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Determiners | Definition, Useful List and Examples in English

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Determiners: Determiners are words that sit before nouns and are used to establish their interpretation. A determiner is a word that precedes a noun or noun phrase to indicate whether the noun is particular or generic and the quantity of the noun.

For example:

  1. She went to a market.
  2. She went to the market.

In the first case, it is not sure as to which market she visited. It is a generalized concept. In the next example, she visited a specific market denoted by “the”. Hence, this is how determiners are used to differentiate.

Determiners

What’s the Difference Between An Adjective And A Determiner?

What exactly does determiner imply?

A determiner is a word that explains the meaning of a noun, whether it be generic or particular.

What is the definition of an adjective?

A noun is modified by an adjective.

For example, in the sentence:

His black hair looks silky.

Here, “His” is the determiner, and “black” is the adjective.

So, even if both terms come to precede a noun, they have distinct purposes. In essence, a determiner reveals the noun’s link to the speaker, whereas an adjective conveys the noun’s characteristics.

What are the Different Categories of Determiners?

The different categories of Determiners are as follows:

  • Articles
  • Demonstrative
  • Numerals
  • Quantifiers
  • Possessives
  • Interrogatives

Articles- A Detailed Explanation With Examples

Articles are further divided into two categories:

  • Indefinite: comprises of “an” and “a”
  • Definite: comprises of “the”

a or an:

  • They are used for singular countable nouns.
  • They are used for non-specific nouns.
  • A is used when the noun starts with a consonant sound.
  • An is used when the noun starts with a vowel sound (i.e., a, e, i,o,u).

Examples:

  1. A girl was standing there.
  2. I saw a bike today.
  3. Please take an umbrella with you today.
  4. I would like an apple today.

the:

When referring to a specific class or group, it is used before a singular noun.

Examples:

  1. The people are crowding here.
  2. The national anthem of India was penned by Rabindranath Tagore.
  3. Naina is the secured the first position.
  4. The thief was caught yesterday.

Determiners in English

Demonstrative – A Detailed Explanation With Examples

The demonstrative determiners in the English language are

  • this
  • that
  • these
  • those

They are used to refer to a noun’s position in relation to the speaker.

this or that:

  • Used for singular and uncountable nouns.
  • This is used to refer to something which is near to the speaker.
  • That is used to refer to something which is far from the speaker.

Examples:

  1. Bring this pen.
  2. I saw this man yesterday.
  3. I like this shade of yellow.
  4. Please throw this litter outside.
  5. That man must be looking for something.
  6. That dog has been barking for a long time.
  7. That flower looks beautiful.
  8. That place must be cleaned.

these or those:

  • Used for plural countable nouns.
  • These is used to refer to something which is near to the speaker.
  • Those is used to refer to something which is far from the speaker.

Examples:

  1. These trees should not be cut off.
  2. These children have been creating a nuisance since yesterday.
  3. These clothes have to be packed.
  4. These apples look delicious.
  5. Those birds flying in the sky look so majestic.
  6. Bring those stones here.
  7. Please ask those children to stop shouting.
  8. Those players have been practising hard for quite some time now.

Numerals- a Detailed Explanation with Examples

Cardinals ( one, two, three, etc.) refer to the quantity of a noun.

Ordinals (first, second, third, etc.) refer to the distribution of a noun.

NumberCardinalOrdinal
1OneFirst
2TwoSecond
3ThreeThird
22Twenty-twoTwenty-second
100One-hundredHundredth
31Thirty-oneThirty-first
48Forty-eightFirty-eighth
85Eighty-fiveEighty-fifth

Examples:

  1. I would like to have two mangoes.
  2. This was the first present she ever got.
  3. She secured the first position in this years’ examination.
  4. Even if it is your hundredth try, you should never give up until gaining success.

Quantifiers- A Detailed Explanation With Examples

They are used to indicate the quantity of a noun.

Examples: Much, Some, No, Any, Many, Enough, etc.

Few other Quantifiers have been used in the sentences below to elaborate the correct usage:

  1. Several people were affected after the pandemic.
  2. Little information is available on this case.
  3. All precautions must be followed.
  4. A lot of people came forward to help.
  5. Plenty of trees are being cut down to make space for factories.

Possessives- A Detailed Explanation With Examples

Possessives are used to show that someone owns or has possession of something.

The possessives used are:

  • My
  • Our
  • Your
  • His
  • Her
  • Its
  • Their

The possessives have been used in the sentences below to elaborate the correct usage:

  1. My pen works very smoothly.
  2. Our project was appreciated very much.
  3. Your painting has been selected to be put on the walls of the hall.
  4. His house is situated in the hills.
  5. Her name is very uncommon.
  6. The snake shed its skin.
  7. Their belongings were given back to them.

Interrogatives- A Detailed Explanation With Examples

Interrogatives used are:

  • Whose
  • What
  • Which

Whose:

It is used to refer to a person to whom something belongs.

Examples:

  1. Whose wallet is this?
  2. Whose idea was this?
  3. Whose house is this?
  4. Whose information was that?

What:

It is used for asking for information regarding something.

Examples:

  1. What shampoo do you use?
  2. What colour was the shirt?
  3. I wonder what food she ate yesterday.
  4. What idea do you have regarding this situation?

Which:

It is used for asking for information about something very particular from a definite set.

Example:

  1. Which boy scored the highest?
  2. Which colour is her favourite?
  3. Which is the best answer for this question?
  4. Which record did she break?