Identify and use determiners in speaking and texts

 

 

 

Hello! Everybody 

I hope you are having a good day.

 

What is this?

A pen?

Which pen? Can you describe it more?

If you mentioned any of the answers below; you are right.

• The pen in your hand.
• That blue pen.
• My pen.
• One pen.

Great! You just used words like “the,” “that,” “my,” and “one” to describe the pen. These words are determiners because they tell us more about the noun (pen).

Today, we will learn about determiners and how they help us discuss specific things.

 

What are Determiners?

Determiners are words that come before a noun to give more information about it. They help to show which, whose, how many, or what kind of noun is being referred to.

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Types of Determiners and Examples

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How to Use Determiners Correctly

1. Articles (“a,” “an,” “the”)

   • “A” and “an” are used with singular nouns:
     • I ate an orange. (Before vowels: a, e, i, o, u)
     • He found a pencil. (Before consonants)
   • “The” is used for specific things:
     • I saw the moon last night.

2. Demonstratives (“this,” “that,” “these,” “those”)

   • Use “this” and “these” for things near:
     • This chair is comfortable. (Singular)
     • These books are heavy. (Plural)
   • Use “that” and “those” for things far away:
     • That house is very big. (Singular)
     • Those birds are singing. (Plural)

3. Possessives (“my,” “your,” “his,” “her,” “its,” “our,” “their”)

   • Show ownership:
     • That is my bag.
     • They love their school.

4. Quantifiers (“some,” “many,” “few,” “all”)

   • Used to show quantity:
     • I have some friends.
     • She bought many apples.

5. Numbers (“one,” “two,” “three”…)

   • Used to give an exact amount:
     • She has three pencils.

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Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks with the correct determiner:

1. I have ____ dog. (a/an)
2. ____ sun is shining brightly. (a/an/the)
3. There are ____ students in the classroom. (some/many)
4. This is ____ house. (my/mine)
5. I bought ____ apples from the market. (two/second)

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Summary

• Determiners are used before nouns to give more information.
• They include articles, demonstratives, possessives, quantifiers, numbers, and distributives.
• Choosing the correct determiner helps to clarify meaning of sentences.

What are Demonstrative Articles?

Demonstrative articles are words used to point to specific nouns in a sentence. They help to show which person or thing is being referred to based on distance (near or far) and number (singular or plural).

The Four Demonstrative Articles

Demonstrative Article	Use	Example
This	Singular & Near	This book is mine.
That	Singular & Far	That house belongs to my uncle.
These	Plural & Near	These flowers smell nice.
Those	Plural & Far	Those birds are flying high.

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How to Use Demonstrative Articles

1. Use “this” and “these” for things that are near:
   • This is my pen. (Singular & Close)
   • These are my shoes. (Plural & Close)
2. Use “that” and “those” for things that are far away:
   • That is a big tree. (Singular & Far)
   • Those boys are playing football. (Plural & Far)

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Examples in Sentences

This chair is very comfortable.
That car is moving too fast.
These oranges are fresh.
Those mountains look beautiful.

What are Articles?

Articles are a type of determiner that are used before nouns to show whether they are specific or general. There are three articles in English:

1. “A” – Used before singular, countable nouns that begin with a consonant sound.
   • Example: I saw a dog in the park.
2. “An” – Used before singular, countable nouns that begin with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).
   • Example: She ate an apple for lunch.
3. “The” – Used before specific nouns that are known to the speaker and listener.
   • Example: I saw the moon last night.

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Types of Articles

1. Indefinite Articles (“A” and “An”)
   • Used when talking about something for the first time.
   • Used when the noun is not specific.
   • Example:
     • She has a pencil. (Any pencil, not a specific one)
     • I saw an elephant at the zoo. (Any elephant, not a specific one)
2. Definite Article (“The”)
   • Used when talking about something specific or something that has been mentioned before.
   • Used when there is only one of something.
   • Example:
     • She has a cat. The cat is very playful. (Now referring to a specific cat)
     • The sun is shining brightly today. (There is only one sun)

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Rules for Using Articles Correctly

1. Use “a” before words that start with a consonant sound:
   • a boy, a car, a house, a university (Note: “university” starts with a “yoo” sound, not a vowel sound)
2. Use “an” before words that start with a vowel sound:
   • an orange, an egg, an hour (Note: “hour” starts with a silent “h”, so the first sound is a vowel)
3. Use “the” when talking about:
   • Something already mentioned (I saw a dog. The dog was barking.)
   • Unique things (The moon, The sun, The president)
   • Superlatives (The best player, The tallest building)

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Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks with a, an, or the:

1. I saw ____ elephant at the zoo.
2. She bought ____ apple and ____ banana.
3. We live near ____ ocean.
4. There is ____ university in my city.
5. My father is ____ best cook in our family.

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Summary

• “A” and “An” are used for general nouns.
• “The” is used for specific nouns.
• “A” is used before consonant sounds, and “An” is used before vowel sounds.

What Are Possessives?

Possessives show ownership or belonging. They help us indicate that something belongs to someone or something.

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1. Possessive Nouns

A noun becomes possessive when it shows ownership. We add an apostrophe (‘) and sometimes “s” to show possession.

Rules for Possessive Nouns:

Rule	Example
Singular noun + ‘s	The boy’s book is on the table.
Plural noun ending in “s” + ‘ (only apostrophe)	The students’ classroom is big.
Plural noun NOT ending in “s” + ‘s	The children’s toys are new.

Tip: If the noun is singular, add ‘s (the teacher’s bag). If it is plural and ends in “s”, just add ‘ (the teachers’ bags).

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2. Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns replace nouns to show ownership. They do not need an apostrophe.

Possessive Pronoun	Example
Mine	This book is mine.
Yours	Is this pen yours?
His	That is his bag.
Hers	The dress is hers.
Ours	The house is ours.
Theirs	That car is theirs.

Tip: Do not use an apostrophe in possessive pronouns (It means It is, while It shows possession).

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3. Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives describe nouns and show who owns something.

Possessive Adjective	Example
My	This is my phone.
Your	Is that your car?
His	His dog is friendly.
Her	Her book is on the desk.
Our	Our school is big.
Their	Their house is near the park.

Tip: Possessive adjectives must be followed by a noun (her dress, my bag, their house).

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4. Difference Between Possessive Pronouns & Adjectives

Possessive Adjective	Possessive Pronoun
This is my book.	This book is mine.
That is your pen.	That pen is yours.
She loves her cat.	The cat is hers.

Tip: Possessive pronouns stand alone, but possessive adjectives come before a noun.

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Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks with the correct possessive noun, pronoun, or adjective:

1. This is not my book; it is ______. (mine/yours)
2. The ______ house is very big. (teacher’s/teachers’)
3. The dog wagged ______ tail happily. (its/it’s)
4. ______ parents are very kind. (Our/Ours)
5. That bicycle belongs to James. It is ______. (his/him)

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Summary

• Possessive nouns show ownership using ‘s or ‘ (boy’s hat, girls’ school).
• Possessive pronouns replace a noun (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs).
• Possessive adjectives describe nouns (my, your, his, her, our, their).

Notes on Quantifiers

What Are Quantifiers?

Quantifiers are words that show the amount or quantity of something. They are used before nouns to indicate how much (uncountable nouns) or how many (countable nouns) of something exists.

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1. Types of Quantifiers

Quantifiers are divided into three main types:

Type	Examples	Used With
Large Quantity	many, much, a lot of, lots of, plenty of	Countable & Uncountable Nouns
Small Quantity	few, a few, little, a little	Countable & Uncountable Nouns
Specific Quantity	some, any, several, enough, all, most, each, every	Countable & Uncountable Nouns

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2. Quantifiers for Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns

Quantifier	Used With	Example
Many	Countable	There are many books in the library.
Much	Uncountable	There isn’t much sugar in the jar.
A lot of / Lots of	Both	She has a lot of friends. / We need a lot of water.
Few / A few	Countable	I have a few pencils in my bag.
Little / A little	Uncountable	There is a little milk left.
Some	Both	I bought some apples. / We need some money.
Any	Both (negative & questions)	Do you have any pens? / There isn’t any water.
Several	Countable	He read several books last week.
Each / Every	Countable (singular)	Each student must submit homework. / Every day is special.
Enough	Both	We have enough chairs for everyone.

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3. Difference Between “Few” vs. “A Few” & “Little” vs. “A Little”

Word	Meaning	Example
Few	Very small quantity, almost none	Few people attended the meeting. (Almost no one came.)
A Few	A small quantity, but still some	A few students passed the test. (Some students passed.)
Little	Almost nothing	There is little hope of success. (Almost no hope.)
A Little	A small amount, but enough	I have a little money left. (Not much, but enough.)

Tip: Few and little give a more negative meaning, while a few and a little suggest some, but not much.

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4. Using Quantifiers in Sentences

I have some money in my pocket.
There are many students in the classroom.
She drinks a little water before bed.
We have enough chairs for the guests.
There isn’t much time left before the test.

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5. Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks with the correct quantifier:

1. I have _____ friends in my new school. (few/a few)
2. There isn’t _____ milk in the fridge. (many/much)
3. Do you have _____ pencils I can borrow? (some/any)
4. We spent _____ days at the beach. (several/every)
5. There is only _____ sugar left, so we need to buy more. (little/a little)

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Summary

• Quantifiers show amounts (how much or how many).
• “Many” is for countable nouns, while “much” is for uncountable nouns.
• “Few” and “little” mean almost none, while “a few” and “a little” mean some but not much.
• Some and Any are used for both countable and uncountable nouns.

What Are Numbers?

Numbers are used to count, measure, or describe quantities. They help us express amounts, order things, and perform calculations in everyday life.

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1. Types of Numbers

A. Cardinal Numbers (Counting Numbers)

Cardinal numbers show quantity (how many).

Examples: one, two, three, four, five…

I have three books.
There are ten students in the class.

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B. Ordinal Numbers (Position or Order)

Ordinal numbers show position or rank in a sequence.

Examples: first, second, third, fourth, fifth…

She finished in second place.
The first chapter is interesting.

What Are Distributives?

Distributives are words that refer to members of a group individually rather than collectively. They help us talk about how things are divided or shared among people or objects.

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1. Common Distributives and Their Uses

Distributive	Meaning	Example
Each	Refers to every individual in a group (used when thinking of members one by one)	Each student received a book.
Every	Similar to “each” but used when considering a group as a whole	Every house in the village has electricity.
Either	Refers to one of two choices	You can take either road to reach the town.
Neither	Means “not one and not the other” (used for two things)	Neither answer is correct.
Both	Refers to two people or things together	Both twins have the same hairstyle.
All	Refers to the whole group	All students passed the test.

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2. Differences Between “Each” and “Every”

Each	Every
Focuses on individuals separately	Focuses on the group as a whole
Used for two or more items	Used for three or more items
Each boy got a prize.	Every boy in the class got a prize.

Tip: Each is often used when considering individuals separately, while Every is used when considering the group as a whole.

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3. Differences Between “Either” and “Neither”

Either	Neither
Means “one or the other”	Means “not one and not the other”
Used in positive sentences	Used in negative sentences
You can sit on either chair.	Neither chair is comfortable.

Tip: Either is used when there is a choice between two, while Neither is used to say that both options are not possible or not true.

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4. Using Distributives in Sentences

Each student must complete the assignment.
Every teacher attended the meeting.
You can choose either red or blue.
Neither of the options is correct.
Both parents attended the graduation.

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5. Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks with the correct distributive:

1. _____ student in the class has a textbook. (Each/Every)
2. _____ of the doors was locked. (Neither/Either)
3. _____ teams played well in the final match. (Both/All)
4. There are two pens on the table. You can take _____. (Either/Neither)
5. _____ book on the shelf belongs to me. (Every/Each)

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Summary

• Each and Every refer to individual members of a group.
• Either and Neither refer to two choices or possibilities.
• Both refers to two things together.
• All refers to the whole group.