Determiners

determiners
 a five
the my
both that

You will be
determinated!
What are
determiners?

determiners
 What are determiners?
• Determiners are words which introduce a
3. Possessive determiners
2. Demonstratives
noun. • There are four demonstratives: this, that, • My, your, his, her, its, our and their, before
• One or more determiners can be found these and those. a noun, will be possessive determiners.
before a noun. • For these words to act as demonstratives, • Mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours and theirs,
• They do not have comparatives or they must be in front of a noun. on their own, are pronouns not
superlatives. determiners.
That porridge was delicious. (That is a determiner)
big bigger biggest adjective My writing is neater than yours.
That was delicious. (That is a pronoun)
the - - determiner
Those people were so rude! (Those is a The dog ate its food quickly.
that - - determiner
determiner) His class are so lazy.
my - - determiner
Those were awful. (Those is a pronoun) Her singing was more tuneful than his.
five - - determiner
Their team beat ours.
It’s not their fault her coat got lost.

1. Types ofArticles
determiners
2. Demonstratives Can you identify the demonstrative
determiners in the sentences below?
3. Possessives Can you identify the possessive determiners in the
4. Quantifiers I prefer this cheese to that Cheddar. sentences below?
These grapes came out of that box.
I haven’t been doing much – just a bit of this and that. 1. She polished his shoes then hers.
Those chocolates are just asking to be eaten. 2. It’s a shame that its saddle is so small.
1. Articles
• There are two kinds of articles: the That’s an enormous spot on your face! 3. Her feet were smellier than his.
definite article (the) and the These are much tastier than those apples. 4. His cakes were sold whereas our biscuits weren’t.
indefinite article (a or an) 5. Our job is to make sure their cars are cleaned
• Nouns can be found with or properly.
without articles. 6. Ours is not an easy task.
Dogs need to be walked every day. 7. It was my word against his.
The dogs need to be walked every day. Demonstrative determiners in red 8. Your bedtime should be after hers.
A dog needs to be walked every day. I prefer this cheese to that Cheddar.
These grapes came out of that box.
I haven’t been doing much – just a bit of this and that.
Those chocolates are just asking to be eaten.
That’s an enormous spot on your face!
These are much tastier than those apples.
Possessive determiners in red
1. She polished his shoes then hers. Some nouns are countable, others are not. You can use some
2. It’s a shame that its saddle is so small. • quantifiers with lots
Did you have bothof sorts.
fun on your holiday?
3. Her feet were smellier than his. • There is still some dirt on the table.
4. His cakes were sold whereas our biscuits weren’t. • There are some people who couldn’t care less.
5. Our job is to make sure their cars are cleaned • We found many spiders in the bath.
properly. • There was no laughter in that house.
6. Ours is not an easy task. Which of the nouns (fun, dirt, people, spiders and laughter) are countable?
7. It was my word against his.
8. Your bedtime should be after hers.

• Sometimes
Most of determiners use the
the crowd thought word
it was ‘of’ before the noun.
a goal.
4. Quantifier determiners – how many or how • He ate some of the chocolate.
much of something. • Many of the adverts were rubbish.
• Half of the bread was mouldy.
• Numbers before a noun are quantifier determiners. • He’s had plenty of time to finish it.
I ate six biscuits. • She wasted all of the money.
The flat’s on the sixth floor. • Some of the geese had flown.
I saw 2000 ants.

• Some, many, more, less, no, little, both, each, all, enough, half, Can you identify the quantifier determiners in the sentences below?
whole, every, any, much, few, several, plenty, lots, a lot and ample
1. He keeps six beetles in a jar under his bed.
are all examples of quantifier determiners.
2. If you spent less time on your Xbox, you would get more homework done.
• They must be before a noun otherwise they act as pronouns.
3. She scored more with her second dive than her first.
Several dogs wandered off. (determiner)
4. In no time, he had plenty of apples in his basket.
Several wandered off. (pronoun)
5. Several lions had escaped from the first cage.
Most children support Norwich. (determiner)
6. Each child had enough to last a whole month.
Most support Norwich. (pronoun)
7. Both had spent all their money before the 3rd week in August.
Quantifier determiners in red Can you identify all the
Can you identify all the determiners below?
1. He keeps six beetles in a jar under his bed. 1. The heavy rain flattened their sunflowers. determiners below?
2. If you spent less time on your Xbox, you 2. Those four boys need to eat theirs now.
3. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. A first glance told her that her suspicions were
would get more homework done. justified – her evil brother had left his usual
4. There is no time like the present.
3. She scored more with her second dive than dirt on her brand new soap. Furthermore
5. A stitch in time saves nine.
her first. when she counted her Lush bath bombs in
6. Her new clothes were more expensive than his. their box, there were seven. This morning ten
4. In no time, he had plenty of apples in his 7. Some people like these red apples but I prefer
basket. bombs had filled the box. These smellies were
those. one of her many luxuries.
5. Several lions had escaped from the first 8. Mr Smith kept his cool and gave Jake his fourth This was not the first time Ben had made her
cage. warning. angry. Yesterday Ben had sprayed half her
6. Each child had enough to last a whole 9. Can I have one of those please? perfume as air freshener and then tossed two
month. bath bombs down their loo. When confronted,
he had retorted, “My need is greater than
7. Both had spent all their money before the
yours.”
3rd week in August.

1. The heavyDeterminers
rain flattenedin red.
their sunflowers. Determiners in red.
2. Those four boys need to eat theirs now. A first glance told her that her suspicions were
3. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. justified – her evil brother had left his usual
4. There is no time like the present. dirt on her brand new soap. Furthermore when
5. A stitch in time saves nine. she counted her Lush bath bombs in their box,
there were seven. This morning ten bombs had
Determiners with pronouns 6. Her new clothes were more expensive than
filled the box. These smellies were one of her
• In some cases determiners can be used his. many luxuries.
with pronouns. 7. Some people like these red apples but I prefer This was not the first time Ben had made her
All of them were wrong. those. angry. Yesterday Ben had sprayed half her
I would like that one. 8. Mr Smith kept his cool and gave Jake his fourth perfume as air freshener and then tossed two
warning. bath bombs down their loo. When confronted,
I will eat lots of those. he had retorted, “My need is greater than
9. Can I have one of those please?
She squashed five of these. yours.”
The one I really wanted was lost.
 What are determiners?
• Determiners are words which introduce a noun.
• One or more determiners can be found before a
noun.
• They do not have comparatives or superlatives.
big bigger biggest adjective
the - - determiner
that - - determiner
my - - determiner
five - - determiner
determiners
Types of determiners

1. Articles
2. Demonstratives
3. Possessives
4. Quantifiers

determiners
1. Articles

• There are two kinds of articles: the

definite article (the) and the indefinite
article (a or an)
• Nouns can be found with or without
articles.
Dogs need to be walked every day.
The dogs need to be walked every day.
A dog needs to be walked every day.
determiners
2. Demonstratives
• There are four demonstratives: this, that,
these and those.
• For these words to act as demonstratives,
they must be in front of a noun.
That porridge was delicious. (That is a determiner)
That was delicious. (That is a pronoun)
Those people were so rude! (Those is a determiner)
Those were awful. (Those is a pronoun)

determiners
Can you identify the demonstrative determiners in the sentences below?

I prefer this cheese to that Cheddar.

These grapes came out of that box.
I haven’t been doing much – just a bit of this
and that.
Those chocolates are just asking to be eaten.
That’s an enormous spot on your face!
These are much tastier than those apples.

determiners
Demonstrative determiners in red

I prefer this cheese to that Cheddar.

These grapes came out of that box.
I haven’t been doing much – just a bit of this
and that.
Those chocolates are just asking to be eaten.
That’s an enormous spot on your face!
These are much tastier than those apples.

determiners
3. Possessive determiners

• My, your, his, her, its, our and their, before a

noun, will be possessive determiners.
• Mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours and theirs, on
their own, are pronouns not determiners.
My writing is neater than yours.
The dog ate its food quickly.
His class are so lazy.
Her singing was more tuneful than his.
Their team beat ours.
It’s not their fault her coat got lost.
determiners
 Can you identify the possessive determiners in the sentences below?

1. She polished his shoes then hers.

2. It’s a shame that its saddle is so small.
3. Her feet were smellier than his.
4. His cakes were sold whereas our biscuits weren’t.
5. Our job is to make sure their cars are cleaned properly.
6. Ours is not an easy task.
7. It was my word against his.
8. Your bedtime should be after hers.

determiners
 Possessive determiners in red

1. She polished his shoes then hers.

2. It’s a shame that its saddle is so small.
3. Her feet were smellier than his.
4. His cakes were sold whereas our biscuits weren’t.
5. Our job is to make sure their cars are cleaned properly.
6. Ours is not an easy task.
7. It was my word against his.
8. Your bedtime should be after hers.

determiners
4. Quantifier determiners – how many or how much
of something.
• Numbers before a noun are quantifier
determiners.
I ate six biscuits.
The flat’s on the sixth floor.
I saw 2000 ants.

determiners
• Some, many, more, less, no, little, both, each,
all, enough, half, whole, every, any, much,
few, several, plenty, lots, a lot and ample are
all examples of quantifier determiners.
• They must be before a noun otherwise they
act as pronouns.
Several dogs wandered off. (determiner)
Several wandered off. (pronoun)
Most children support Norwich. (determiner)
Most support Norwich. (pronoun)

determiners
Some nouns are countable, others are not. You
can use some quantifiers with both sorts.
• Did you have lots of fun on your holiday?
• There is still some dirt on the table.
• There are some people who couldn’t care less.
• We found many spiders in the bath.
• There was no laughter in that house.
Which of the nouns (fun, dirt, people, spiders
and laughter) are countable?

determiners
Sometimes determiners use the word ‘of’ before
the noun.

• Most of the crowd thought it was a goal.

• He ate some of the chocolate.
• Many of the adverts were rubbish.
• Half of the bread was mouldy.
• He’s had plenty of time to finish it.
• She wasted all of the money.
• Some of the geese had flown.

determiners
Can you identify the quantifier determiners in the sentences below?

1. He keeps six beetles in a jar under his bed.

2. If you spent less time on your Xbox, you would get
more homework done.
3. She scored more with her second dive than her first.
4. In no time, he had plenty of apples in his basket.
5. Several lions had escaped from the first cage.
6. Each child had enough to last a whole month.
7. Both had spent all their money before the 3rd week in
August.

determiners
Quantifier determiners in red

1. He keeps six beetles in a jar under his bed.

2. If you spent less time on your Xbox, you would get
more homework done.
3. She scored more with her second dive than her first.
4. In no time, he had plenty of apples in his basket.
5. Several lions had escaped from the first cage.
6. Each child had enough to last a whole month.
7. Both had spent all their money before the 3rd week
in August.

determiners
Determiners with pronouns

• In some cases determiners can be used

with pronouns.
All of them were wrong.
I would like that one.
I will eat lots of those.
She squashed five of these.
The one I really wanted was lost.

determiners
Can you identify all the determiners below?
1. The heavy rain flattened their sunflowers.
2. Those four boys need to eat theirs now.
3. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
4. There is no time like the present.
5. A stitch in time saves nine.
6. Her new clothes were more expensive than his.
7. Some people like these red apples but I prefer those.
8. Mr Smith kept his cool and gave Jake his fourth
warning.
9. Can I have one of those please?

determiners
Determiners in red.
1. The heavy rain flattened their sunflowers.
2. Those four boys need to eat theirs now.
3. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
4. There is no time like the present.
5. A stitch in time saves nine.
6. Her new clothes were more expensive than his.
7. Some people like these red apples but I prefer those.
8. Mr Smith kept his cool and gave Jake his fourth
warning.
9. Can I have one of those please?

determiners
Can you identify all the determiners below?
A first glance told her that her suspicions were justified –
her evil brother had left his usual dirt on her brand new
soap. Furthermore when she counted her Lush bath
bombs in their box, there were seven. This morning ten
bombs had filled the box. These smellies were one of
her many luxuries.
This was not the first time Ben had made her angry.
Yesterday Ben had sprayed half her perfume as air
freshener and then tossed two bath bombs down their
loo. When confronted, he had retorted, “My need is
greater than yours.”

determiners
Determiners in red.
A first glance told her that her suspicions were justified –
her evil brother had left his usual dirt on her brand new
soap. Furthermore when she counted her Lush bath
bombs in their box, there were seven. This morning ten
bombs had filled the box. These smellies were one of
her many luxuries.
This was not the first time Ben had made her angry.
Yesterday Ben had sprayed half her perfume as air
freshener and then tossed two bath bombs down their
loo. When confronted, he had retorted, “My need is
greater than yours.”

determiners