER OWN. 318
15 FAULT OF HIS OWN. 312
16 PROBLEMS OF ITS OWN. 309
17 PROBLEMS OF THEIR OWN. 276
18 WORLD OF ITS OWN. 239
19 IDEAS OF YOUR OWN. 232
20 CHILDREN OF MY OWN. 215
21 IDEAS OF THEIR OWN. 196
22 FAMILY OF HER OWN. 194
23 PLACE OF THEIR OWN. 192
24 LIVES OF THEIR OWN. 190
25 CHILDREN OF HIS OWN . 187