Determiners are words like the, my, this and many. A determiner typically forms the first element in a noun phrase and limits the applicability of that noun phrase in some way.

A determiner typically occurs in the blank in an incomplete noun phrase like -- cute baby or -- cute babies. Among them are a, the, this, that, those, these, many, some, few, all, both, my and your.

Examples are:

A cute baby
The cute baby
Some cute babies
That cute baby
My cute baby

Note that possessive words like his, my and your are determiners, and not pronouns. However, some traditional grammar books still label them as pronouns.

The two English determiners the and a/an have special functions. They are often called articles.

Determiners which says something about quantity are often called quantifiers. Examples are: many, all, both, and no.

Determiners are also classified as Group A and Group B. Group A determiners help to identify things. Articles (the, a/an), possessives (my, your, his, her, their) and demonstratives (this, that, these, those) fall within this category. Note that we cannot put two Group A determiners together. We can say my book, this book or a book, but not a my book, the my book or this my book. If we have to put a possessive and an article or demonstrative in the same sequence, we use the structure a/this...of mine/yours etc.

Examples

Those dirty fingers of yours have stained my walls again. (NOT Those your dirty fingers have stained my walls again.)
She is a friend of mine. (NOT She is a my friend.)

Group B determiners are usually quantifiers: they say how much or how many we are talking about. Examples are:

Some, any, no
Each, every, either, neither
Much, many, more, most, little, less, least, a few, fewer, fewest, enough, several
All, both, half
What, whatever, which, whichever
One, two, three etc.

We can put two Group B determiners together. In the same way, we can put a Group A determiner with a Group B determiner. Examples are: all my friends, both my parents

Some Group B determiners are used with singular nouns. Examples are: each, every, either, neither
Some Group B determiners are used with plural nouns. Examples are: many, few, several
Some Group B determiners are used with uncountable nouns. Example: much, little

We can put two Group B determiners together if the combination makes sense.

Buses leave every ten minutes.
I would like to have some more coffee

Manjusha Nambiar is the founder and editor of Grammar English.Org. Her blog gives free English Grammar lessons, quizzes and grammar worksheets http://grammarenglish.org/english-grammar-worksheets.

[Edited by Administrator (admin) Wed, 06 Jul 2011, 03:43 PM]