Articles, pronouns, adjectives are major types of determiners’ functions to determine the head of the noun phrase in english language. They play vital role in providing information about the nouns in sentences. So let’s see the blog “understanding determiners: Types function and examples” in detail.
Determiner is a type of grammatical unit used to introduce noun or noun phrases. They introduce noun or noun phrase and inform them in details. Often, it is placed before noun to give information about the noun mentioned.
There are several types of determiners like, articles like a, an,and the, demonstrative and personal pronouns, adjectives etc.
Understanding determiners: Types, function and examples
Determiner is a type of grammatical unit used to introduce noun or noun phrase. Besides, it is used to give information about the things mentioned. It clarifies the whereabouts of noun used in the phrase or sentence. But, determiners aren’t used after the noun or head.
Example of determiners in noun phrase
Look at the following examples of noun phrases with determiners.
A book
That player
Either option
Three solutions
Every attempt
These people etc.
These are some examples showing the position and types of determiners in the noun phrase.
Difference between adjective and determiners
Determiners looks like adjectives and often relplace adjectives english sentences. But actually, there are some key differences which makes viable grounds to seperate them from adjectives.
Adjectives are describing words which qualify nouns in sentences. Whereas, determiners provide mere information.
Adjectives alone can be used as subject complement but determiners can’t.
We can modify the degree of adjectives but not determiners.
We can remove adjectives from sentences without disturbing sense of sentences. In case of determiners, it will loose natural sense of sentences.
These are some grounds by which determiners differ from adjectives.
Position of determiners in sentence
It is important to note that determines cannot be placed after noun (head) in the phrasal structure. It is used before noun or head of the noun phrase. But, in a single noun phrase, more than one determiners are possible. Here are possibilities of more than one determines in a single phrase.
1.Pre – determiners + noun — a book.
2.Post determiners + noun.
3.Pre + post + noun — all the people.
4.Pre + central + noun.
5.Central + post + noun.
6.Pre + central + post + noun — all these little children.
Types of determiners in english grammar
Basically, there are two types of determiners –
Definite determiners
Indefinite determiners
But, in general, they are classified into several categories.
Articles — A, An, The
As we know that in english language, articles are used to determine the nature of noun whether it is
Singular or plural,
General or specific,
Definite or indefinite.
Generally, ‘a’ article is used to indicate singular or general state of things. Whereas, ‘the’ article is preferred to describe the specific nature of nouns. ‘An’ is used before vowels beginning nouns.
I know the bike is very expensive.
I want a bike to go college.
An apple, an elephant, an airplane etc.
Class or categories of determiners
Here is a list of other categories of determiners :–
Demonstrative adjectives as determiners
1. Demonstrative adjectives –
This, That
These,Those.
This and these are used for nearer things. Whereas, that and those are preferred for longer distance.
These animals, this animal,
That animal, those animals
2. Universal determiners — all, both.
3. Distributive determiners — each, every.
4. Possessive determiners — my, our, his, her, their, your.
5. Existential determiners — some, away.
6. Quantifying determiners — cardinal and ordinal like : one, two, three and first, second and third
7. Disjunctive determiners — either, neither.
8. Degree determiners — many, much, few, little.
9. Pre-determiners — those determiners come before another determiners. — double, half of, one fourth, such, both
10. Sufficiency determiners — enough, sufficient, adequate.
11. Interrogative and relative determiners — which, what, that etc.
Apart from this, there are many more types of determiners like, pre-determiners, central determiners, and post determiners as per the placement of determiners in the phrasal structure.
- What a good idea
- All the situations
- All these little children
All this information is highly important in the formation of noun phrases. So, hope you will understand the functions of determiners in sentence in detail.
For reference:
https://opentextbooks.library.arizona.edu/languageawareness/chapter/adjectives-determiners/