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DETERMINERS

Identifying determiners
Sometimes determiners look very similar to
adjectives. One way of figuring out whether a word • Some words, such as each or
that precedes a noun is a determiner or an adjective all, are used both as determiners
is to try placing the word at the end of a sentence, and pronouns. The rule to remember
following a linking verb such as be. If the sentence is that a determiner is always
makes sense, that word is an adjective; if it does followed by a noun, whereas
not make sense, it is a determiner.
a pronoun replaces a noun.

Possessive determiners
This is an adjective,
because the sentence The possessive determiners my, your, his, her, its, our,
makes sense.
and their are used before nouns to show ownership.
They should not be confused with possessive
pronouns—for example, mine, yours, ours, and
This is a determiner,
linking verb because the sentence theirs—which replace, rather than precede, the noun.
does not make sense.

The broomsticks (plural
noun) belong to the witches.

indefinite article

Interrogative
Numbers determiners
and quantifiers Interrogative determiners include
Cardinal and ordinal numbers This cardinal number is being used which and what and are used before
and other words that express before a noun phrase (shrieking a noun to ask a question.
quantity are considered to be bats) as a determiner.
determiners when they appear
before a noun. These include
much, most, little, least, any, This determiner can only be
enough, half, and whole. used with a singular noun.
Beware of determiners such
as much (singular) and many
(plural) that can only modify
singular or plural nouns. This determiner can only
be used with a plural noun.