m Determiners

[~ Defining a Determiner
Determiners are words used to identify or specify a noun in some way.
Look at these expressions:
your books this poem
the highest peak every citizen
some problem
The words printed in bold letters are determiners.
A determiner signals the coming of a noun in a sentence.
[ID Determiners and Adjectives
1. Adjectives describe a noun; determiners point it out:
tall tree this tree
(describes the tree - adjective) (points out the tree - determiner)
expensive shoes your shoes
(describes the shoes - adjective) (points out the shoes - determiner)
2. Adjectives can change their form; determiners retain the same form:
bright brighter brightest
Determiners like your, some, every retain the same form.
3. An adjective can be placed before or after a noun:
sweet mangoes (before the noun)
The mangoes are sweet. (after the noun)
A determiner can be placed only before a noun:
the/some/which mangoes

(g Kinds of Determiners
Determiners fall into the following categories:
1. Articles _ a, an, the
2. Possessives : my, our, your, his, her, its, their
3. Demonstratives : this, that, these, those, such
4. Distributives : each, every, either, neither
5. Quantifiers : much, some, any, no, little, enough, a lot of, lots of, some
of, much of, plenty of
6. Expressions of number many, several, some, any, no, few, enough, another, a
number of, a lot of, lots of, plenty of, som e of, many of,
one, two, three
7. Interrogatives : what, which, whose, etc.
 38

D Articles
There are three articles:
indefinite articles a, an
the definite article the

So they are used before countable

E A, an h uggest one.
1. A and an are indefinite articles. T ey s
nouns in the singular number:
an animal
a bird
an eagle
a parrot

2. a + consonant sound h sonant sound:

• · wit a con
We use a before a word begmnmg . a ball
a tram
as h op a European
a university t
t (yoo - consonant sound)
(yoo - consonant sound)
a one-rupee note
a one-act play
i
t (w - consonant sound)
(w - consonant sound)
3. an + vowel sound
We use an before a word beginning with a vowel sound:
an apple an eye an uncle

4. (a) Words beginning with silent h take an before them:

an hour an honour an honest person
(b) The h in hotel, historical, habitual, humble is not silent. So we use a before them:
a hotel a historical novel a humble beginning
5. an + abbreviations
Since abbreviations like M.P., M.B.A., begin with a vowel sound (m pronounced as
em), we use an before them:
an M.P. an N.C.C. officer
But a B.Ed. a Ph.D.
6. a/an + noun (to denote a class)
A/an is used before a singular countable noun when 1·t repre t z
sen s a c ass·
A whale is a mammal. (every whale) ·
An octopus is a sea animal. (every octopus)
Here a/an = all/every.
7. a/an + noun (profession, post, nationality reli·g· )
, 10n, etc.
a doctor an Indian
8· a Hindu
a/an + noun (degree, title, etc.)
an M.Ed.
a Padma Shri
 <39 )
Determiners
9. a/an + noun (rate, etc.)
500 a month Eighty miles an hour
twenty rupees a dozen

10. a/an + verb-noun (verb used as a noun)

She is going for a walk.
He is having a bath.

11. a/an + adjective + noun

If there is an adjective before a noun, a/an is placed before the adjective. The choice
of a/an depends upon the sound with which the adjective begins:
an artist a great artist an experienced artist

12. a/an in phrases

Note the use of a/an in the following phrases:
a pity a shame a pleasure

a noise a rage a nuisance

a headache a bad cold in a whisper

in a low voice to be at a loss to be in a hurry
to have a good time to run a temperature
to be in a temper to have a slight fever

(I) Exercise J. Fill in the blanks with a or an where necessary:

1. .}W..-1. heir 2. ...... ... accounts assistant

3. .. .. hot tea 4 . . ........ hot cup of tea

5. .. :~ ~--- Unit 6 . ........ :. European country

7. .:-k~. unusual event 8. .. ....... humble person

9. ... A... Bharat Ratna 10 . .. f.:.... ·eucalyptus tree

11. .. airy room
.
12. 1n ........I ~. hurry

13. ..\k,.. paper 14. . . . h('.. sheet of paper

t
15. .:-..~
17.
~. eventful year
..- :.M useful invention
16 . ..P<. .. historic event
18 . fifty rupees .. / , .... litre
-/fl
19. . .. ~versity college 20. .A);) ... L-shaped sofa set
/ ov,,._,
(I) The Definite Article-the
The is the definite article.
The is pronounced
. as. di: before
. a vowel sound and as 8 before a consonant sound.
We use the m the following situations.
1. Before. a noun whenever we want to particularise that noun:
the books lying on my table ' I
the shoes I bought last evening
 "II()
____ - - -- - · - -se a or an before it (for it coll.}
- - ~- ·-- - - --.- - -.- -fi the first time, we u f it has now become Parr d.
2. When a noun 1s menhone. d or . we use the ( or 1Cll/Clt-.:
. ned again, book)
any), but when it is men t10 ,;.
Gaurav presented me ~' b9ok. (any_ tories. (the book presented by Gall.ra
. • l interesting s V)
The book contains severa thing we mean:
. . . which people or
3. When it is clear from the situation ? (the fan in the room)
•t h on the fan.
Would you please swi c . d (the teacher = our teacher)
. . oem was really goo .
The teacher said my P ify a person or object·
. . l sin le out or speci .
4. With such phrases as immediate Y g h the main problem
the last benc
the first day h the same book
the next child the only daug ter

5. With adjectives in the superlative degree:

the fastest animal
the most hardworking student in our class
· degree m
6. With adjectives in the comparative · th e kind of sentence given below:
He is the more experienced of the hy_o candidates.
. ' 1/ . -
7. Be fore a noun cons1·dere d to be uni·que or extraordinary (the - the best, the only)·.
This is the book you need. (the only book, the best book)
He is the man for your office. (the best man)
8. When there is only one of something (These nouns do not begin w ith a capital letter.):
the sun the moon the equator
the sky the earth
9. Before the name of a person or thing whose identity is known to everyone:
the Prime Minister the Principal

10. Before a common noun when that noun represents the whole class :
The dog is a faithful animal.
The camel is the ship of the desert.

11. Before an adjective or a participle to represent a class of people:

Law does not discriminate between the rich and the poor.
There was nobody to look after the wounded and the dying.
12. Before the names of
• the ranges of mountains and hills
th e Alps, the Khasi Hills
• grol!-ps ,of islands
th
• rivers e Andamans, the West Indies
th e Thames, the Sutlej
• gulfs, canals, seas, oceans
th
• well-known buildings e Persian Gulf, the Pacific Ocean
th
• holy books e Gateway of India, the Lotus Ternple
• newspapers the Bible, the Gita
th
e Hi nd u, the Washington Post
--
oeterf!!!ners ______________________ _________
the Shatabdi Express, the Ashoka
• trains, ships, aeroplanes
the east, the south
• cardinal directions
the microscope, the computer
• inventions
the United States of America,
• countries if the name
the United Kingdom
contains a common noun
(states, kingdom-common nouns)
the Bachchans, the Khans
• the whole families
Note. We do not use the before the names of individual peaks, individual islands
and magazines:
the Sri Lanka X the Mt. Everest X the India Today ·X
.
13. Before common nouns that name musical instruments:
She is playing the sitar.
My sister accompanied me on the violin.
14. We go to the cinema, the theatre. We usually say the radio but television (without the):
My grandparents rarely go to the cinema.
She is watching television. (the television X)

15. Note the use of the in the following:

The more, the merrier.
The nearer the church, the farther from God.
Oranges are sold by t~e 5!2~~i:i-
Petrol ·is sold by ~itr~.
16. We use the in the following expressions:
on the one hand on the other hand
to speak the truth to read in the original

Articles with Proper Nouns

Generally no article is used before a proper noun. So no article is used before the names of
the Ankita Raina X
• peorle
the India, the China X
• countries and
the Asia, the Europe X
continents
the Nainital, the Chhattisgarh X
• cities and states
the Sunday, the August X
• days, months,
the winter, the Christmas X
seasons and festivals
'
the Japanese, the English X
'

• languages
• subjects of study
the Geography, the Economics X

Howeve~, if a proper noun is used like a common noun, we can use a, an or the with it:
San1ay is a good batsman but he is not a Sachin.
'
· · (a player of Sachin's calibre)
Sanjay is the Sa chin of our school. -· - -
(t1:e pl'ayer having Sachin' s ability)
H ;here Not to Use Any Article
We normally do not use any articles
materials:
1. with nouns that name . ( he water X)
- . t O be scarce. t ·
Water is gomg k X)
This table is made of teak. (the tea

2. with abstract nouns: ty X)

. t (the hones X)
Honesty is a great v1r ue. . for all. (the love
We .must cultivate love an d compass1on
d . the general sense:
3. when a noun is use m lk' of man in the general sense.)
Ma~ is a social animal. (We are ta mg

4 with plural nouns when t h ey denote a class: . .

. . ·
Saints believe in simple 1ivmg an d high thmkmg.
Children usually live in the present moment.
·
5. with the names of meals - d mner,
· lunch, breakfast:
What do you normally eat for breakfast?
Lunch is served between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
6. with the names of diseases:
Tuberculosis is no longer an incurable disease.
7. with words like father, mother, uncle, because, in a given situation, they are just like
a proper noun:
Mother wants to send me abroad for higher studies.
Father has been transferred to Kolkata.

8. in headlines and messages on cellphones (where the number of words matters):

P.M. addresses several election rallies.
Come for interview 10 a.m., 15 July.

9. Very often, the use or the omission of the article changes the meaning:
Very few poor parents send their children to sch l
(to school = to study) 00.
-a< --,..
My father went to the school to deposit my fees.
(the school = the building in which the s h .
c oo 1 1s run)
Words like prison, hospital, church court tempi ll waY•
10. with several phrasal verbs: ' ' e, co ege are also used in the same
to go to bed
to go home
to take part in to take place
to take care of
to lose heart to take heart
to be in debt
to take to task to be at fault
to catch fire
to shake hands
to send word
to take offence
to make use of
Determiners
43
- - --~----· -- -~--·-- - - -
.,
. - -· -
11. with these phrases:
by bus/car/air by hand on foot/duty/strike
by mistake in case in trouble
at hand at last at night
12. with these phrases:
hand in hand from dawn to dusk from right to left

The Repetition of Articles

The repetition of an article changes the meaning:
I can see a white and a black cow grazing in the field.
(two cows - one white and the other black)
I can see a white and black cow grazing in the field.
(only one cow, which is white and black)
I could not contact the director and the producer of the play.
(two persons - one director and the other producer)
I could not contact the director and producer of the play.
(only one person)
Exercise 2. Fill in the blanks with a, an or the where necessary:
0 C, ,l'i ' Jj
1. About half .. ,,/.\~ hour later, I saw .--:..-!:::.~ .,, old lady walkiJ1_9 towards ... ,. !!.!§ house. She
paused for ... ff:.: . while at ......... gate. Then she rang .... /.:t door bell.
2. I am eag~~ waiting for .... : .... one-day international between ... .>.<; ... India and ..X. ....
Sri Lanka. r;J .~ . two teams are evenly matched and it promises to be .C!.J.\ .. exciting match.
3. Even 1.. .... Gandhi would find it difficult to pull ......... country out of . .'... .. ·: present mess.
4. ~ lady who lives in --.... .. . nei~hbouring hou.se is .. : .... architect ~Y profession. She is .0J ..
Australian married to .... : .... European .......... two are leading quite .~ .... contented life.
,D
5. If you are .a... ... ~ ivileged child, .you must learn to share ::fr-:.}.. good things of .. ,X... life
\ \
you have wjt .J:t . l poor and -:-:-::~:L deprived. You must learn to give, for -~ ~-- more
you give, ~ -~J2 .. better you feel.
"11 1• • I l°'
6. . -~ History Club of .... .. ... school is organising .... ,.. ... tour of •,P.{'..-. .. historical places
.in an d aroun d .....'~... Agra, in
· .....
i,! .. . beginnin~
. . . of ......... . t
1 l j "l au umn b rea k .
7. Why are ;ou in .... hurry? Why don't you ,stay , for some more days and enjoy .. ... Kh.9.
. beauty of ..' '1 \.t/
sce71c ' ..' snow-caI d pea k s of .: .. 1. ... H.,ma Iayas.7 J

8. . ';/J!!, team of two Indian mountaineers succe~ded in reaching ),!!. top of ,J>.(
::·.?. Mt.
~1- . . . l j <.\ I. ,, I .
Everest, ..~9.. highest peak in .-. t .L .. world ..•... .f... .. who e nation applauded . !, ...... feat.
1
9. I am ... (}..:.:-. young boy from .. (~ .L .. island to ... :.\ :"'east of t r i? place. Abfl.!t; .. .... week
_ . . .
ago, I set out fishing in .. ~
l'1"t\ .. . h . • it'1M~ '-/_J,,
: sail boat but got caug tin ."l-.~ .. storm . . : ....... boat sank

~:k,
but I managed to swim ashore.
10 .... 'Managing Director was busy in .-.IJ../~. urgent meeting with .. 4h: M.P. from .. :.'r.-..
~aharashtra. I wait for .JJ\.. hour and ..Mr,,;. half before I could meet him and
discuss with him .~ problem I am facing. '
'j Possessives: my, our, your, his, her, its, their
My, our, your, his, her, its and their are called possessives, because they possess the nouns
that follow them . Possessives can be used before both singular and plural nouns:
my book my books your question your questions
And they can be used before countable as well as uncountable nouns:
our house our houses our duty

Exercise 5. Fill in the blanks with possessives:

1
It was a long and complicated form running into four sheets. Filling sof11e of . columns
wa!i a tough job. The gentleman at the counter was also of no help .. lfk. . voice was gruff and
M . face wore a permanent scowl. He had already rattled two boys ahead of me by rejecting
.~ forms.
I reluctantly approached a young lady at the second window.
"I'm sorry form looks a bit s~abby," I said timidly. She looked at the form and gently
said, "It's not too bad. But some of .;;.J&. responses are not clear. I'll show you how to fix it."
She discussed J..rm.. form with me and the entire job vyas over in five minutes. I was really
impressed with -~ kind patience. I thanked her for ...h.t .1invaluable help and left for home.

That day I realised how a little change in y!.r'..t~Lattitude could make the world a much better

place to live in.

00 Demonstratives: this, that, these, those

1. This, that, these and those are used to point out persons or objects.
2. This and these are used to point out persons or objects close to the speaker. This is
used before singular nouns and these before plural nouns:
This book will serve your purpose.
These chocolates are for you.
3. That (singular) and those (plural) refer to persons or objects at a distance:
That house belongs to my uncle.
Those girls are going to perform a dance.
4. This and that can be used before uncountable nouns also:
This water is not fit for drinking.
That pineapple juice was very refreshing.

L Distributives: either, neither, each, every

1. Either
Either has two different meanings:
(a) any of the two different persons or things: D or D
We can hold the meeting on Monday or Tuesday.
Either day is suitable.
-46L _ __ _____
D and

(b) the both: . b .ldings on et"ther side.

. h -nse U1
There were h ig
(on both the sides)

2. Neither . f 'ther. It means

00
Neither is the opp os1te o ei
or the other: bl
not the one n syllabus. is practica e.
Neither book covers my 1 Neither proposa 1
0 proposa s.
We have received tw ntable noun:
. ke a singular cou
Note. Either and neither ta I
. •th
either side, nei er proposa

3. Each, every .
. k f people or thmgs sep arately , one by one:
(a) We use each when we thm o d ot the same answer.
d h member an g . . .
I questione eac . as a group. The meaning 1s: without
(b) We use every when we t hink of people or thmgs
exception: . m b heart.
I know every line of this poe y
ll mber prefera bl y t w O ' or the number. should
fi . at least
(c) Each is used for a sma n_u ' h n the number is large or inde nite:
be limited, definite. Every is used w e
Each side of a rhombus has the same length.
Every member supported my proposal.
(d) Both each and every take a singular countable noun:
Each brand has its own plus points.
Every gesture conveys a meaning.
(e) The verb following each and every is normally singular:
Each student was given a questionnaire.
(/) After each and every, we sometimes use a plural pronoun:
Each student offered the subject they liked. (Th ey is preferable because
using either he or she would suggest a gender bias .)
(g) Sometimes each and every can be used without much differe n ce:
I enjoyed each moment of my stay there.
I enjoyed every moment of my stay there .

.!__, Exercise 6. Fill in the blanks with either, neither, each or every . In some cases more
than one choice is possible:

1. It was an unexciting match. - - team played well.

2. All citizens should exercise their right to vote ..a. .• .Q.,.. LJ.l vot · ·

.Y/f.{J. •
.w ... t:)
3 e 1s important.
- Passenger has to get their baggage X-rayed .
4
0
· ~ f · angle ak pentagon measures 108 degrees.
5. You can take ill
~
R) '
· · .. .. half of this cake.
 Determiners
6. 'fl.W.1" bus going in this directio~n will take you to the university.

7. There were coconut trees on ~ side of the road.

8. The police searched .i,{)..(/,,_vehicle passing that way.

9. Take this medicine .£W'~ ix hours.

10. The country will progress only if citizen realises their responsibility.

Determiners of Number/Quantity
l. Look at these sentences:
Many students have shown interest in playing chess.
I had a lot of difficulty in locating your house.
Some antibiotics have serious side effects.
We did not have any location maps.
I have no interest in TV serials.
I do not have much knowledge of Botany.
The words printed in bold letters are all determiners of number or quantity.
2. Some determiners like many and several suggest number. They are used before
countable nouns:
many students several projects
Others like much and a little suggest quantity. They are used before uncountable
nouns:
much hope a little salt
Some determiners like some and any can be used before countable as well as
uncountable nouns:
some book some experience
any children any difficulty

(BJ Some, any

1. Some and any can refer to both quantity and number (See examples given above.)

2. Some is used in affirmative sentences:

Some important points were raised at the meeting.
She gave me some useful tips.
3. Any is normally used in negative sentences:
We did not find any suitable candidates.
I did not have any doubts in my mind.
4. Both some and any can be used in interrogative sentences. If we expect an answer in
yes, we use some. If we expect an answer in no, we use any:
I forgot my wallet at home. Could you lend me some money?
Can you do this work yourself? Do you need any help?
I

L
 .. . not matter which o n e :
Someti mes, any means: it does
5. k book you like. . .
You can ta e any 11
. good cond1t10n.
car Th ey a re a in
You ca n purch ase any · t . .
. . I r nouns to mean cer .am.
We can use some be fo re smgu a . b k
6. d h ' tory in some oo .
I thin k J have rea t ts s
.11 you some day.
This ha rd w o rk wt p ay

. 7 Fill in the blanks with some or any:

?
Exercise . ' . . friends for help? What did they say?
1. Did you approach -""!1<f.. ........ t e 9-!\ \.\. in the refrigerator.
2. We need .,~ ggs to bake the cake, but I canno s_e . ··er .
. h there is hardly O t 1J. .. rainfall.
3. ~ "Q.. . plants can survive even in places w ere C

4. Can you sugges t

""'-1.
·"'·'c" good English-Tamil dictionary?
5. Buy .,Qt:'}.).. book. They are all written according to your syllabus.

6. Won't you have ..'..1:'ff ~-coffee, please?

7. I do not find .. ~{-t reason why my proposal should be rejected.
8. You can approach .IH.,~\ . .. branch of our bank to deposit your money.

·..c _
9. If you have .~'-- questions, you are welcome to ask them now. ·
, . .
d ,
10. Mr Fernandes went to .'.t.l.1":0.. towns in the Himalayas last year. We haven t receive ..10 ·i .
news from him so far.

[bJ Much, many

1. Much = a large quantity of. Much is generally used before uncountable nouns.
Many = a large number of. Many is used before countable nouns in the plural number:
much interest much difficulty
many arguments many poem s
2. Much and many are used with how to ask questions:
How much time do you need to complete this d esign ?
How many members attended the meeting?
3. Much and many are generally used in negative and interrogative sentences:
There isn' t much work left to do.
Has much damage been done by the earthquake?
There aren't many printing errors in this book.
Were there many candidates to choose from?
4. In affirmative sentences, much is generall re 1 d
good deal of, a great deal 0 , plenty 0,, dy P a~e by a lot of, a large quantity of, a
'J, 'J, an many is repl d b
lots of, plenty of, etc.: ace Y a number of, a lot of,
I got a lot of support from my old friends.
There is plenty of food for everyone.
There are lots of printing errors in this book.
There are plenty of n ew designs to choose from.
 49
oetermi'!ers _
p Little, a little, the little, few, a few, the few
1. Little, a little, the little denote quantity. They are used before uncountable nouns. Few,
a Jew, the few denote number. They are used before countable nouns in the plural
number.
2. Little = hardly any. Little is used in the negative sense:
He .has little money. (hardly any, no)
A little = at least some (though not much)
I have a little money in my pocket. We can have ice ~ream at the Nirulas.
The little = the whole quantity, though very little
The little money that I had in my pocket was not adequate to buy ice cream
for the two of us.
3. Few = almost none. Like little, few is also used in the negative sense:
My grandparents are usually alone at home. They have few visitors.
A few = at least some, though not many
· It was the Diwali day. So a few family friends came to greet my grandparents.
The few = all of them, though very few:
The few friends who came to meet my grandparents had a gala time with them.

;? Exercise 8 . Fill in the blanks with much, many, little, a little, the little, few, a few
or the few:l';1N'
,1 ~µf): 'C.
1. I put .. : .. c:l rops of oil in the lock and left it for a while. After that, I had .'........ difficulty
in opening it.
2. He does not earn . ff~::... money. But with . :.. .. .. . money he earns, his family is able to
lead a comfortable life. (

3. I am not sure how tf.~•-~:~. people will attend the concert nor how !..'::: , . money we will be
able to raise.
4. I had to give up the project for want of support. If I had received . . .. . . . . . help from
my friends, I could have continued. But .... .. .. friends I approached had ;.: ... Ji.U.l~
encouragement for Ime.
5. The credit for ((//.lJr.J)f my success should go to my parents. There were (\tt,-.!!, occasions
when I was inclined to give up in despair. But the moment I received ::.l/:· inspiring
words from my parents, I regained my confidence.
6. There isn't ,t~',~ .. traffic on this road during the day. But quite ::.: .. :.~ office-goers take
this route o~ \heir way back and the road really comes alive. ·
7. I have ~-'.~:A'liking for cartoon movies. I hardly ever watch ~:h.J..: DVD's of cartoon
movies I have at home. , v
,1 ' .,,.,
8. There J.~~sn't been J K' rain so far. Quite .~: .. .... districts experienced drought last year
and •v 'tpeople fear that the same story may be repeated this year too.
9. We were a lowly / pl:f.d team in the beginning. We 9_aJ;1 1received .h-:,:. ,C, . quality coaching
and had played .JiJ.}.J. competitive matches. So J.. ..... \\. people had' hoped that we would
win the tournament. ,
lO. India has .flVJtJ!
all-rounders to match the talent and dedication of Kapil Dev. {flt.rt.
players who ha,ve shown some promise have developed fitness problems. But there
cannot be ,~t\\~i. hope of India doing well until we produce '"' • genu·ine all -roun ders.
· ,J! ~"·