Learn English Grammar - Determiners Text

Determiners

Determiners are used in front of nouns to indicate whether you are referring to something specific or something of a particular type.

Determiners are different to pronouns in that a determiner is always followed by a noun. Therefore personal pronouns ( I , you , he , etc.) and possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, etc.) cannot be determiners.

The definite and indefinite articles a/an/the are all determiners.

You use a specific determiner when people know exactly which thing(s) or person/people you are talking about.

The specific determiners are:

the definite article : the

demonstratives : this, that, these, those

possessives : my, your, his, her, its, our, their

For example:-

"The dog barked at the boy."
"These apples are rotten."
"Their bus was late."

You use general determiners to talk about people or things without saying exactly who or what they are.

The general determiners are:

the indefinite articles : a, an
a few a little all another any	both each either enough every	few fewer less little many more most much	neither no other several some

For example:-

"A man sat under an umbrella."
"Have you got any English books that I could have?"
"There is enough food to feed everyone."