Determiners are used before a noun and make specific sense of the noun. Traditionally, determiners are categorised as a type of adjective. (See earlier post) However, it is becoming more common for grammars to categorise determiners as a class of their own.
Determiners can be thought about in terms of their position. For example, in the phrase "all the seven people,"
all = pre-determiner,
the = central determiner,
seven = post-determiner,
people = noun.
Each determiner has a specific place. You can't say "seven the all people," if you know what I mean.
The diagram above shows which types of determiners can go in which position.
Some thorny things to take note of:
1. Demonstratives can be used both as a pronoun as a determiner.
That rambutan is hairy! (determiner)
That is hairy! (pronoun)
2. Note the difference between possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers) and possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her). Possessive adjectives function as determiners while possessive pronouns are pronouns.
3. Of- pronouns can be categorised either as indefinite pronouns or determiners. Of- pronouns refer to those words that can be used with "of", for example, each, all, some, any, a few, none etc.
Suitably confused? Well, me too...
Sunday, August 19, 2007
On determiners
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2 comments:
And I thought I was a grammar geek :) I bow to thee, Superior One! Do you teach it or study it or is it just out of interest?
I think my grammar framework is a bit faulty actually, since I picked it up from various books. Grammarians categorise the parts of sentences in different ways sometimes, and since I didn't study it in a coherent way, I think my understanding may sometimes be off.
But yes to all three, I studied it to be prepared for a test so that I can teach it, but ultimately out of interest.
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