38b Using determiners
Contents:
Determiners with singular count nouns
Determiners with plural nouns or noncount nouns
Determiners are words that identify or quantify a noun, such as this study, all people, his suggestions.
COMMON DETERMINERS
- the articles a, an, the
- this, these, that, those
- my, our, your, his, her, its, their
- possessive nouns and noun phrases (Sheila’s paper, my friend’s book)
- whose, which, what
- all, both, each, every, some, any, either, no, neither, many, much, (a) few, (a) little, several, enough
- the numerals one, two, etc.
| These determiners . . . | . . . can precede these noun types | Examples |
| a, an, each, every | singular count nouns |
a book an American each word every Buddhist |
| this, that | singular count nouns noncount nouns |
this book that milk |
| (a) little, much | noncount nouns |
a little milk much affection |
| some, any, enough | noncount nouns |
some milk any fruit enough trouble |
| plural count nouns |
some books any questions enough problems |
|
| the |
singular count nouns plural count nouns noncount nouns |
the doctor the doctors the information |
| these, those, (a) few, many, both, several | plural count nouns |
these books those plans a few ideas many students both hands several trees |
Determiners with singular count nouns
Every singular count noun must be preceded by a determiner. Place any adjectives between the determiner and the noun.
Determiners with plural nouns or noncount nouns
Noncount and plural nouns sometimes have determiners and sometimes do not. For example, This research is important and Research is important are both acceptable but have different meanings.