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Determiners - Articles, Demonstratives, Quantifiers

Learning English grammar online with determiners in English

What are determiners?

A noun modifier that expresses the reference of a noun or noun phrase is calles "a determiner". Determiners usually include articles, and may include items like demonstratives, possessive determiners, quantifiers.

In this section of the Grammar lesson, we are going to present to you 3 common use of determiners whic are articles, demonstratives and quatifiers.

Articles: a / an / the

In English Grammar, articles are including two types: Indefinite articles: a / an and Definite article: the.

The use of these articles depends mainly on whether you are referring to any member of a group, or to a specific member of a group:

Definite article - THE:

"THE" is used before singular and plural nouns that refer to a particular member of a group.

Exemple: The man standing near the window is my uncle.

The is not used with noncountable nouns referring to something in a general sense:

• [no article] Coffee is a popular drink.
• [no article] Japanese was his native language.
• [no article] Intelligence is difficult to quantify.

The is used with noncountable nouns that are made more specific by a limiting modifying phrase or clause:

• The coffee in my cup is too hot to drink.
• The Japanese he speaks is often heard in the countryside.
• The intelligence of animals is variable but undeniable.

The is also used when a noun refers to something unique:

• the White House
• the theory of relativity
• the 1999 federal budget

Notice that people do not use the before:

1. names of countries (Italy, Mexico, Bolivia) except the Netherlands and the US
2. names of cities, towns, or states (Seoul, Manitoba, Miami)
3. names of streets (Washington Blvd., Main St.)
4. names of lakes and bays (Lake Titicaca, Lake Erie) except with a group of lakes like the Great Lakes
5. names of mountains (Mount Everest, Mount Fuji) except with ranges of mountains like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual
6. names like the Matterhorn
7. names of continents (Asia, Europe)
8. names of islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West) except with island chains like the Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary Islands

And people Do use the before:

1. names of rivers, oceans and seas (the Nile, the Pacific)
2. points on the globe (the Equator, the North Pole)
3. geographical areas (the Middle East, the West)
4. deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas (the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula)

Indefinite articles - A / AN:

A or AN is used before singular nouns that refer to any member of a group.

Example:
• A boy is walking toward me.
• A dog can bark. A bird can fly.

The use of A / AN:

• a + singular noun beginning with a consonant: a boy
• an + singular noun beginning with a vowel: an elephant
• a + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound: a user (sounds like 'yoo-zer,' i.e. begins with a consonant 'y' sound, so 'a' is used)
• some + plural noun: some girls

If the noun is modified by an adjective, the choice between a and an depends on the initial sound of the adjective that immedately follows the article:

• a broken egg
• an unusual problem
• a European country (sounds like 'yer-o-pi-an,' i.e. begins with consonant 'y' sound)

Note also that in English, the indefinite articles are used to indicate membership in a profession, nation, or religion.

• I am a teacher.
• Brian is an Irishman.
• Seiko is a practicing Buddhist.

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Source for this: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslart.html

Demonstratives

Demonstratives are words that are use to indicate which entities a speaker refers to, and distinguishes those entities from others.

The demonstratives in English are this, that, these, and those, possibly followed by one(s) in case of pronouns

The Use of Demonstratives

Demonstratives can be used as pronouns or adjectives. They are sometimes referred to as demonstrative adjectives or demonstrative pronouns. When they are used as adjectives they modify the noun.

• "This" is used for singular nouns that are close to the speaker.
• "That" is used for singular nouns that are far from the speaker.
• "These" is used for plural nouns that are close to the speaker.
• "Those" is used for plural nouns that are far from the speaker.

This - That - These - Those - Here - There

Read the conversations below:

David: Could you give me that book on the table over there?
Frank: Do you mean this book here?
David: Yes, that book.
Frank: Here you are. Oh, could you give me those magazines on the table over there?
David: These? Sure, here you are.

David: Is there an apple on that table over there?
Frank: Yes, there is. Here it is.
David: Great, are there any oranges?
Frank: No, there aren't.
David: Oh, here they are, next to me on this table.

Look at the chart below:

We use "here" for something which is near to us. Example: Here is the pencil in my hand.	We use "there" for something which is far from us. Example: There is the pen next to the lamp.
We use "this" for one object (singular) which is here (near to us). Example: This is a book in my hand.	We use "that" for one object (singular) which is there. Example: That is his car over there.
We use "these" for more than one object (plural) which are here (near to us). Example: These are my friends next to me.	We use "those" for more than one object (plural) which are there. Example: Those are his toys over there.
We use "there" for one object (singular) which exists - or "is" (near to us). Example: There is (There's) a table next to the window.	We use "there" for more than one object (plural) which exist - or "are". Example: There are (There're) many of my friends at the party tonight.

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Quantifiers

Like articles, quantifiers are words that precede and modify nouns. They tell us how many or how much. Selecting the correct quantifier depends on your understanding the distinction between Count and Non-Count Nouns. For our purposes, we will choose the count noun trees and the non-count noun dancing:

The following quantifiers will work with count nouns: Many trees> a few trees few trees several trees a couple of trees none of the trees

The following quantifiers will work with non-count nouns: not much dancing a little dancing little dancing a bit of dancing a good deal of dancing a great deal of dancing no dancing

The following quantifiers will work with both count and non-count nouns: all of the trees/dancing some trees/dancing most of the trees/dancing enough trees/dancing a lot of trees/dancing lots of trees/dancing plenty of trees/dancing a lack of trees/dancing

In formal academic writing, it is usually better to use many and much rather than phrases such as a lot of, lots of and plenty of.

There is an important difference between "a little" and "little" (used with non-count words) and between "a few" and "few" (used with count words). If I say that Tashonda has a little experience in management that means that although Tashonda is no great expert she does have some experience and that experience might well be enough for our purposes. If I say that Tashonda has little experience in management that means that she doesn't have enough experience. If I say that Charlie owns a few books on Latin American literature that means that he has some some books — not a lot of books, but probably enough for our purposes. If I say that Charlie owns few books on Latin American literature, that means he doesn't have enough for our purposes and we'd better go to the library.

Unless it is combined with of, the quantifier "much" is reserved for questions and negative statements:

• Much of the snow has already melted.
• How much snow fell yesterday?
• Not much.

Note that the quantifier "most of the" must include the definite article the when it modifies a specific noun, whether it's a count or a non-count noun: "most of the instructors at this college have a doctorate"; "most of the water has evaporated." With a general plural noun, however (when you are not referring to a specific entity), the "of the" is dropped:

• Most colleges have their own admissions policy.
• Most students apply to several colleges.

Authority for this last paragraph: The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers by Maxine Hairston and John J. Ruszkiewicz. 4th ed. HarperCollins: New York. 1996. Examples our own.

An indefinite article is sometimes used in conjunction with the quantifier many, thus joining a plural quantifier with a singular noun (which then takes a singular verb):

• Many a young man has fallen in love with her golden hair.
• Many an apple has fallen by October.

This construction lends itself to a somewhat literary effect (some would say a stuffy or archaic effect) and is best used sparingly, if at all.</>

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Source: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/determiners/determiners.htm

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