DETERMINERS

DETERMINERS

Determiners are words placed before nouns to determine or clarify the significance or the special meaning of the nouns they qualify n a particular context. Singular nouns always take a determiner. However, the use of determiners is optional in plural nouns. Similarly, determiners may or may not be used with uncountable nouns depending on the context. There are about 50 different determiners in the English language which can be classified under the following heads:

(a) articles: a, an, the
(b) Possessives: my, your, our, their, his, hers, whose, etc.
(c) Demonstratives: this, that, these, those, which, etc.
(d) Quantifiers: few, a few, many, much, each every, some, any, etc.
(e) Numbers: one, two, three, twenty, fort, etc.
(f) Ordinals: first, second last, next, etc.

Determiners, therefore, are used to:

a. state the unit/number of people, things or other nouns.
b. state possessives.
c. specify someone or something.
d. state how things or people are distributed.
e. state the difference between the nouns.


ARTICLES: A/AN
before
The articles 'a' and 'an' are called indefinite articles. As determiners, they tell us that the nouns that follow them are singular in number.

Study these examples:

I have a book. I wrote my name on it with a pencil (before any singular countable noun that begins with a consonant sound, also written with a consonant)

I met a European. He gave me a beautiful book. (before a singular countable noun that begins with a consonant sound but written with a vowel letter)
NOTE: In the second sentence the book is being described by an adjective, therefore,, an adjective that comes before a noun also takes an article.

I saw a magician. (before a singular, countable noun when it is introduced for the first time)

A pet needs to be looked after. (before a singular, countable noun which represents a class)

Apples are Rs. 100 a dozen. With the cat around, a liter of milk is not sufficient for us anymore. (before units of price, speed, ratio, weight etc.)

I visit my mother once a week. She likes to see me once in a while. (to express the frequency of doing something)

Wow! What a beauty! It went for a six! (as a part of an exclamatory expression)

The article 'an' has the same functions as that of the article 'a' but it is only used before the nouns that begin with a vowel sound.

He was late by an hour. (the noun 'hour' sounds like 'our' - a vowel sound)

A one-hour journey; a one-book wonder; a one-day meeting. (the word 'one' begins with a consonant  sound, hence 'a' is used not 'an')
He is an MP  from Bihar. She is an MA in English. (letter 'M' is a consonant but it begins with an 'a' sound, hence 'an' is used)

OMISSION OF A/AN:

There are times when the articles 'a' and 'an' are not used:

Trees are planted to counter pollution. Books are expensive these days.(before all plural nouns)

It is gold. I don't take nonsense from anyone, so please don't try. Do you know where his luggage is?
(before the uncountable or mass nouns: gold is uncountable, so are nonsense and luggage)

Lunch is ready. Would you like to have breakfast now? (before the names of meals: breakfast, lunch)