Unit 4: Determiners - Subjective Questions

Determiners are words placed before nouns to identify, specify, or indicate the quantity of the noun.

• They usually occur before a noun or before an adjective followed by a noun.
• They help show whether a noun is definite or indefinite, singular or plural, near or distant, owned or unowned, and specific or general.

Examples:

• the book uses the to refer to a specific book.
• my pen uses my to show possession.
• these chairs uses these to show plural nouns near the speaker.
• many students uses many to show quantity.

Predeterminers are words that occur before central determiners, such as articles, possessives, and demonstratives, in a noun phrase.

• They normally come before a central determiner.
• Common predeterminers include all, both, half, double, twice, and fractions such as one-third.
• Their position can be represented as:
  Predeterminer + central determiner + adjective + noun

Examples:

• all the students
• both my brothers
• half an hour
• twice the amount
• one-third of the population

All, both, and half can function as predeterminers when they appear before another determiner.

• All refers to the complete number or amount of something.
  • All the workers attended the meeting.
  • All my luggage was checked.
• Both refers to two people or things together.
  • Both the answers are correct.
  • Both her parents are teachers.
• Half refers to fifty percent or one of two equal parts.
  • Half the cake was eaten.
  • Half an hour is enough.

The noun following both is normally plural, while the noun following half may be countable or uncountable.

Predeterminers and central determiners are different positions within a noun phrase.

• Predeterminers occur before central determiners.
  • Examples: all, both, half, twice.
  • Example: all the books.
• Central determiners occur directly before adjectives or nouns when no predeterminer is present.
  • Examples: a, an, the, my, this, some.
  • Example: the books or my books.

Comparison:

• all the students: all is the predeterminer and the is the central determiner.
• the students: the is the central determiner without a predeterminer.

Thus, predeterminers add meanings such as totality, proportion, or multiplication, whereas central determiners identify or specify the noun.

Possessive determiners show ownership, relationship, or association. They come before a noun and cannot normally stand alone.

Possessive determiners agree with the possessor, not with the noun possessed. For example, her books uses her because the possessor is female, while books is plural.

Possessive determiners are followed by nouns, whereas possessive pronouns replace the noun phrase and stand independently.

• Possessive determiner: This is my book.
• Possessive pronoun: This book is mine.

Common pairs:

• my / mine
• your / yours
• his / his
• her / hers
• its / rarely used as an independent pronoun
• our / ours
• their / theirs

A possessive determiner cannot normally be used alone: This is my is incomplete in standard English. A possessive pronoun can stand alone: This is mine.

Its and it's have different grammatical functions.

• Its is a possessive determiner showing that something belongs to or is associated with an animal, object, or organization.
  • The company changed its policy.
  • The dog wagged its tail.
• It's is a contraction of it is or it has.
  • It's raining. = It is raining.
  • It's been a difficult day. = It has been a difficult day.

The apostrophe in it's does not indicate possession. To test the usage, replace it's with it is or it has. If the sentence remains meaningful, the contraction is correct.

Demonstrative determiners point to particular people, objects, places, or ideas. They indicate number and distance.

• This refers to one singular thing that is near the speaker.
  • This book is useful.
• That refers to one singular thing that is farther away.
  • That building is the library.
• These refers to more than one thing that is near the speaker.
  • These questions are difficult.
• Those refers to more than one thing that is farther away.
  • Those houses are expensive.

The singular forms are this and that, while the plural forms are these and those.

The pairs this/these and that/those differ according to number and distance.

• This: singular and near.
• These: plural and near.
• That: singular and distant.
• Those: plural and distant.

Distance may be physical or abstract.

Physical distance:

• This chair is beside me.
• Those mountains are far away.

Abstract or temporal distance:

• This problem needs immediate attention.
• That decision caused several difficulties.
• These days, communication is largely digital.
• Those were difficult times.

Therefore, demonstratives can refer not only to location but also to time, ideas, experiences, and parts of a conversation.

A demonstrative determiner occurs before a noun, while a demonstrative pronoun stands alone and replaces a noun phrase.

• Demonstrative determiner: I prefer this jacket.
• Demonstrative pronoun: I prefer this.

Examples:

• Those shoes are expensive. Here, those is a determiner because it modifies shoes.
• Those are expensive. Here, those is a pronoun because it stands independently.

The forms are the same, but their grammatical roles are different. The presence of a following noun usually identifies the determiner use.

Quantifiers are determiners that express the amount or number of a noun.

• With plural countable nouns, use quantifiers such as many, few, several, and a number of.
  • Many students joined the course.
  • Several books were missing.
• With uncountable nouns, use much, little, and a great deal of.
  • Much information was available.
  • We have little time.
• With both countable and uncountable nouns, use some, any, a lot of, enough, and plenty of.
  • Some water was spilled.
  • Some students arrived late.

The correct quantifier depends largely on whether the noun can be counted individually.

Many is used with plural countable nouns, while much is used with uncountable nouns.

• Many: There are many reasons for the change.
• Much: There is not much evidence.

They are especially common in negative and interrogative sentences.

• Negative: She does not have many friends.
• Negative: He does not have much experience.
• Question: How many applicants applied?
• Question: How much money do you need?

In affirmative sentences, a lot of or lots of is often more natural in informal English:

• She has a lot of experience.
• They have lots of books.

However, many and much can appear in formal affirmative contexts, such as Many people support the proposal.

The expressions differ in both noun type and meaning.

• Few is used with plural countable nouns and means not many, often suggesting an insufficient number.
  • Few applicants met the requirements.
• A few is used with plural countable nouns and means some, suggesting a small but sufficient number.
  • A few applicants met the requirements.
• Little is used with uncountable nouns and means not much, often suggesting insufficiency.
  • There is little hope of success.
• A little is used with uncountable nouns and means some, suggesting a small but useful amount.
  • There is a little hope of success.

Thus, the article a changes the expression from a negative or insufficient meaning to a more positive meaning.

Some and any can be used with plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns.

• Some is commonly used in affirmative statements.
  • I bought some vegetables.
  • There is some milk in the refrigerator.
• Any is commonly used in negative statements and questions.
  • I did not buy any vegetables.
  • Is there any milk left?

Important exceptions include:

• Some is used in offers and requests when the speaker expects or encourages a positive response.
  • Would you like some tea?
  • Could I have some water?
• Any can mean no matter which or no matter what in affirmative sentences.
  • Choose any topic you like.
  • Any student can participate.

Each and every refer to members of a group, but they emphasize the group differently.

• Each considers members separately and can be used with two or more people or things.
  • Each student received a certificate.
  • Each of the answers is important.
• Every considers members collectively as part of a group and is generally used with three or more people or things.
  • Every student must submit the form.
  • The bus leaves every ten minutes.

Both are followed by a singular countable noun and take a singular verb:

• Each answer is correct.
• Every answer is correct.

Each can be followed by of + plural noun or pronoun, but every normally cannot be used directly in this structure.

All, whole, and every express completeness but follow different patterns.

• All refers to the complete amount or number and can be used with plural countable or uncountable nouns.
  • All the students passed.
  • All the information was useful.
• Whole refers to one complete individual unit and is usually used with a singular countable noun.
  • She read the whole book.
  • We spent the whole day studying.
• Every refers to all members individually within a group and is followed by a singular countable noun.
  • Every student completed the task.

Common structures include:

• all the books
• the whole book
• every book

The choice depends on whether the speaker emphasizes a complete collection, one complete unit, or individual members of a group.

These quantifying expressions describe sufficiency, excess, or an abundant quantity.

• Enough means as much or as many as required.
  • We have enough chairs for everyone.
  • There is enough water.
• Too much is used with uncountable nouns and means more than is desirable or necessary.
  • Too much noise can affect concentration.
• Too many is used with plural countable nouns and means more than is desirable or necessary.
  • Too many interruptions slowed the discussion.
• Plenty of means more than enough and can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.
  • There are plenty of opportunities.
  • We have plenty of time.

The expressions differ in attitude: enough indicates adequacy, too much/too many indicate excess, and plenty of indicates comfortable abundance.

These expressions differ in meaning and grammatical agreement.

• A number of + plural countable noun means several or many. It takes a plural verb.
  • A number of students are absent.
• The number of + plural countable noun refers to the total figure. It takes a singular verb.
  • The number of students is increasing.
• An amount of + uncountable noun refers to a quantity of something.
  • A large amount of money was spent.

The main contrast is between a number of, which focuses on several individual items, and the number of, which focuses on one total figure. The verb must agree with the head expression rather than simply with the noun following of.

The corrected sentences are:

• She gave me much advice.
  • Advice is uncountable, so much is appropriate. Alternatively: She gave me a lot of advice.
• These books are expensive.
  • Books is plural, so the plural demonstrative these is required.
• I have a few friends.
  • Friends is a plural countable noun, so a few is required. A little is used with uncountable nouns.
• Every student must attend.
  • Every is followed by a singular countable noun, so student must be singular.

These corrections demonstrate the importance of matching determiners with noun number, countability, and meaning.

The noun phrases follow the usual determiner sequence.

• All my old books
  • All is a predeterminer expressing totality.
  • My is a possessive determiner expressing ownership.
  • Old is an adjective.
  • Books is the plural head noun.
• Both those difficult questions
  • Both is a predeterminer referring to two items.
  • Those is a demonstrative determiner showing plural number and distance.
  • Difficult is an adjective.
  • Questions is the plural head noun.
• Half an hour
  • Half is a predeterminer expressing one of two equal parts.
  • An is an indefinite article used before the singular noun hour because it begins with a vowel sound.
  • Hour is the head noun.

These examples show that a predeterminer may occur before a central determiner.