Determiners(25 January 2011)

25 January 2011
On this date, also, another group present their presentation in class about determiners..


DETERMINERS

DEFINITIONS
A determiner qualifies a noun. It makes the reference of the noun more precise.

GROUPS OF DETERMINERS

1)GROUP ' A ' DETERMINERS
   >Articles, demonstrative and possessive are often called group A determiner.
   >They are used to identify things.
   > a)Articles - a, an , the
      b)Demonstrative - this, that, these, those
      c)Possessive - my, our, your, their, her, his, its, one's, whose
  >Two group A determiners cannot be put together.
     Example:
     We can say my car but not the my car.
  >If we have to put the two group A determiners together, we have to use the structure
    a / this  +  noun  +  of mine / yours.
    Example:
    a) this book of mine.
    b) a friend of yours.

2)GROUP ' B ' DETERMINERS
   >Indicate something about quantity.
   >Examples are:

• some, any, no
• each, every, either, neither
• much, many, more, most
• a little, less, least
• a few, fewer, fewest
• all, both, half
• what, whatever, which, whichever
• one, two, three, etc.

  >We can put group B determiners together when the combination makes sense.
     Example:
     a)We meet every few days.
     b)Have you got any more rice?

GROUP A  +  GROUP B
Group B determiners can be used directly before nouns without of.

• Have they got any children?
• Most people love children.

But if we want to put a Group B determiner before a noun with a Group A determiner, we have to use of.
Compare:

• some children
• some of the children
• neither method
• neither of these methods
• most plants
• most of the plants

IMPORTANT POINTS

We can leave out of after all, both and half when they are followed by nouns.

• all my friends OR all of my friends
• both (of) my parents
• half (of) her income

But note that we cannot leave out of when all, both and half are followed by pronouns.

• all of us (NOT all us)
• both of them (NOT both them)

No and every are not used before of; instead we use none and every one.

• no children
• none of the children
• every child
• every one of the children

GROUP ' A '  +  GROUP ' B '

Certain Group B determiners can be used after Group A determiners. They are: many, most, least, little and few.

• a little time
• his many ideas
• a few questions
• the most money