What Is a Determiner? | Definition, Types & Examples
A determiner is a word that precedes a noun and gives information about possession (e.g., “my bike”), quantity (e.g., “two thieves”), or specificity (e.g., “that book”). Determiners therefore indicate details about the noun.
Vittoria lost her phone.
I found a stray kitten.
How to use determiners
Determiners are used to modify or describe a noun by giving information about possession, relative position, and quantity. Determiners precede nouns in noun phrases.
That child is a menace.
Don’t forget your keys.
I received a few gifts.
Determiners vs adjectives
Determiners may sometimes be considered adjectives, but there are notable differences in how determiners and adjectives work grammatically.
Both adjectives and determiners can modify nouns. However, only adjectives can modify pronouns (e.g., “you’re pretty”). Additionally, while an adjective is usually not grammatically essential to the sentence, determiners are generally necessary to the noun phrase.
- Parvati bought a new jacket.
- Parvati bought a jacket.
- Parvati bought jacket.
- Her dog has a pink collar.
- Her dog has pink a collar.
Definite and indefinite articles
Articles are a type of determiner, though they may sometimes be considered their own part of speech.
There are two types of articles: definite (“the”) and indefinite (“a/an”). “The” precedes a specific noun, meaning a noun that is unique or already introduced.
The answer was wrong.
“A/An” are indefinite articles that refer to a general or unspecific noun. Using “a” or “an” depends on whether the noun that follows begins with a consonant sound (e.g., “a book”) or a vowel sound (e.g., “an eagle”).
Oranges are a type of fruit.
Indefinite articles are also used when introducing something for the first time. After the noun has been introduced, you can use the definite article when referring to the noun again.
I’d love to see a concert. The last concert I saw was years ago.
- The milk
- A milk
- The teacup
- A teacup
Demonstrative determiners
Demonstrative determiners, alternatively called “demonstrative adjectives” or “demonstratives,” indicate a noun’s relative position. Demonstrative determiners include:
- “This” (used for singular nouns that are “near”)
- “These” (used for plural nouns that are “near”)
- “That” (used for singular nouns that are “far”)
- “Those” (used for plural nouns that are “far”)
These shoes are too old. Can I borrow those ones you have in the corner?
Demonstrative determiners can also be used to separate a more recent time period (this and these) from a time period that is more distant (that and those).
Back in those days people had less, but these days we have plenty.
However, demonstrative pronouns substitute a noun (e.g., “This was a disaster”), while demonstrative determiners modify a noun (e.g., “That idea was a disaster”).
Possessive determiners
Possessive determiners (also called possessive adjectives) indicate ownership or possession of a noun. Possessive determiners include my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.
Possessive determiners are similar to personal pronouns because they also are formed according to first-, second-, or third-person forms in the singular and plural. Nevertheless, they are not pronouns themselves.
Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, and theirs) do not modify nouns, and they occur on their own (e.g., “We lost ours”). Conversely, possessive determiners must be paired with a noun.
Haley broke her ankle.
QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can help you spot mistakes with words like its and it’s, whose and who’s, and there, their, and they’re.
Numbers
Determiners also include cardinal numbers (e.g., “one,” “two,” “three”) and ordinal numbers (e.g., “first,” “second,” “third”).
Cardinal numbers
Cardinal numbers reflect the quantity of the noun. They are sometimes paired with other determiners (e.g., “those two guys”).
I lost my two front teeth.
Ordinal numbers
Ordinal numbers indicate the order of nouns in a series. They are always paired with other determiners (e.g., “the fourth time”).
Boris is visiting the second doctor today.
Distributive determiners
Distributive determiners (also called distributive adjectives) indicate a group or the individual nouns (people or objects) within a group. Distributive determiners include all, each, every, both, half, either, and neither.
Both of them are to blame.
Give one candy to each child.
Interrogative determiners
Interrogative determiners (also called interrogative adjectives) are used to modify a noun or pronoun in a direct or indirect question. Interrogative determiners include what, which, and whose.
Interrogative determiners can be used as both pronouns and determiners, meaning that they can also substitute a noun and occur on their own (e.g., “Whose is this?”). “Relative determiners” are interrogative determiners that are not part of a question.
What he’ll do next is anyone’s guess.
Whose paper was the best?
- What is used in questions when there are many possible options or the options are not known.
- Which is used when the options are limited or known.
Quantifiers
Quantifiers (also called indefinite adjectives) are used to denote the number or quantity of the noun. All, any, few, less, little, many, much, no, several, some, and the cardinal numbers (e.g., “one,” “two,” “three,” and so on) are all quantifiers.
Some of you may recognize this man.
Determiners of difference
Other and another are determiners of difference, which are used to refer to nouns that are different from or additional to other nouns.
“Other” denotes “additional” or “different types of” the noun it modifies. “Other” can be paired with an additional determiner and singular countable nouns (e.g., “the other night”), plural countable nouns (e.g., “other phones”), and uncountable nouns (e.g., “other art”).
The other candidates seemed better.
“Another” denotes “one more” or “a different one.” “Another” can only be paired with singular countable nouns (e.g., “another reality”).
Bill would love another job.
Frequently asked questions about determiners
- What are the different types of determiners?
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There are a number of different types of determiners, including
- Definite (“the”) and indefinite articles (“a/an”)
- Demonstrative determiners (“this,” ”that,” “these,” “those”)
- Possessive determiners (“my,” “your,” “his,” “her,” “our,” “their”)
- Cardinal numbers (“one,” “two,” “three,” etc.) and ordinal numbers (“first,” “second,” “third,” etc.)
- Distributive determiners (“all,” “each,” “every,” “both,” “half,” “either,” and “neither”)
- Interrogative determiners (“what,” “which,” “whose”)
- Quantifiers (“all,” “any,” “few,” “less,” “little,” “many,” “much,” “no,” “several,” and “some”)
- Determiners of difference (“other,” “another”)
- Are numbers adjectives?
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Cardinal numbers (“one,” “two,” “three,” etc.) can be placed before a noun to give information about quantity, and ordinal numbers (“first,” “second,” “third,” etc.) can be placed before a noun to give information about order.
While these numbers look like adjectives, they are in fact quantifiers, which is a type of determiner.
- What is an indefinite article?
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There are two indefinite articles in English: “a” and “an.” The indefinite articles are used to introduce a noun for the first time or to refer to nouns that are not specific (e.g., “a stray dog”).
Once a noun has been introduced, the definite article “the” is used (e.g., “the stray dog I adopted”).
