Tuesday, 18 March 2008

Determiner - English Material for 1EA and EB (Session #1)

‘Determiner’ is a general term for words which are used before nouns to show which person or thing is being referred to. Determiners of quantity are used to describe how much or little of something there is.

 

all many enough a few no

every much few neither

each most several

both a little

little

 

The following determiners must only be used with countable nouns in the plural:

 

We don’t get many tourists here. We get several letters a week.

Hold on with both hands. I take fewer trips abroad these days.

We’ve invited a few friends to dinner. So few people attended.

Note: Few has a negative meaning, and means ‘almost no’. A few has a positive

meaning and means ‘some’.

 

The following determiners must only be used with uncountable nouns:

 

Will it take much time? I had less money than I thought.

Add a little salt. We get so little light in this room.

Note: Little has a negative meaning, and means ‘almost no’. A little has a positive

meaning and means ‘some’.

 

The following determiners can be used with countable nouns in the plural and with

uncountable nouns:

 

Kim’s got more bags than me. Kim’s got more luggage than me.

Most items of jewellery are made Most gold is used to make jewellery.

from gold.

All children should receive education. All meat is rich in protein.

Do you have enough clothes? We don’t have enough furniture.

He left no instructions. There’s no ice in the fridge.

 

The following determiners must be used with singular countable nouns:

He checked each document carefully. Every child needs affection.

If you follow one determiner with another determiner (such as the or this) you

usually put of between them.

Take some bread. Take some of the bread.

Every and no cannot be used with of. Every one of or none of is used instead.

Every tree is marked with a cross Every one of the young trees is

marked with a cross.

We have no accurate information. None of this information is

accurate.

 

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