DETERMINERS
Definition: Determiners are certain group of words which are placed before a NOUN or EQUIVALENT words to determine the meaning of the NOUNS.
EQUIVALENT words refer to Pronouns, Adjectives, Gerund, To-Infinitive, Noun Phrase, etc.

What are the words which are used as determiners?

• Articles There are two types of articles:
(i) Indefinite Articles: It is used when the Noun is not fixed. "a" and " an" are Indefinite Articles.
(ii) Definite Article: It is used when the Noun is fixed. "the" is the Definite Article.

• Demonstrative Adjectives: this, these, that, those, such, certain, same, the (only in the indirect speech) are Demonstrative Adjectives.

• Interrogative Adjectives: what, which, whose, whatever, whenever, whichever, whoever are Interrogative Adjectives

• Distributive/Reciprocate Adjectives: each, every, either, neither one, other, some-any are Distributive Adjectives.

• Emphasizing Adjectives: very, own, only are Emphasizing Adjectives.

• Quantifiers: some, any, many, many a, a many, very many, any many, enough, much, plenty, lots of, a lot of, sufficient, several, whole, the whole, all, both, few, a few, the few, not a few, little, a little, the little, not a little, just are Quantifiers.

• Numerical Adjectives:
► one, two, three, ...
► frst, second, third, ..., last
► single, twice, double, ...
are Numerical Adjectives.

• Possessive Adjectives: my, his, her, your, our, their, its are Possessive Adjectives.

• Miscellaneous: most, least, fewest, etc. are Miscellaneous.

When do we place/insert the determiners?

We have to insert the determiners before a Noun, by checking the following conditions:
► Number of Noun - Plural or Singular, Countable or Uncountable.
► The Person of the Noun - First Person, Second Person, Third Person.

How should determiners decide the meaning of the noun?

It can be done in two ways:
→ As Identifiers: Article - the, Demonstrative Adjectives, Possessive Adjectives, Emphasizing Adjectives, Interrogative Adjectives, Distributive Adjectives.
→ As Quantifiers: Articles (a, an), Quantifiers, Numerical Adjectives, Miscellaneous.

STRUCTURE
Where shall we find the determiners in a sentence?


» 1. determiner + subject + verb + determiner + object
E.g.: That bird is a sparrow.

» 2. determiner + subject + verb + determiner + object1 + determiner + object2
E.g.: The boy eats the food on the table.

» 3. determiner + determiner + subject +verb + object
E.g.: Many a tourist visits to see the Taj every year.

» 4. subject + verb + determiner + determiner + object
E.g.: I had a few friends.

» 5. determiner + determiner + determiner + subject + verb + object
E.g.: The last three students in the rankings were not promoted.

» 6. subject + verb + determiner + determiner + determiner + object
E.g.: You call only the few most notorious student.

Yes, freedom is good, but arguably, grammar is better
- Andy Zaltzman

Now let us discuss about the Articles

Article - A

- a can be used as a Musical Chord.
E.g.: Play me the a-Middle chord.

- a can be used as a verb, which is equal to have (Archaic Verb)
E.g.: We might a (have) had many a battle.

- a can be used as a preposition.
E.g.: He comes twice a week.

- a can be used as an adjective.
E.g.: I have a black cat.


Some exercises on Article - a

1. He is __ friend of my father.
→ He is a friend of my father.

2. I had come to __ conclusion.
→ I had come to a conclusion.

3. Almost accidents start with __ simple error. → Almost accidents start with a simple error.

4. I have never known such __ wet summer.
→ I have never known such a wet summer.

5. Yes, I managed to get __ book.
→ Yes, I managed to get a book.