Your passion will define your limit….

strive for more

DETERMINERS
Determiners are words that determine or limit the nouns that follow.

Eg: a, an, the, some, any, much, several, few, a few, little, each, every, all, both,
either, neither, no, half, may, my, your, her, its…

Eg: My father is a doctor.

Three young men arrived in a taxi
Few people can have heard the news.
Can you give me some idea of the cost?

Determiners can be arranged in six classes according to the type of nouns with which
they are used.

a) Those which are used with singulars (countable or uncountable)

This that

b) Those, which are used only with singular countable.

An, a, every, each either, neither

c) Those, which are, used only with plurals countable.

These, those, many both, few, several

d) Those, which are used only with plural uncountable.

Much little

e) Those, which are used only with countable (Plural) and uncountable.
Enough all

f) Those which can be used with any noun (singular or Plural, countable
uncountable)
The, some, any no, my, his (and other possessive)

A. A R T I C L E S

Definite article: The is called definite article because it points out some
particular person or thing

Mr.L.Mathew M.A.(Eng.Lit Med.

lalimathew@yahoo.co.in
9810312549 27492907
 2
Indefinite article: A or an is called indefinite article because it leaves
indefinite the person or things spoken of.

A or AN
- a or an is determined by sound.
- An is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound
An ass, an enemy, an orange, an umbrella, an hour, an honest, an hair.

- a is used before a word beginning with a consonant sound.

A boy, a woman, a horse….

EXCEPTION:

1. A university, a union…. Begin with a consonant sound that is of ‘yu’

2. A one rupee note, a one eyed man… because one begin with a consonant sound
‘w’
3. Before words beginning with ‘h’ and not accented on the first syllable , an is
often used: An historical novel, an hotel….
4.

USES OF THE DEFINITE ARTICLE

1. When we speak of a particular person or thing or one already referred to ;

The book you want is out of print.

I dislike the fellow.

2. When a singular noun is meant to represent a whole class:

The cow is a useful animal
The cat loves comfort
The rose is sweetest of all flowers.
3. Before the names of gulf, mountain ranges, oceans canals, seas, straits
4. Before the proper names of books.
5. Before the names of things which are unique:
6. Before the Superlative Degree.
7. With Comparative Degree as in the following idioms: (The higher, The
better)
8. Before the ordinal numbers: (The first man to arrive)
9. Before the names of the musical instruments:
He can play the flute

Your passion will define your limit…..strive for more.

 3

10. Before an Adjective when the noun is understood:

The poor are always with us
11.Before the proper noun only when it is qualified by an adjective.
The immortal Shakespeare

OMISSION OF THE ARTICLES

1. Before a common noun used in its widest sense:

Man is mortal
2. Before names of materials:
Gold is precious metal
3. Before the names of towns, city or village

4. Before the name of a continent

5. Before the names of a single island.
6. Before the name of a lake.
7. Before abstract noun used in a general sense:
Honesty is the best policy
8. Before languages.
9. Before school, colleges, church, temple hospital, market ,prison….
10. Before names of relations like , father, brother, cousin……
11. Before predicative nouns denoting a unique position, that is normally held at
one time by one person only.
To catch ,fire, to take breath, to give battle….
12. In certain phrases consisting of preposition followed
He was elected chairman of the Board.
13. In certain phrases consisting of a transitive verb followed by its objects:
by its objects:
At home ,in hand, in debt, by day, by night….

B. ADJECTIVES OF QUANTITY
Some : When used with nouns to represent things that can be counted. When
used with a singular noun to represent something that cannot be
counted.

Some men are born brave

Please pass some sugar.

Used in the affirmative sense

There are some children outside
Some people say that money makes the mare go
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In interrogative sentences, when the speaker expects an affirmative

answer.
Aren’t there some stamps in the drawer?
Didn’t he give you some money?

Any: In Negative sentences:

He hasn’t solved any question.
I didn’t buy any bread.

In the sense of ‘no matter which’( in any case, at any rate, on any
day…)
Come any day you like
You can come to me at any hour of the day.
In Clauses of condition:
I shall help you if you have any problem.
You can come to me in case of any difficulty.

Each: Is used in speaking of two or more things.

Five boys were seated on each bench.
Each girls will get a prize.
Directs attention to the individuals forming any group.
Is used only when the number in the group is limited and definite

Every: used only in speaking of more than two.

Every seat was broken
Every to the total group.
It rained every day during my holidays.
Every is used when the number is indefinite.
Everyone of the chair is broken.

Little:
Meaning not much ie. Hardly any
He has little influence with his old friends.
There is little sugar left in the pot
Has a negative meaning.
There is little hope of his recovery.

Your passion will define your limit….strive for more

Mr.L.Mathew M.A. Med lalimathew@yahoo.co.in 9810312549 27492907
 5
A Little: Some, though not much, has a positive meaning.
A little knowledge is dangerous.
He has still a little money left in the bank.
The little: Not much, but all there is.
The little information he had was not quite reliable
He drank the little milk I had.

Few: Is a negative adjective, used in the sense of ‘not many’, hardly any .
Few men are free from faults.
He makes few mistakes.
A few: Is an affirmative adjective, used in the sense of ‘some at least’
A few words spoken in earnest will convince him
A few Pharsis write Gujarati correctly.
The few: It indicates ‘the whole of any particular number’, not many but all
there are.
The few remarks that he made were very suggestive
The few friends he has are all very poor.

Either: Any one of the two things/persons

I can speak on either side.

Neither: Has a negative meaning.

Neither of them could speak on the stage.

No: Used in negative sentence and interrogatives.

There is no high school in this village.

All: Denote the total of many units together.

He gave me all the books.
All the girls are present today.

Both: Denote the total of two units together.

Both his sisters were married.

C. DEMONSTRATIVE DETERMINERS
(This, the, that, these, those, …..)

Points out which person or thing is meant.

This house is more beautiful than that house.
These apples are ripe but those apples are raw.
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This , these … indicate nearness

That, those……indicate distance.

D. POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
Shows possession, relationship.
Used before singular, plural nouns
My school is near his house
Your name is not in the list
Its colour will face soon.

Mr.L.Mathew M.A.(Eng.Lit Med.

lalimathew@yahoo.co.in
9810312549 27492907

Mr.L.Mathew M.A.(Eng.Lit Med.

lalimathew@yahoo.co.in
9810312549 27492907