Determiners in English Grammar with Examples

A determiner is a group of words which fixes or limits the meaning of a noun or a noun phrase showing whether the phrase is definite, indefinite or negative.

Determiners in English, their types are explained with the help of examples.
Determiners in English, their types are explained with the help of examples.

Determiners precede the nouns and noun phrases. The determiners are required in many contexts to make the complete sense of a noun phrase.

In some cases, noun phrases are formed without using determiners, called zero determiners. For example, Grapes are fruit.

Determiners are also used in different combinations. For example, This book belongs to her.

Determiners and Adjectives

The common thing between determiners and adjectives is that both are used as noun or noun phrase modifiers. The determiners precede the noun while adjectives modify the nouns and provide more detail.

The main difference between determines and adjectives is that unlike
the determiners, the adjectives have different degrees e.g. large, larger, largest. Another difference is that the determiners in a sentence are necessary while adjectives are optional.

Determiners Types

Determiners are categorised into various types. Articles are the most common type of determiners. Some important categories of determiners are explained below with a list of examples.


1. Articles – a, an, the
2. Distributives – some, each, every, any
3. Demonstratives – this, that, these, those
4. Possessives – my, mine, our, your, his, her, their
5. Interrogatives – what, which, who, where
6. Number expressions – some, many, several

Examples of Determiners

☞ I came here to submit an application.
☞ The book on the table is very expensive.
☞ He bought some textbooks from the shop.
☞ Each student got a chance to speak.
☞ Every customer will be honored.
☞ This is a grammar website.
☞ Those children are very interested in Mathematics.
☞ This is my lunch box.
☞ That is our new bungalow.
☞ This is his bicycle.
☞ Where is my chocolate?
☞ Which is your classroom?
☞ That is our new bungalow.
☞ There are some children in the classroom.
☞ She doesn’t have many books.

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