Determiners: Essential Guide for English Learners

A determiner is a word used to introduce a noun or a noun phrase. You will come across them often when studying English, so it’s important to know how to use them in your own speech.

This reference covers various types of determiners, including definite determiners, indefinite determiners, quantifiers, personal determiners, and zero determiners. You will also find exercises to help you choose the right determiner for different conversations. For more practice, visit the determiner exercises.

What Is a Determiner?

Determiners
Determiners – Created by 7ESL

A determiner is a word or phrase that comes before a noun or noun phrase. It helps to give more information about the noun.

Common types of determiners include:

  • Articles: the, a, an
  • Demonstratives: this, that
  • Possessives: my, the boy’s
  • Quantifiers: all, many, three

Determiners provide context for the noun they precede, specifying things like quantity, ownership, and definiteness. They play a crucial role in building clear and precise sentences.

Types of Determiners

Definite Determiners

Definite determiners specify clearly which noun is being referred to.

  • The definite article the:

Example: The girl, all the factories, the red wine

Examples: this, that, these, those

Examples: my, your, his, her, its, our, their, whose, one’s, everybody’s, Cindy’s, Linda’s, a boy’s, the man we saw yesterday’s

  • Interrogatives:

Examples: which, what

  • Relative determiners:

Examples: which, whichever, whatever

Example sentence: Whichever way you look at it, things are pretty bad.

Indefinite Determiners

Indefinite determiners do not specify a particular noun.

  • The indefinite article:

Example: a or an

  • The word some:

Used as an equivalent of the indefinite article with plural and non-count nouns.

  • The strong form of some:

Example: Some people pretend to despise the things they cannot have.

  • The word any:

Used in negative and interrogative contexts in place of some.

Quantifiers

Quantifiers indicate the amount or number of a noun.

1.Words indicating a large or small quantity:

Examples: much, many, little, few, more, most, less, fewer, least, fewest

2. Phrases expressing similar meanings:

Examples: a lot of, lots of, plenty of, a great deal of, tons of

3. Words and phrases for unspecified or small amounts:

Examples: a few, a little, several, a couple of, a bit of, a number of

4. Cardinal numbers:

Examples: zero, one, two

5. Other phrases for precise quantity:

Examples: a pair of, five liters of

6. Words and phrases expressing multiples or fractions:

Examples: half, half of, double, twice, three times, twice as much

7. Words expressing maximum, sufficient or zero quantity:

Examples: all, both, enough, sufficient, no

Personal Determiners

Personal determiners include you and we/us in phrases.

Examples:

  • I thought you guys all wore those penguin coats.
  • Us girls wear woolen socks in winter.

These can contrast with pronouns in appositional constructions.

Examples:

  • *I/we, the undersigned, … *
  • *We, the undersigned, … *

Other Cases

Other cases cover special determiner uses.

The words such and exclamative what:

Examples:

  • Such a long way.
  • What a disaster!

Noun phrases used as determiners:

Examples:

  • This color doesn’t suit you.
  • What size shirt does he wear?

Zero Determiners

Zero determiners allow noun phrases without any determiners.

Plural or uncountable nouns for a concept or class:

Examples:

  • Cars are useful.
  • Happiness is contagious.

Plural or uncountable nouns for unspecified amounts:

Examples:

  • There are dogs under the table.
  • Do you take milk in your tea?

Proper names:

Examples:

  • Tom Smith, Birmingham, Italy, Jupiter

Singular nouns in common expressions:

Examples:

  • Smiling from ear to ear.
  • Leaving town today.

 


Types of Determiners
Types of Determiners – Created by 7ESL