DETERMINER
‘Determiner’ is a word used before a noun to indicate which things or people we are talking
about. The words ‘a’, ‘the‘, ‘my’, ‘this’, ‘some’, ‘many’, etc. are called determiners:ish A
determiner is a word that is used to modify or introduce the noun in a sentence anguage
Types of Determiners
Determiners are classified into four main types namely,
Articles (such as ‘a’, ‘an’, and ‘the’)
Possessive Determiners (such as ‘my’, ‘your’, ‘his’, ‘her’, ‘its’, ‘our’ and ‘their’)
Demonstrative Determiners (such as ‘this’, ‘that’, ‘those’ and ‘these’)
Quantifiers (cardinals, Ordinals, and ‘some’, ‘a few’, ‘many’, ‘a little’, ‘little’, ‘few’,
‘none’, etc)
Distributive Determiners (such as ‘every’, ‘each’, ‘either’, ‘neither’, ‘both’, ‘all’, ‘half’,
etc.)
ning app
Demonstratives: This, These, That, Those
The demonstrative determiners are used to talk about persons or things that have already
been mentioned.
This and These refer to the things that are near and can be seen. ‘That‘ and ‘Those‘ are used
to refer to the things that are at a distance but can be seen.
We lived in this house for four years.
She bought these books.
Those boys are very mischievous.
I like this school.
I met her this week.
This’ and ‘that’ are used for singular nouns and ‘these’ and ‘those’ for plural nouns.
Can you lift that box?
Would you like to buy those books?
These boys have done their work.
I have already met that man.
Possessives: My, our, your, his, her, its, their. The possessives are used to show
possession.
He is my uncle.
Our neighbour is a rich man.
Your daughter is beautiful.
What is her age?
What is his name?
Do you know its value?
Their house is very big.
Quantifiers: much, some, several, a lot of, both, all, etc., Cardinals, ordinals.
The quantifiers refer to the quantity of things or amount of something.
Ordinals: first, second, next, last, etc.
The ordinals show what position something has in a series:
He is the first boy who has joined this school.
I shall meet him the next week.
He is the last man to help you.
Cardinals: one, two, three, hundred, etc.
Cardinals are ordinary numbers like one, two, three, etc. They show how many of something
there are:
There were only ten boys in the class.
She lived for eighty years.
He has two daughters.
There were some people at the airport.
They had enough guests already.
Plenty of people would like to have your job.
All children enjoyed the show.
Distributives: each, every, either, neither.
Distributive determiners refer to each single member of a group.
1. Each is used when we talk about the members of a group individually and every when we
make a general statement. Both are followed by a singular countable noun:
He met each guest.
The minister visited every flood-affected area.
I agree with every word he says.
Each request will be considered.
Either is used to talk about two things, but usually indicates that only one of the two is
involved.
Either of the two girls should come here.
2. Neither is the negative of either:
Neither member came to attend the meeting.
3. Either can also mean
People stood in either side (both sides) of the road.
Neither is followed by a singular noun.
4. Neither boy said anything.
Neither answer is correct.
Interrogatives: what, which, whose, etc.
The interrogative determiners are used for asking questions:
What subjects are you studying?
Which colour do you like the most?
Whose house is this?
Exercise
Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners.
[Link] are missing from the library. (Any, Some)
[Link] has not solved…………….. sums, (many, any)
[Link] book is mine but…………….. is yours, (that, any)
4.……… boys have done their work. (That, These)
[Link] didn’t make……….. progress, (much, many)
[Link] has forgotten…………………… of the details, (some, many)
[Link] District Magistrate visited…………………. flood affected area, (every, either)
8.………….. villa is this? (Whose, What)
[Link] is the…………… boy who has joined this gym. (first, whose)
10.I met her…………… week, (this, those)
Check Your Understanding of Determiners
1. There are ___________ students who have not brought their science records.
2. We have ___________ document you asked for.
3. Can you sing ___________ song for me?
4. ___________ comic is really intriguing.
5. Nobody understood anything ___________ teacher taught.
6. I just had ___________ apple and ___________ milk.
7. Do you have ___________ food left?
8. Does Lily have ___________ pet?
9. ___________ story you told me was very moving.
10. Tina forgot to bring ___________ spectacles to work.
