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Language Structures # 2 – Learning more about Articles and determiners

Learning more about Articles and determines

Articles are type determiners. Determines are used with nouns to limit the reference of the noun in some way. E.g  a, the, my, two

Many of the high frequency words are determiners

Examples of articles: a, an and the , A (or an used before a vowel sound ) is the indefinite article, theis the definite, article. E.g. compare the use of both in- a boy, the boy

Determiners

Other determiners include:

Demonstratives: this, that, these those

Example:       This is my apple. That is your apple.

                        These are my baskets. Those are your baskets.

Possessive:    my, your, yours, his, her, our, their

Example:       My name is Martha.  Your teacher is here. That could be yours or his book

Your name is John. Our surname is the same. Their school is big.

Quantifiers:   Some, any, no, much, few, little, both, either, neither, each, every, enough

Example:       Some things are new. Any news about the storm? 

Numbers: six, twenty, nine million etc

Some question words:  which, what, whose

Many determiners can also be used as pronouns

E.g. He has some friends or  Which is yours?

It’s time to think of your own sentences now!

Source:  Talking Partners ESL Book