Best way to understand it.

1. Differentiate between Determiner and
Adjective
DETERMINER AND ITS TYPES
Mentor: Saiqa Aftab Tunio
Lecturer at Shah Abdul Latif University,
Khairpur Mir’s

2. A determiner is a word placed in front of a noun to specify quantity
(e.g., "one dog," "many dogs") or to clarify what the noun refers to
(e.g., "my dog," "that dog," "the dog").
Example: Our cat is sleeping and dreaming. The book is used
for research purposes.
Note: the word and in the sentence about the cat is a conjunction.
The term “determiner” refers to a grammatical form which is used to
indicate further information about a noun. Like adjectives, they can
express information such as quantity, proximity, definiteness, and
relationship. Determiner is also known as noun signals.
WHAT IS A DETERMINER?
Mentor: Saiqa Aftab Tunio

3. Moreover, determiners are considered as “modifying words” that
specify the type of reference that a particular noun has. They are
commonly placed before a noun or a noun phrase, in order to
indicate whether the speaker is referring to a specific thing or to
something of a particular kind.
Determiners are also known as function words. Therefore, they
do not have synonyms and antonyms. They cannot be added -er
or -est. they do not carry specific definition or meaning. In other
words, we can say that determiner introduces a noun to an
audience.
DETERMINER
Mentor: Saiqa Aftab Tunio

4. Determiners always come first in the noun phrase.
Determiners are required with singular nouns.
To speak about a singular noun generally, use an indefinite article
(a or an).
To speak about a plural noun generally, do not use a determiner.
To speak about a singular noun specifically, use a definite article,
demonstrative pronoun, possessive pronoun, or quantifier.
To speak about a plural noun specifically, use a definite article,
demonstrative pronoun, possessive pronoun, or quantifier.
TIPS FOR USING DETERMINERS
Mentor: Saiqa Aftab Tunio

5. Ocean , horrible, itchy
that, watery, frightfully
Nine, suspiciously, lemons
https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/determiner.htm#exam
CLICK ON TWO DETERMINERS
Mentor: Saiqa Aftab Tunio

6. Determiners and adjectives are related in such a way that they both
modify a noun or a noun phrase. However, the main difference
between the two is that determiners are placed before nouns and
introduce them to the audience, while adjectives modify nouns by
providing further details about them. Another difference between the
two is that determiners cannot be graded unlike adjectives, which can
be expressed in different intensities. For instance, an object may be
big, bigger, or biggest. However, it cannot be “that-est” or “the-est.”
Furthermore, adjectives are only optional parts of a sentence, while
determiners are necessary and indispensable.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
DETERMINERS AND ADJECTIVES
Mentor: Saiqa Aftab Tunio

7. Adjectives usually describes color, size, shape, qualities and material . Blue,
round, big, wooden and good.
Red pen

8. Attributive adjectives: These are the adjectives that are part of the noun phrase in a
sentence. They usually precede the noun present in the phrase, of which they describe a
quality. For instance, in the phrase ‘crazy person’, the word ‘crazy’ is the adjective used for
person, which means that being crazy is actually an attribute of the person being
mentioned.
Predicative adjectives: Adjectives like these are tagged to the noun or the pronoun that they
modify. For instance, the word ‘busy’ in ‘they seem busy’ is a predicative adjective. The word
‘happy’ in a phrase like ‘they are happy’ is also an example of predicative adjective.
Absolute adjectives: As the name suggests, absolute adjectives are definite in nature. These
adjectives cannot be used in comparative sentences. This is because these adjectives cannot
be further intensified. For instance, words like ‘unique’ and ‘perfect’ can be said to be
absolute adjectives. One can’t exaggerate these words to be ‘unique-er’ or ‘perfect-er’. These
shall remain as they are, or absolute.
Nominal adjectives: Nominal adjectives are adjectives which act almost as a noun. For
instance, in the sentence ‘given a choice of two candies, I would like to have one and return
the other’; the word ‘other’ plays the nominal adjective. This word is actually short for
‘other candy’, or ‘other one’. However, the word ‘other’ itself suffices for the cause.
TYPES OF ADJECTIVES
Mentor: Saiqa Aftab Tunio

9. TWO MAIN CATEGORIES
There are two categories of determiners, general and
specific. Use general words when you can’t remember
the specifics and are not referring to a specific person
or thing. Some main general words
are a, an, many, other, what, etc.
Many dogs were barking last night.
Use specific words to refer to something specific. The
main ones include the, my, your, his, her, etc.
My bird was singing all day.
Mentor: Saiqa Aftab Tunio

10. Life is one word that comes with multiple meanings and
experiences. Above all life is not just about existence but also
about how an individual defines that existence. Hence, it is
important to look at life not just from one single perspective.
Philosophers, scholars, poets and authors have written much
about what constitutes living and more importantly what are the
necessary items that define someone’s life. Of course this exercise
has been done in various ways. While philosophers would try to
find the meaning and purpose behind the life of individuals,
poets and authors would document the richness of life at various
stages. Life is thus perhaps something that is more than
intriguing.
READ AND FIND OUT THE
DETERMINERS
Mentor: Saiqa Aftab Tunio

11. There are five different kinds of determiners and each one serves a different
function. These types include articles, quantifiers, demonstratives, possessives, and
interrogatives.
1: Articles
There are only three examples of articles, and these are: the, a, and an. The article
“the” is considered as a definite article because it refers to a particular noun that is
mentioned in the text, while the articles “a” and “an” are called indefinite articles
because they point out to a class of noun mentioned in the sentence.
The indefinite articles “a” and “an” have the same function, but they are not
interchangeable. The former is used if it precedes a noun that starts with a
consonant (e.g., a bike; a gadget; a television), while the latter is used if the noun
after it starts with a vowel (e.g., an eggplant; an architect; an umbrella).
Sample Sentences:
The Eiffel Tower is a romantic destination.
Johnny is an Englishman.
Ethan is studying to be an engineer.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF
DETERMINERS
Mentor: Saiqa Aftab Tunio

12. As the name suggests, quantifiers are used to express the quantity. It can
answer the questions, “How much?” or “How many?” Some examples
of quantifiers include: a few, enough, many, a little, most, some, any, and much.
(These are indefinite numbers and three, fifty etc. are cardinal numbers).
Sample Sentences:
I have enough money. We have much time. She has few friends.
All of, both of, many of, none of, some of, half, one of, most of, any of,
two of,
2: QUANTIFIERS
Mentor: Saiqa Aftab Tunio

13. This kind of determiners demonstrates and functions as pointers of a particular
noun. Basically, demonstratives indicate the position or location of a noun from the
point of view of the speaker. Some examples of demonstratives include: this, these,
that, and those.
The demonstrative “this” is used for singular nouns that are near the speaker, while
“these” is for plural nouns that are also close by. On the other hand, the
demonstrative “that” is for a singular noun that is further away, and “those” is for
plural nouns that are also far from the speaker.
Sample Sentences:
This laptop is mine. That car is my uncle’s. These cookies taste great.
They are used to demonstrate an object being talked about in the sentence.
Sometimes, such words play as the subject in a sentence. These words basically
function as pointers.
3: DEMONSTRATIVES
Mentor: Saiqa Aftab Tunio

14. This type of determiners is used to express possession or
ownership of a noun. Possessive determiners are different
from possessive pronouns, because possessive pronouns can
be independent or can stand alone. Some examples of
possessives include: my, his, mine, our, their, and her.
Sample Sentences:
This is my car.
Is this his house?
Her mom is very pretty.
Saiqa’s life.
4: POSSESSIVES
Mentor: Saiqa Aftab Tunio

15. As the term implies, the interrogative determiners are used for asking
questions. The three examples of interrogatives are: what,
whose, and which.
Sample Sentences:
What toppings do you want for your frozen yogurt?
What is your name?
Which school do you prefer?
Whose baby are you watching?
5: INTERROGATIVES
Mentor: Saiqa Aftab Tunio

16. We can use more than one determiner in a noun phrase:
My two best friends at school were Mike and Terry.
All your books got wet when you left them in the garden – do you remember?
We don’t use two referring determiners or two quantifying determiners together:
We sold the house. We sold our house. Not: We sold the our house.
I have some questions. I have many questions. Not: I have some many questions.
However, we can use a quantifying determiner (some, many, enough, etc.) + of together
with a referring determiner (the, this, my, etc.):
Many of the people present were very angry.
Some of his friends are awful people.
MORE THAN ONE DETERMINER
Mentor: Saiqa Aftab Tunio

17. Exercise 1
Read the following passage. Write the correct article in each blank space. If no
article is needed, leave the space blank. The first one has been done for you.
John lives in ______ apartment with his mom, dad and sister Katy. ______ apartment
has three bedrooms, _____ kitchen, ______ bathroom and ______ living room. John’s
mom works in _____ office and his dad stays at _____home and looks after ______
apartment. He spends much of his time in ______ kitchen, preparing meals. John and
Katy help their dad with ______ housework. John likes using ______ vacuum cleaner
and Katy likes to sweep ______ floor. Dad gives John and Katy money when they help
him. They usually spend the money on _____ computer games!

18. Exercise 2
Notice the determiners in the following passage. What kind of determiners
are they? Put a D in the box after a demonstrative determiner, a Q after a
quantifying determiner, an I after an interrogative determiner, a P after a
possessive determiner and an N after a number.
Sally is my ___ friend. We play together every ___ day. I usually go to her ___ house to
play. Her ___ parents are very nice, but she has two ___ brothers who sometimes spoil our
___ games. Last week, her ___ brothers pulled my ___ hair. Sally’s mom was very angry
with them. “Stop behaving in that ___ rough way!” she shouted. I’m glad I don’t have any
___ brothers.