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Determiners Module

The document explains the concept of determiners, which are words used before nouns to provide context. It categorizes determiners into eight types: articles, demonstratives, possessives, quantifiers, cardinal numbers, ordinals, interrogatives, and distributives, each serving a specific grammatical function. Examples are provided for each type to illustrate their usage.

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3 views1 page

Determiners Module

The document explains the concept of determiners, which are words used before nouns to provide context. It categorizes determiners into eight types: articles, demonstratives, possessives, quantifiers, cardinal numbers, ordinals, interrogatives, and distributives, each serving a specific grammatical function. Examples are provided for each type to illustrate their usage.

Uploaded by

kavya
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Determiners

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A determiner is a word that is used before a noun or noun phrase to refer to the noun in the context.
e.g., I have lost my keys.
1. Articles
A and An are referred to as indefinite articles, whereas the is referred to as a definitive article. The distinction between
A and An is made based on sound.
A: Before words that start with a consonant sound.
e.g., A one-rupee coin, a dog, a union, a European,etc.
An: Before words with a vowel sound.
e.g., An hour, an heir, an eye, an M.A., an S.D.O., an hour, etc.
The: Before unique nouns; when an entire class is referred to by a singular noun; before an adjective in the exemplary degree.
e.g., The sun, the dog, the tallest, etc.
2. Demonstratives
Demonstratives help us point to things, events, or people in relation to ourselves. They can show if something is close or far, both
physically and in our minds. When we talk about things happening now, we usually use words like ‘this’ to point to them. When
we talk about things from the past, we use words like ‘that’ to show they are farther away. Demonstratives include the words ‘this,’
‘these,’ ‘there,’ ‘those,’ and ‘that.’
3. Possessives
To indicate who owns or “possesses” something, we use possessive determiners. Possessive determiners, like all determiners, are
placed in front of any adjective at the start of a noun phrase (s). Possessive determiners include pronouns such as ‘my’, ‘your’, ‘our’,
‘his’, ‘her’, ‘their’ and ‘its’.
4. Quantifiers
Quantifiers are words which are placed before nouns to quantify a noun i.e., they indicate an amount or quantity.
e.g., some milk, most children, many pens, a few of them, a lot of fruits etc.
5. Cardinals or Numbers
Numbers such as one, three, hundred etc. are cardinal numbers. We most commonly use cardinal numbers as determiners (before
nouns).
6. Ordinals
These determiners are used to tell the order of the nouns. These are to work out the class or present the position of the subject in the
sentence.
e.g., first, last, next, eleventh, previous, subsequent etc.
7. Interrogatives
Interrogatives modifies a noun or pronoun in a direct or indirect question.
e.g., what, which, whose, who, how, when, why, etc.
8. Distributives
Distributives are used to refer to a group or to individual people or objects within a group.
e.g., all, each, every, both, half, either, neither, etc.

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