Questions tagged [determiners]
Determiners are noun-modifiers that convey the reference of a noun without delineating its characteristics [as adjectives do].
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How to analyze 'last night' and 'last/next week'?
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (Page 429) says:
Yesterday, today, tonight, and tomorrow are not traditionally analysed as pronouns, but belong in this subclass of nouns by virtue of ...
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Why are there these instances of zero articles with countable nouns? (“of a” construction)
I don't understand the grammaticality of these sentences.I know we always use a determiner before countable nouns but what about these? Is there any rule associated here?
1a) What type of a person ...
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Determiners: This and that. Has “that” replaced “this”?
I'm confused. As far as I know, this is reserved for something that is right ahead of speakers and/or speakers talk about that item the whole conversation. That is reserved for something that is not ...
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2answers
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Identifying the antecedent of an integrated(restrictive) relative clause
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language has this (Page 1061):
In [11], CGEL doesn't analyze the determiner no as part of the antecedent of the relative clause.
Let's compare [11] with [11a] ...
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4answers
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The word “which” referring to a “whom”
I’ve lighted on a use of the word “which” that has interested me.
“‘Doctor’ means a learned man, which I suppose this man is.”
Of course, when we talk or write about people, we use “who” or “...
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What part of speech is 'enough' in '[Subject] is enough.'?
All the dictionaries I know of classify 'enough' in 'Something is enough.' as a pronoun, not an adjective.
Dictionaries such as LEXICO, Oxford Learner's Dictionaries and Collins classify it as a ...
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The BBC has shown me very little respect
The BBC has shown me very little respect.
What is the determiner of the noun phrase very little respect?
Is it little or very little?
If it's little the adverb very seems to be modifying the ...
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“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”
Think of Star Trek's quote:
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” (or “the one”)
In the context of Star Trek, does the many/few refer to a specific group of many/few beings or many/...
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Is there an alternative modern approach to the fused-head NP?
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (Page 410) defines "Fused-head NPs" as follows:
Fused-head NPs are those where the head is combined with a dependent function that in ordinary NPs is ...
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1answer
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POS of 'a few' in 'a few hundred'
'A few' is generally considered a determiner, for example, in:
a. A few people showed up.
But is 'a few' a determiner in the following sentence?
b. A few hundred showed up.
If it is, is 'three'...
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Are we to use any with plurals or singulars? [duplicate]
What are the circumstances in which any can be used with a singular and with a plural?
Do you have any car?
Do you have any cars?
For example, commenters have indicated both
You cannot ...
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Is 'president' in 'run for president' a bare role NP?
A Student's Introduction to English Grammar says:
A bare role NP is a singular NP that is ‘bare’ in the sense of lacking the determiner which would elsewhere be required, and that denotes some kind ...
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“any of my X” vs “any X of mine”?
What's the difference between "any of my X" and "any X of mine"? My impression, as a non-native speaker of English, is that the latter sounds more formal.
I searched COCA Corpus, and I found:
any of ...
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When “etc.” is followed by “that”, does it still require a comma?
Example:
The lights, displays, sounds, shakers, etc. that attract the operators' attention to various situations (...)
Compared to:
The lights, displays, sounds, shakers, etc., that attract the ...
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“a series called” vs. “this series called”: what's the difference between the determiners?
I was reading through some writing from a friend which begins with the following:
Hello, I have recently begun reading this series called Game of Thrones.
(I changed a few personal details but the ...
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Which words have historically had a final n only before a vowel?
In Modern English, the only word that has a final n only before a vowel is a/an:
a face
an eye
In Middle English, there was the pair my/mine:
my face
mine eye
Also, the was then ...
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Using 'that' and 'the' with 'negotiations'
I came across this phrase:
I see negotiations have gone as planned.
Why is there no article before negotiations? For example:
I see the negotiations have gone as planned.
I think that the ...
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“These days are over” vs. “those days are over”
Consider a context like the following:
There was a time when the United Kingdom and France were the world's foremost political powers, heading empires that spanned every continent. These two ...
asked Oct 22 '19 at 21:30
Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
5,0296 gold badges30 silver badges58 bronze badges
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can “Every” be used as the Subject of a Sentence?
"Every can't be used as a subject since it is a determiner" is this sentence correct ? Here Every is being used as a subject but we know every is a determiner , how is it possible ?
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Is determiner 'a' needed in “one would call such a value a constant”?
I read the following in a computer programming book:
In other languages, one would call such a value a constant.
However, the following appears grammatical:
In other languages, one would call ...
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Using “each” in a sentence
I'm having a problem with presenting data in a table.
Example:
Item 1: Reading foreign novels
Group A = 5 participants, Group B = 3 participants, Group C = 3 participants
I'm wondering if it's ...
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When does 'of' make a noun specific and require 'the'?
I still don't understand when to use 'the' with noun combinations like n+'of'+n and when not. Grammarly underlines 'absence of' (suggests putting 'the' before it) but doesn't underline 'lack of'. What'...
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Usage of a little and little [duplicate]
There is only a little/little tea in the teapot, which one is correct?
I'm confused.
When only is used, do we add or drop the article "a"?
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Usage of a few and few [duplicate]
She has read only a few/ few books, which one is correct?
I have a lot of trouble, please help
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Term used to describe a person who predicts future outcomes [closed]
There are people out there who try to predict future outcomes for certain areas like crops, events, etc... It's all logic-based and determined by their perception of previous years data. No ...
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1answer
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The idea that … seems absurd OR the idea seems absurd that
The following sentence:
The idea that we are all created equal seems absurd to me.
Seems better to me than:
The idea seems absurd that we are all created equal.
Is it correct to ...
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0answers
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Subject phrase: 'Both of us' like sailing
I'm unsure whether or not 'both of us' and 'we both' are subject phrases. They are clearly in the subject position but in the first sentence 'both' is also a predeterminer, as far as I understand it, ...
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1answer
195 views
Zero article before nouns in the commonest sense
I am interested in whether the article can be omitted in a phrase like The Ideas About a Woman in Roman Literature (as in the name of a scientific article). Is the article needed here at all, since ...
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1answer
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Is “one” in the “one of the” construction a pronoun or a determiner?
In sentences like
One of the criteria is experience.
It was one of the several objects that were sold at the auction.
is one a pronoun or determiner?
Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries cites similar ...
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2answers
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Cardinalities in English language [closed]
I recently learned about the notions of countable and uncountable noun in English language. I understand that "How many integers are there?" is a gramatically correct sentence. However, is the ...
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Do we need to use 'the' here? [closed]
In 'the novel navigates present-day US' do we need 'the' before 'present-day US' as we would usually before 'US'?
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Verbal agreement of “more of + plural noun”
Here Are More Of The Most Amazing Images Of Cars
Is the sentence grammatical?
Shouldn't it concoord is with the uncountable more (of), instead of its current plural are?
According to Microsoft® ...
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2answers
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What's the difference between “ones”, “the ones”, “those”, “one”, “the one”, “that”?
I am wondering what the difference is between "ones", "the ones", "one", the one", "those", and "that"?
Take a noun for example. Some people say a dog=one, dogs=ones, the dog=the one=that, and the ...
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1answer
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Several questions regarding a passage by Robert Boyle
Robert Boyle once wrote in one of his papers:
That, then, which I chiefly aim at is to make it probable to you by experiments (which I think hath not yet been done) that almost all sorts of ...
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Why do people say 'this' instead of 'a', especially in spoken discourse?
For example, some people might say "I saw this man just now..." instead of "I saw a man just now...".
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Are “many”, “few”, and “numerous” adjectives or determiners?
So, at first I found some inconsistencies between online dictionaries, with some like Merriam-Webster saying "many" is an adjective, while Wiktionary saying its a determiner. Eventually I had ...
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2answers
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“Neither of us are” -vs- “Neither one of us is” [duplicate]
This cartoon was recently posted on Facebook. My sister (who is a retired HS English teacher) says the grammar is wrong and that the correct wording should be: "Neither one of us is." but I disagree.
...
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1answer
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The grammar of “one another”
In sentences such as:
They talked to one another
Is the string one another a constituent, or are the two words part of a mandatorily gapped coordination of preposition phrases (or even verb phrases)?...
asked Oct 23 '18 at 16:10
Araucaria - Not here any more.
40.7k11 gold badges85 silver badges166 bronze badges
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1answer
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NPs - pre-/postmodifiers
Would you consider "both" in the following NPs rather as a predeterminer or a conjunction? If it's a predeterminer, it would determine both NPs, right?
The swimming pool is both a great place to ...
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Can I use a noun with a posessive determiner as adjunct?
For example: "Your level English" (Your level = adjunct)? Does it have the same meaning as "English of your level"?
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one/two each of + plural nouns
I'd like to know an alternative phrasing of structures like "I want one each of tomatoes, bananas, apricots and pears.
Secondly, what syntactic role does "each" play in this phrase?
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Can the 'the's be dropped?
In a list of titles that all start with the, does each need their own the or can they be shared?
Linguistics jargon: Is it possible to use a single D head and multiple NP conjuncts to mean the same ...
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1answer
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{This/that vs. these/those} + many + plural noun
From pag 419 of Mastering English An Advanced Grammar for Non-native and Native Speakers:
Elsewhere, demonstratives normally serve as determiners (as in that exact moment, this way, etc.). BUT in ...
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Determiner all + uncountable noun - which of the following sentences is correct? [closed]
All water has been filtered.
or
All water have been filtered.
?
I've already searched about this especially in youtube. From what I learned, if it's an uncountable noun after determiner all, it ...
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“in efforts to” vs “in an effort to”
Is efforts being used properly in this sentence because we are promoting multiple efforts?
In efforts to promote our products, we are providing a website and flyers for your use.
Or should it be:
...
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1answer
51 views
When to use A vs An and inconsistency [duplicate]
I hear the phrase "an American" and wonder why "a American" sounds incorrect. "a [nationalism]" works in every other context. "a Libyan" "a Russian" "a Chinese". Other examples where "an" sounds ...
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1answer
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Is “workload” ever a countable noun? Can it also be uncountable?
Here are two sentences which have almost the same meaning that I have found in two different dictionaries:
Teachers are always complaining about their heavy workloads. (Cambridge Dictionary)
Students ...
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1answer
60 views
Why is it necessary to include determiners like “your” or “my” in some sentences?
Why is it necessary to include determiners like "your" or "my" in sentences with enough context to omit them?
"Bob, eat your breakfast."
"How do you like your eggs?"
"I got my results back."
"I'm ...
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“Once each” or “once every” six months?
I'm formatting a bulleted list of benefits covered by a dental plan. I believe the text originally came from the insurance company's official "schedule of benefits" document, which is written in ...
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1answer
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Can you put the article ‘a’ after the verb ‘are’? [duplicate]
So, I just read an article, and was confused by the sentence:
In the study we just described, we found evidence that people’s self-discerning reflections — musings on whether parts of their ...
