determiner

Everyday

1. (grammar) A determiner is a word that comes before a noun and tells you which one, whose, or how many, such as «the», «a», «this», «my», «some», «every» and numbers like «three». tree →
2. More generally, a determiner is something that decides or controls what happens. tree →

In the lessons

In English grammar lessons (and SATs tests in England), pupils find determiners: articles (a, an, the), demonstratives (this, that, these, those), possessives (my, your, their), quantifiers (some, many, every) and numbers. A determiner goes before any adjectives: «the big red bus».

Examples

• In «the dog barked», «the» is a determiner. tree →
• «My», «your» and «their» are possessive determiners. tree →
• Underline the determiner in «Those apples are sour.» tree →
• «Some», «many» and «every» are determiners too. tree →
• Numbers like «two» can act as determiners: «two cats». tree →
• A determiner comes before the adjective: «a tall tree». tree →
• Use «an» before a vowel sound: «an elephant». tree →

Note

Countable: determiners. Trap: «this» is a determiner in «this book» but a pronoun in «I like this». «A» becomes «an» before a vowel sound: an apple, an hour, but a unicorn.