Determiners | Types of Determiners

What is Determiners?

Introduction

Friends, in English grammar, determinants are used to clarify and emphasize nouns. There are several types of determiners including article determiners, demonstrative determiners, quantitative determiners, and possessive determiners. In this blog, we will know the definitions, types and uses of determiners.

What is Determiners?

Determiners are words that come before a noun and act to modify the noun. Determiners modify the noun by providing context and specificity to the noun. Let's see the following sentence and identify the placement and use of the common determiner in the sentences below:

• The moon is shining in clouds.
• I ate the hot pizza in the hotel.
• Plastic bottle are recycled.
• The Plastic bottle are recycled.

In each instance, the determiner is placed before a noun or noun phrase, whether the subject has a noun or predicate. In the first instance, it comes directly in front of the noun, but in the second  instance, it comes in front of the adjective ("hot") that describes the noun ("pizza").


Note--that there is no determiner in the third example, since determiner are optional for plural noun and noun phrase. When you want to discuss a noun in general (i.e., all plastic bottle), you do not need a determiner for a plural noun. However, the fourth example shows that you can add a determiner to refer to specific nouns (i.e.,the plastic bottle).

Types of Determiners

There are several types of determiners which are given below in the list but article determiners, demonstrative determiners, quantitative determiners, and possessive determiners are the most popular determiners than other determiners.

1). Articles
2). Possessives
3). Demonstratives
4). Quantifiers
5). Numbers
6). Interrogatives

1). Articles

Articles are the most popular type of determiners. The main articles are "A" and "An". 'The' is a definite article, which means that it refers to a specific person, place or thing. Using the word 'the' as a determiner increases the accuracy of the subject in a sentence. 

On the other hand, 'a' and 'an' are indefinite articles, which means that the noun they precede is not an exact person, place, or thing; Rather, the article forms a more generalized noun. Take a look at the following examples:

• The cat eats rat cheese.
• A cat ate rat cheese.
• An apple fell from the tree.
• The apple fell from the tree.

2). Possessives

The words like my, your, his, her,ours, yours, mine and hers are used as determiners. A possessive determiner provides context in a sentence because it informs the reader what belongs to subject. Here are some examples:

• This is my car.
• His name is Raja.
• Her maiden name is Raju.
• This car is not yours.

3). Demonstratives

Demonstratives determiners are used to locate a noun in a specific place. Words such as this, that, these, those and there used in the form of determiners, because demonstratives basically identify an object based on its location. Let's see some examples:

• I like this song.
•  Do you want to buy that car?
• I don't use these pens.
• We do not talk to those boys.
• There some apples in the basket.

4). Quantifiers

The words like all, every, most, many, much, some, few, little, any, no, are used as determiners.Quantifiers are determiners that describe quantities in a noun phrase.

We only use some quantifiers with countable nouns. We only use a few other quantifiers with uncountable nouns. And we use some with countable or uncountable nouns.The table below shows quantifiers that can indicate quantities from 0% to 100%. Note which ones can be used as countable, uncountable, or both:

Like all determinants, quantifiers come at the beginning of a noun phrase, so they come before any adjective(s).


Look at these example sentences:

• I want all boiled eggs and I want all orange juice.(Countable & Uncountable)
• Please give me every answers you know.(Countable)
• Who has the most money? Who has the most voters?.(Countable & Uncountable)
• We have many cars. (Countable)
• We have much petrol.(Uncountable)
• I have some friends. I have some idea.(Countable & Uncountable)
• I have a few fruits. (Countable)
• I have a little water.(Uncountable)
• I don't have any toys.  (Countable)
• We had no water. We had no food.(Countable & Uncountable)

      There are enough such and many other quantities that cannot be easily shown on a scale:

• We have enough cold-drink for the party. No need to purchase any.
• There are several fruits in the fridge but you'd better purchase some more.

5). Numbers

Numbers are a type of determiners. In terms of meaning, numbers are similar to quantifier determiners, but most grammarians consider them separately.

The number can be "cardinal" (one, two, three) or "sequential" (first, second, third), as given in this table:

Like all determiners, numbers come at the beginning of a noun phrase, so they are exposed to an adjective (s).

Look at these example sentences:

• You ordered two pizza.
• There were one thousandth doctors present.
• I won first prize and you won third prize.

      When used together in a noun phrase, the ordinals usually precede the cardinals.

6). Interrogatives

The words like what, who, whose are used as determiners.Interrogators determinants are used to ask questions.Such as:

• Whose means "to which person belongs": -Whose money did you spend?
• What is used to ask for information to specify something:-What time do you go there?
• Which is used to ask for information to specify one or more people or things from a certain set:- Which movie do you want to see?

Like other determiners, interrogative determinants come at the beginning of a noun phrase, so they come before an adjective (s).

Look at these example sentences:

• Whose computer was stolen?
• Which person told you this?
• What subject did you select in the form?

Friends, in this blog, I did my best to explain determiners, types of determiners and their uses with examples.I hope this blogs will help you to understand determiners.If you feel this blog helpful for you so don't forget to comments below. 

Thank you !