Determiners

TSL 1024 Language Description

 Learning Outcomes
• Explain the different types of determiners
• Analyse the differences between determiners and pronouns

Lecture:
• Discuss the features of different types of determiners
• Differentiate between determiners and pronouns (some
determiners belong to other word classes as well)
• Introduce error analysis

TSL 1024 Language Description

Determiners

• Articles ⚫ Cardinal numbers

• Demonstratives ⚫ Ordinal numbers
• Possessives ⚫ Wh-words
• Quantifiers ⚫ What/such/rather/quite
• Multipliers (used as predeterminers)
• Fraction

TSL 1024 Language Description

Articles
• Articles : a, an, the, O article
• The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accident
held an exhibition at Harrogate in the north of
England. Some shelves were put up to display the
exhibits. During the exhibition, the shelves fell
down, injuring a visitor. It was an unfortunate
incident.
• a, an- with a singular noun
• some – plural or uncountable equivalent
• no article (accidents)

TSL 1024 Language Description

 articles
• a/ an – indefinite article
• the – definite article, we are clear which one we mean
E.g. only one north of England (the north of England)

• an exhibition –mention for the first time

• the exhibition – the exhibition already mentioned
• Before a consonant sound, the articles are ‘a’ and ‘the’
E.g. a/the shelf, a/the visitor, a big exhibition, a one-day event, a
university/uniform/union, a European country, a holiday, a U-turn
• Before a vowel sound, the articles are ‘an’ and ‘the’
E.g. an accident, an exhibition, an interesting display, an only
child, an umbrella, an error, an hour, an M15 agent

TSL 1024 Language Description

 E.g. an heir, an honourable act, an honest person
• With hotel we can pronounce /h/ or leave it out
a hotel, an hotel (formal and old-fashioned /h/is silent)
• a/an habitual, a/an heroic and a/an historical
( if we use an, then the /h/ is silent)

TSL 1024 Language Description

Identify the articles
A hovercraft flying at 40mph was halted in rough seas when
a stowaway was discovered – on the outside. He was seen
hiding behind a life raft to avoid paying the $5 fare from
Ryde, Isle of Wight to Southsea. The captain was tipped off
by radio. He stopped the craft and a crewman brought the
stowaway inside. A Lighttravel spokesman said: ‘It was a
very dangerous thing to do. The ride can be bumpy, and it
would be easy to fall off

TSL 1024 Language Description

Main uses of the articles
A hovercraft flying at 40mph was halted in
rough seas when a stowaway was discovered
– on the outside. He was seen hiding behind
a life raft to avoid paying the $5 fare from
Ryde, Isle of Wight to Southsea. The captain
was tipped off by radio. He stopped the craft
and a crewman brought the stowaway inside.
A Lighttravel spokesman said: ‘It was a very
dangerous thing to do. The ride can be
bumpy, and it would be easy to fall off

TSL 1024 Language Description

Main uses of the articles
A. First mention or mentioned before
Police are questioning a man about the incident. The man
was arrested when he arrived at Northsea.
B ‘The’ for something unique in the context
• The captain was tipped off by radio. (only one captain in
hovercraft)
• A car stopped and the driver got out. (a car - only one driver)
• Where’s the volume on this radio? (only one volume control)
• The Prime Minister is very popular.( country- only one PM)
• The sun was shining. (only one sun in our
• solar system)

TSL 1024 Language Description

 • C. The with noun + phrase
i. Ours is the house on the corner.
ii. We live in a house overlooking the park.
iii. We came to the edge of a lake.
iv. They heard the sound of an aircraft overhead.
• D The with superlatives and with last, next
i. The Sears Tower is the tallest building in the US.
ii. Is this the first time you are staying out on your own?
iii. I think you went the wrong way at the junction.

TSL 1024 Language Description

E a/an: specific or not?
• I’m looking for a pen. It’s a blue one. I was using it a few
minutes ago. (a specific pen)
• I’ m looking for a pen. I can’t find one anywhere. Could
you lend me one? (any pen)
F a/an for describing
This is a big house, isn’t it?
Yesterday was a beautiful day.
Daniel talks about nothing but hockey. He’s a fanatic.

TSL 1024 Language Description

G a/an for classifying
What kind of bird is that? – A blackbird, isnt’t it?
The victim, a Muslim, was taken to hospital.
The gold medal winner was an Irishman

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The articles: some special uses
A. We go to the cinema/theatre.
even if we do not mean a specific one
We haven’t been to the cinema for ages.
B. When we are talking about television or radio as a medium or a
business, we use the noun on its own.
Radio leaves more to the imagination than television does.
c. General ability to play any piano, games, sports
Can you play the piano?
She plays guitar in a band.
Do you play tennis at school?

TSL 1024 Language Description

Singular noun on its own
• Institutions: How are you getting on at university?
• Phrases of time: The concert is on Friday.
• Fixed expressions: I lie awake night after night.
It was a fiasco from start to finish.
• Phrase ‘by’ expressing means.
It would be quicker by train.
• Idiomatic phrases: for example, in fact, at risk
for a change, in a hurry, at the moment,
on the whole

TSL 1024 Language Description

Singular noun on its own
• Names of people and most place names have no
article
for Mr Zulkifli in Teluk Intan
• Two things are closely linked or no link between
them.
Put the knife and fork on the tray.
I bought a sweater and a book.

TSL 1024 Language Description

 Demonstratives
(i) Demonstratives –
this, that,(singular)
these, those (plural)
to refer to someone or something known
to both speaker and listener
(differentiate from pronouns)

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Demonstratives
Close
space Do you recognise this man?
These parrots can live to over 70.
time What are you doing this weekend?
There’s so much crime these days.
Distant
space I’ve seen that man before.
Can you see those birds in the tree?
timeDo you remember that weekend?
There were no drugs those days.

TSL 1024 Language Description

Demonstratives: used as pronouns/intensifiers
Use as pronouns to refer to a noun/thing/idea
• This is a really wonderful cup of tea. What kind is it?
• Alan says he’s giving up his job to travel the world. I think
that’s stupid.
Use this to talk about a situation that we are experiencing
• This is the worst recession we have seen for more than ten
years.
To intensify an adjective
• I’ve never known a winter this cold before.
• So you think you’re that clever, do you?

TSL 1024 Language Description

Possessives
Possessive determiners/ possessive adjectives – my,
her, our, their
Determiners Plural Pronouns Plural
Singular singular

1st my pen our house mine ours

person
2nd your number your coats yours yours
person
3rd his father their his theirs
person her decision attitude hers
its location

TSL 1024 Language Description

Discussion about date for a meeting:
Emma: What about Friday?
Alex: I’ll just look in my diary.
Emma: Have you got your diary. Tina?
Tina: I think so.
Frank: I haven’t got mine with me.
Alex: I can’t come on Friday. We’re giving a party for
one of our neighbours. It’s her birthday.

Task: Identify the possessive determiners.

TSL 1024 Language Description

Discussion about date for meeting:
Emma: What about Friday?
Alex: I’ll just look in my diary.
Emma: Have you got your diary. Tina?
Tina: I think so.
Frank: I haven’t got mine with me.
Alex: I can’t come on Friday. We’re
giving a party for one of our neighbours. It’s
her birthday.

TSL 1024 Language Description

• His can be either a determiner or a pronoun
Has Arief got his mobile?
I’ve got my mobile, but Arief hasn’t got his.
• Its is a determiner but not a pronoun.
The restaurant is famous for its good food.
The east-coast route has its advantages, and the
west-coast route has its advantages too.

TSL 1024 Language Description

 Predeterminers: 2 subsets
(a) all, both, half
(b) the multipliers
(a) all, both, half- occur before the articles,
demonstratives and the possessives
all the
both these students
half our

TSL 1024 Language Description

 Multipliers: two uses as predeterminers
• When the following determiner is the definite article,
demonstrative or possessive, the multiplier applies to the noun
so determined
Twice/double the length (a length twice as great)
Three times her salary(a salary three times as large)
When the following determiner is the indefinite article or each or
every, the multiplier applies to a measure (such as frequency)
set against the unit specified by the following noun;
once a day twice each game
four times every year

TSL 1024 Language Description

 Postdeterminers: 2 classes
(a) Ordinals - first, fourth, thirty first, hundredth,
last,
(b) quantifiers- seven, ninety , many, few,
plenty of,
• When they cooccur, (a) usually precede (b)
E.g. the first two poems
my last few possessions
her other many accomplishments

TSL 1024 Language Description

Quantifiers
•Are determiners which describe the quantity
of something
•Quantifiers – seven, ninety, many, plenty of,
each, every, some, many, any, a lot of
(differentiate from pronouns)
•Use ‘of ‘ or ‘of the’ in the table.

TSL 1024 Language Description

• I’d like some jewellery. (general, we don’t know which
jewellery)
• I’d like some of the jewellery. (specific, a particular set of the
jewellery.
• Water the fruit frequently as little rain falls at this time of the
year. (almost none/hardly any)
• You’d better take an umbrella with you; there’s always a little
rain at this time of the year (a small amount)
• She ate a little bread. (i.e. some)
• She ate little bread. (i.e. hardly any)
• There are few people who believe you.(hardly any)
• I play a few games. (i.e. several)

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Difference between each and every. We
can use each to refer to two things, but not
every
•She was wearing a fine gold chain on
every ankle. x
•She was wearing a fine gold chain on each
ankle. √
•She was wearing a ring on every finger.

TSL 1024 Language Description

 •We use ‘some’ in positive sentences, ‘any’
in questions and negatives:
1. You’ve got some interesting ideas, but
have you got any money to back them?
2. We can use any in positive sentences
with the meaning ‘it doesn’t matter
which’
3. You don’t catch any fish here. Any
fisherman will tell you that.

TSL 1024 Language Description

 • Always singular: each, either, much
e.g. Much of the research has already been completed.
• Always plural: both, several, a few, many
e.g. Some visitors to the gallery are enthusiastic but
many have expressed their disappointment.
• Singular or plural: any, half, some, a lot, all. e.g.
i. Some of the information is considered top secret.
ii. Some of us are hiring a minibus to go to the march.
iii. ‘We can’t get many books to the schools in the outback.’
‘Don’t worry. Any (books) are better than none.’
iv. None of the students is/are willing to accept
v. the increase in coursework.

TSL 1024 Language Description

Cardinals: refer to exact number
• Cardinal numbers – one, seventy, 500, 10,000
e.g. I’m going to ask you three questions.
…two hundred and ten copies of the record.
• Cardinal numbers as quantifiers linked by ‘of’
e.g. I saw three of these programmes.
All five of us wanted to get away from the hostel.

TSL 1024 Language Description

Fractions
•When you want to indicate how large a part
of something is compared to the whole of it,
you use a fraction such as ‘a third’ and
‘three-quarters’
i. A third of the armed forces were involved.
ii. The bottle had been three-quarters full
when they started.

TSL 1024 Language Description

Wh-determiners: which, whose, whichever,
whosever as relatives or interrogatives
•Please come at noon, by which time I shall be
back in my office.
•The woman whose book you reviewed is on TV
tonight.
•They will disapprove of whatever music is
played.
•Which house do you prefer?
• What time is it?

TSL 1024 Language Description

 What/such
•Refer to quality rather than quantity
i. What a day we had!
ii. I can’t remember such a time.

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General determiners can also be pronouns
all less
another little
any many
both more
each most
either much
enough neither
few several
fewer some

TSL 1024 Language Description

 References:

• Sinclair,J.(ed) (2005) Collins Cobuild English Grammar.

London, Harper Collins Publishers
• Eastwood, J.(2005) Oxford Learner’s Grammar Finder
Reference. OUP
• Kennedy, G. (2003) Structure and Meaning in English.
Pearson Education Ltd
• Parrott, M.(2004) Grammar for English language Teachers.
Cambridge University Press

TSL 1024 Language Description

 Write ‘the’ where it is required
It was one of most magnificent buildings I had ever seen.
Walls were painted white and where they joined roof there
was a carved border. Floor was covered with a thick, soft
carpet and pattern on it was extremely beautiful. Lights
were made of many round pieces of glass which made a
pleasant noise in wind. Windows were large and could be
opened to allow smell of flowers in surrounding garden to
come in. Roof was very steep and outside it came out over
walls to protect them from rain. Because of this doors could
always be kept open

TSL 1024 Language Description

 Write ‘the’ where it is required
It was one of ^most magnificent buildings I had ever seen.
^Walls were painted white and where they joined ^roof
there was a carved border. ^Floor was covered with a thick,
soft carpet and ^pattern on it was extremely beautiful.
^Lights were made of many round pieces of glass which
made a pleasant noise in ^wind. ^Windows were large and
could be opened to allow ^smell of ^flowers in ^surrounding
garden to come in. Roof was very steep and outside it came
out over ^walls to protect them from (^)rain. Because of
this ^doors could always be kept
open

TSL 1024 Language Description

 Underline the determiners
• Some people argue that everyone who claims to have seen or to have
photographed the Loch Ness monster has been either drunk, deceived by a log
or interested in promoting the Scottish tourist industry. On the other hand,
many people are quite prepared to concede that some animal or group of
animals has been seen in the loch. The issue is whether this animal can be
identified as the ‘monster’. There is (no date) only one photograph of the
creature. It has been studied carefully by experts, and the general consensus is
that the picture reveals a row of playful otters. For this reason, arguments for
the existence of the monster based on visual evidence have met with a good deal
of skepticism. Another approach has been to consider how monsters might be
able to survive in a freshwater environment. Could they obtain enough food to
sustain themselves? Those that believe that they could, point out that Loch Ness
is very deep, and moreover that it may be connected by a series of subterranean
passages with the sea, allowing the monster to feed. Some say that the animal
could be a whale or a basking shark which has lost its way or even come inland
to die, and that this could explain the rare sightings.

TSL 1024 Language Description

 Underline the determiners
• Some people argue that everyone who claims to have seen or to have
photographed the Loch Ness monster has been either drunk, deceived by a
log or interested in promoting the Scottish tourist industry. On the other
hand, many people are quite prepared to concede that some animal or
group of animals has been seen in the loch. The issue is whether this
animal can be identified as the ‘monster’. There is (no date) only one
photograph of the creature. It has been studied carefully by experts, and
the general consensus is that the picture reveals a row of playful otters.
For this reason, arguments for the existence of the monster based on visual
evidence have met with a good deal of scepticism. Another approach has
been to consider how monsters might be able to survive in a freshwater
environment. Could they obtain enough food to sustain themselves?
Those that believe that they could, point out that Loch Ness is very deep,
and moreover that it may be connected by a series of subterranean
passages with the sea, allowing the monster to feed. Some say that the
animal could be a whale or a basking shark which has lost its way or even
come inland to die, and that this could explain the rare sightings.

TSL 1024 Language Description