Determiners

1 Determiners are words like the, my, this, some, either, every, enough, several.

Determiners come at the beginning of noun phrases, but they are not adjectives.

the moon

a nice day

my fat old cat

this house

every week

several young students

We cannot usually put two determiners together. We can say the house, my house or this house, but not –the my house or the this house or this my house.

2 There are two groups of determiners:

Group A

a/an the

my your his her its our your their one’s whose

this these that those

Group B

some any no

each every either neither

much many more most little less least

few fewer fe enough several

all both half

what whatever which whichever

3 If we want to put a group B determiner before a group A determiner, we have to use Of,

group B determiner + group A determiner

some of the people

each of my children

neither of these doors

most of the time

which of your records

enough of those remarks

Before of we use none, not no, and every one, not every.

none of my friends

every one of these books We can leave out of after all, both and half.

all (of) his ideas both (of) my parents

4 We can use group B determiners alone (without nouns). We can also use them with of before pronouns.

‘Do you know Orwell’s books?’ ‘Yes, I’ve read several.’

‘Would you like some water?’ ‘I’ve got some, thanks.’

neither of them most of us which of you