وابسته‌های پیشرو (Determiners)

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وابسته‌های پیشرو (Determiners)

وابسته‌های پیشرو (Determiners) کلماتی هستند که پیش از اسم قرار می گیرند تا مشخص شود اسم به چه چیزی اشاره دارد. برای کمک به شما در استفاده صحیح از این وابسته‌های پیشرو در ادامه توضیحات بیشتری داده می شود. Determiners نقش مهمی در آموزش زبان انگلیسی دارند.

Determiners in English

The definite article

The word “the” is one of the most common words in English. It is our only definite article. Nouns in English are preceded by the definite article when the speaker believes that the listener already knows what he is referring to. The speaker may believe this for many different reasons, some of which are listed below.

When to use “the”

General rules

Use the to refer to something which has already been mentioned.

Examples

  • On Monday, an unarmed man stole $1,000 from the bank. The thief hasn’t been caught yet.
  • I was walking past Benny’s Bakery when I decided to go into the bakery to get some bread.
  • There’s a position available in my team. The job will involve some international travel.

Use the when you assume there is just one of something in that place, even if it has not been mentioned before.

Examples

  • We went on a walk in the forest yesterday.
  • Where is the bathroom?
  • Turn left and go to number 45. Our house is across from the Italian restaurant.
  • My father enjoyed the book you gave him.

Use the in sentences or clauses where you define or identify a particular person or object.

Examples
  • The man who wrote this book is famous.
  • I scratched the red car parked outside.
  • I live in the small house with a blue door.
  • He is the doctor I came to see.

Use the to refer to people or objects that are unique.

Examples
  • The sun rose at 6:17 this morning.
  • You can go anywhere in the world.
  • Clouds drifted across the sky.
  • The president will be speaking on TV tonight.
  • The CEO of Total is coming to our meeting.

Use the before superlatives and ordinal numbers.

Examples
  • This is the highest building in New York.
  • She read the last chapter of her new book first.
  • You are the tallest person in our class.
  • This is the third time I have called you today.

Use the with adjectives, to refer to a whole group of people.

Examples
  • The French enjoy cheese.
  • The elderly require special attention.
  • She has given a lot of money to the poor.

Use the with decades.

Examples
  • He was born in the seventies.
  • This is a painting from the 1820’s.

Use the with clauses introduced by only

Examples
  • This is the only day we’ve had sunshine all week.
  • You are the only person he will listen to.
  • The only tea I like is black tea.
Proper nouns

Use the with names of geographical areas, rivers, mountain ranges, groups of islands, canals, and oceans.

Examples
  • They are travelling in the Arctic.
  • Our ship crossed the Atlantic in 7 days.
  • I will go on a cruise down the Nile.
  • Hiking across the Rocky Mountains would be difficult.

Use the with countries that have plural names

Examples
  • I have never been to the Netherlands.
  • Do you know anyone who lives in the Philippines?

Use the with countries that include the words “republic”, “kingdom”, or “states” in their names.

Examples
  • She is visiting the United States.
  • James is from the Republic of Ireland.

Use the with newspaper names.

Examples
  • I read it in the Guardian.
  • She works for the New York Times.

Use the with the names of famous buildings, works of art, museums, or monuments.

Examples
  • Have you been to the Vietnam Memorial?
  • We went to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa.
  • I would like to visit the Eiffel Tower.
  • I saw King Lear at the Globe.

Use the with the names of hotels & restaurants, unless these are named after a person.

Examples
  • They are staying at the Hilton on 6th street.
  • We ate at the Golden Lion.

Use the with the names of families, but not with the names of individuals.

Examples
  • We’re having dinner with the Smiths tonight.
  • The Browns are going to the play with us.

When not to use “the”

Do not use the with names of countries (except for the special cases above).

Examples
  • Germany is an important economic power.
  • He’s just returned from Zimbabwe.

Do not use the with the names of languages.

Examples
  • French is spoken in Tahiti.
  • English uses many words of Latin origin.
  • Indonesian is a relatively new language.

Do not use the with the names of meals.

Examples
  • Lunch is my favorite meal.
  • I like to eat breakfast early.

Do not use the with people’s names.

Examples
  • John is coming over later.
  • Mary Carpenter is my boss.

Do not use the with titles when combined with names.

Examples
  • Prince Charles is Queen Elizabeth’s son.
  • President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

Do not use the after the ‘s possessive case

Examples
  • His brother’s car was stolen.
  • Peter’s house is over there.

Do not use the with professions

Examples
  • Engineering is a well-paid career.
  • He’ll probably study medicine.

Do not use the with names of shops

Examples
  • I’ll get the card at Smith’s.
  • Can you go to Boots for me?

Do not use the with years

Examples
  • 1948 was a wonderful year.
  • He was born in 1995.

Do not use the with uncountable nouns

Examples
  • Rice is an important food in Asia.
  • Milk is often added to tea in England.
  • War is destructive.

Do not use the with the names of individual mountains, lakes and islands

Examples
  • Mount McKinley is the highest mountain in Alaska.
  • She lives near Lake Windermere.
  • Have you visited Long Island?

Do not use the with most names of towns, streets, stations and airports

Examples
  • Victoria Station is in the centre of London.
  • Can you direct me to Bond Street?
  • She lives in Florence.
  • They’re flying into Heathrow.

Indefinite articles

In English, the two indefinite articles are a and an. Like other articles, indefinite articles are invariable. You use one or the other, depending on the first letter of the word following the article, for pronunciation reasons. Use a when the next word starts with a consonant, or before words starting in u and eu when they sound like you. Use an when the next word starts with a vowel (a,e,i,o,u) or with a mute h.

Examples

  • a boy
  • an apple
  • a car
  • a helicopter
  • an elephant
  • a big elephant
  • an itchy sweater
  • an ugly duck
  • a european
  • a university
  • a unit
  • an hour
  • an honor

The indefinite article is used to refer to something for the first time or to refer to a particular member of a group or class. Some use cases and examples are given below.

Use a to refer to something for the first time.

Examples

  • Would you like a drink?
  • I’ve finally got a good job.
  • An elephant and a mouse fell in love.
Naming members of a group

Use a with names of jobs.

Examples
  • John is a doctor.
  • Mary is training to be an engineer.
  • He wants to be a dancer.

Use a with nationalities and religions in the singular.

Examples
  • John is an Englishman.
  • Kate is a Catholic.

Use a with the names of days of the week when not referring to any particular day.

Examples
  • I was born on a Thursday.
  • Could I come over on a Saturday sometime?

Use a to refer to an example of something.

Examples
  • The mouse had a tiny nose .
  • The elephant had a long trunk .
  • It was a very strange car .

Use a with singular nouns after the words ‘what’ and ‘such’.

Examples
  • What a shame!
  • She’s such a beautiful girl.
  • What a lovely day!

Use a meaning ‘one’, referring to a single object or person, or a single unit of measure. In these sentences using “one” instead of the indefinite article is grammatically correct. It will add emphasis to the number, and contrast with other numbers.

Examples
  • I’d like an orange and two lemons please.
  • I’d like one orange and two lemons please.
  • The burglar took a diamond necklace and some valuable paintings.
  • I can think of a hundred reasons not to come.
  • I need a kilogram of sugar.
  • I need one kilogram of sugar.
  • You can’t run a mile in 5 minutes!

Demonstratives

Demonstratives show where an object, event, or person is in relation to the speaker. They can refer to a physical or a psychological closeness or distance. When talking about events, the near demonstratives are often used to refer to the present while the far demonstratives often refer to the past.

Near the speaker Far from the speaker
Adverb Here There
Demonstrative with singular nouns
& uncountable nouns		 This That
Demonstrative with
plural countable nouns		 These Those

Demonstrative usage

Examples

Near the speaker Far from the speaker
Is this John’s house? Is that John’s house over there?
This is a nice surprise! That must have been a nice surprise for you.
These apples are mine. Those apples are yours.
What are you up to these days? Those days are long gone.
This time I won’t be late. We really surprised you that time.
This sugar is for my crepes. You can use that sugar for your cake.

Sentence placement

Demonstratives can be placed before the noun or the adjective that modifies the noun.

Examples
  • This blue car needs to be washed next.
  • Those people were here first.
  • That metal rod should work.
  • These oranges are delicious.

Demonstratives can also appear before a number by itself when the noun is understood from the context.

Examples
  • I’d like to try on that one.
  • This one is broken.
  • I’ll take these three.
  • Those two are not as pretty as these two.

Demonstratives can be used by themselves when the noun they modify is understood from the context.

Examples
  • I’ll never forget this.
  • That has nothing to do with me.
  • I didn’t ask for these.
  • Those aren’t mine.

Pronouns

Pronouns replace nouns. A different pronoun is required depending on two elements: the noun being replaced and the function that noun has in the sentence. In English, pronouns only take the gender of the noun they replace in the 3rd person singular form. The 2nd person plural pronouns are identical to the 2nd person singular pronouns except for the reflexive pronoun.

Subject pronoun Object pronoun Possessive adjective (determiner) Possessive pronoun Reflexive or intensive pronoun
1st person singular I me my mine myself
2nd person singular you you your yours yourself
3rd person singular, male he him his his himself
3rd person singular, female she her her hers herself
3rd person singular, neutral it it its itself
1st person plural we us our ours ourselves
2nd person plural you you your yours yourselves
3rd person plural they them their theirs themselves

Subject pronouns

Subject pronouns replace nouns that are the subject of their clause. In the 3rd person, subject pronouns are often used to avoid repetition of the subject’s name.

Examples

  • I am 16.
  • You seem lost.
  • Jim is angry, and he wants Sally to apologize.
  • This table is old. It needs to be repainted.
  • We aren’t coming.
  • They don’t like pancakes.

Object pronouns

Object pronouns are used to replace nouns that are the direct or indirect object of a clause.

Examples

  • Give the book to me.
  • The teacher wants to talk to you.
  • Jake is hurt because Bill hit him.
  • Rachid recieved a letter from her last week.
  • Mark can’t find it.
  • Don’t be angry with us.
  • Tell them to hurry up!

Possessive adjectives (determiners)

Possessive adjectives are not pronouns, but rather determiners. It is useful to learn them at the same time as pronouns, however, because they are similar in form to the possessive pronouns. Possessive adjectives function as adjectives, so they appear before the noun they modify. They do not replace a noun as pronouns do.

Examples

  • Did mother find my shoes?
  • Mrs. Baker wants to see your homework.
  • Can Jake bring over his baseball cards?
  • Samantha will fix her bike tomorrow.
  • The cat broke its leg.
  • This is our house.
  • Where is their school?

Possessive pronouns

Possessive pronouns replace possessive nouns as either the subject or the object of a clause. Because the noun being replaced doesn’t appear in the sentence, it must be clear from the context.

Examples
  • This bag is mine.
  • Yours is not blue.
  • That bag looks like his.
  • These shoes are not hers.
  • That car is ours.
  • Theirs is parked in the garage.

Reflexive & intensive pronouns

Reflexive and intensive pronouns are the same set of words but they have different functions in a sentence.

Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the clause because the subject of the action is also the direct or indirect object. Only certain types of verbs can be reflexive. You cannot remove a reflexive pronoun from a sentence because the remaining sentence would be grammatically incorrect.

Examples
  • I told myself to calm down.
  • You cut yourself on this nail?
  • He hurt himself on the stairs.
  • She found herself in a dangerous part of town.
  • The cat threw itself under my car!
  • We blame ourselves for the fire.
  • The children can take care of themselves.

Intensive pronouns emphasize the subject of a clause. They are not the object of the action. The intensive pronoun can always be removed from a sentence without changing the meaning significantly, although the emphasis on the subject will be removed. Intensive pronouns can be placed immediately after the subject of the clause, or at the end of the clause.

Examples
  • I made these cookies myself.
  • You yourself asked Jake to come.
  • The Pope himself pardoned Mr. Brown.
  • My teacher didn’t know the answer herself.
  • The test itself wasn’t scary, but my teacher certainly is.
  • We would like to finish the renovation before Christmas ourselves.
  • They themselves told me the lost shoe wasn’t a problem.

Quantifiers

Quantifiers are adjectives and adjectival phrases that give approximate or specific answers to the questions “How much?” and “How many?” The pages in this section will teach you more about the different quantifiers in English and how they are used.

Quantifiers in English

  • Numbers in English: ordinal, cardinal, and percentages

Numbers in English

The cardinal numbers (one, two, three, etc.) are adjectives referring to quantity, and the ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) refer to distribution.

Number Cardinal Ordinal
1 one first
2 two second
3 three third
4 four fourth
5 five fifth
6 six sixth
7 seven seventh
8 eight eighth
9 nine ninth
10 ten tenth
11 eleven eleventh
12 twelve twelfth
13 thirteen thirteenth
14 fourteen fourteenth
15 fifteen fifteenth
16 sixteen sixteenth
17 seventeen seventeenth
18 eighteen eighteenth
19 nineteen nineteenth
20 twenty twentieth
21 twenty-one twenty-first
22 twenty-two twenty-second
23 twenty-three twenty-third
24 twenty-four twenty-fourth
25 twenty-five twenty-fifth
26 twenty-six twenty-sixth
27 twenty-seven twenty-seventh
28 twenty-eight twenty-eighth
29 twenty-nine twenty-ninth
30 thirty thirtieth
31 thirty-one thirty-first
40 forty fortieth
50 fifty fiftieth
60 sixty sixtieth
70 seventy seventieth
80 eighty eightieth
90 ninety ninetieth
100 one hundred hundredth
500 five hundred five hundredth
1,000 one thousand thousandth
1,500 one thousand five hundred, or fifteen hundred one thousand five hundredth
100,000 one hundred thousand hundred thousandth
1,000,000 one million millionth
Examples
  • There are twenty-five people in the room.
  • He was the fourteenth person to win the award.
  • Six hundred thousand people were left homeless after the earthquake.
  • I must have asked you twenty times to be quiet.
  • He went to Israel for the third time this year.

Reading decimals

Read decimals aloud in English by pronouncing the decimal point as “point”, then read each digit individually. Money is not read this way.

Written Said
0.5 point five
0.25 point two five
0.73 point seven three
0.05 point zero five
0.6529 point six five two nine
2.95 two point nine five

Reading fractions

Read fractions using the cardinal number for the numerator and the ordinal number for the denominator, making the ordinal number plural if the numerator is larger than 1. This applies to all numbers except for the number 2, which is read “half” when it is the denominator, and “halves” if there is more than one.

Written Said
1/3 one third
3/4 three fourths
5/6 five sixths
1/2 one half
3/2 three halves

Pronouncing percentages

Percentages are easy to read aloud in English. Just say the number and then add the word “percent”.

Written Pronounced
5% five percent
25% twenty-five percent
36.25% thirty-six point two five percent
100% one hundred percent
400% four hundred percent

Reading sums of money

To read a sum of money, first read the whole number, then add the currency name. If there is a decimal, follow with the decimal pronounced as a whole number, and if coinage has a name in the currency, add that word at the end. Note that normal decimals are not read in this way. These rules only apply to currency.

Written Spoken
25$ twenty-five dollars
52€ fifty-two euros
140₤ one hundred and forty pounds
$43.25 forty-three dollars and twenty-five cents (shortened to “forty-three twenty-five” in everyday speech)
€12.66 twelve euros sixty-six
₤10.50 ten pounds fifty

Pronouncing measurements

Just read out the number, followed by the unit of measurement, which will often be abbreviated in the written form.

Written Spoken
60m sixty meters
25km/h twenty-five kilometers per hour
11ft eleven feet
2L two liters
3tbsp three tablespoons
1tsp one teaspoon

Pronouncing years

Reading years in English is relatively complicated. In general, when the year is a four digit number, read the first two digits as a whole number, then the second two digits as another whole number. There are a few exceptions to this rule. Years that are within the first 100 years of a new millenium can be read as whole numbers even though they have four digits, or they can be read as two two-digit numbers. Millennia are always read as whole numbers because they would be difficult to pronounce otherwise. New centuries are read as whole numbers of hundreds. We do not use the word “thousand”, at least not for reading years within the past 1000 years.

Years that have just three digits can be read as a three digit number, or as a one digit number followed by a two-digit number. Years that are a two digit number are read as a whole number. You can precede any year by the words “the year” to make your meaning clear, and this is common for two and three digit years. Years before the year 0 are followed by BC, pronounced as two letters of the alphabet.

Interestingly, these rules apply to reading street addresses as well.

Written Spoken
2014 twenty fourteen or two thousand fourteen
2008 two thousand eight
2000 two thousand
1944 nineteen forty-four
1908 nineteen o eight
1900 nineteen hundred
1600 sixteen hundred
1256 twelve fifty-six
1006 ten o six
866 eight hundred sixty-six or eight sixty-six
25 twenty-five
3000 BC three thousand BC
3250 BC thirty two fifty BC

How to say 0

There are several ways to pronounce the number 0, used in different contexts. Unfortunately, usage varies between different English-speaking countries. These pronunciations apply to American English.

Pronunciation Usage
zero Used to read the number by itself, in reading decimals, percentages, and phone numbers, and in some fixed expressions.
o (the letter name) Used to read years, addresses, times and temperatures
nil Used to report sports scores
nought Not used in the USA
Examples
Written Said
3.04+2.02=5.06 Three point zero four plus two point zero two makes five point zero six.
There is a 0% chance of rain. There is a zero percent chance of rain.
The temperature is -20⁰C. The temperature is twenty degrees below zero.
You can reach me at 0171 390 1062. You can reach me at zero one seven one, three nine zero, one zero six two
I live at 4604 Smith Street. I live at forty-six o four Smith Street
He became king in 1409. He became king in fourteen o nine.
I waited until 4:05. I waited until four o five.
The score was 4-0. The score was four nil.

 

  • Choosing the right quantifier: countable and uncountable nouns

Pick the right quantifier

To answer the questions How much? and How many? certain quantifiers can be used with countable nouns (friends, cups, people), others with uncountable nouns (sugar, tea, money) and still others with all types of nouns.

Only with uncountable nouns With all types of nouns Only with countable nouns
a little no, none, not any a few
a bit of some a number of
any several
a great deal of a lot of, lots of a great number of
a large amount of plenty of a large number of
Examples
  • Would you like some tea and a few cookies?
  • I always put a little milk and some carrots in my soup.
  • He has several apples. I don’t have any fruit at all.
  • She has plenty of clothes for the winter.
  • I recieved a large amount of feedback from my survey.
Using “much” and”many”

Much and many are mainly used in interrogative and negative sentences. They are also used in affirmative and negative sentences in combination with too and so. Notice: the word many can be used alone in affirmative sentences while the word much cannot. Much is replaced in affirmative sentences with a lot of or lots of (these expressions can also replace many).

Uncountable nouns Countable nouns
How much sugar do you have? How many people came to the concert?
There’s not much sugar at the store. Not many people came to the concert.
I have too much sugar at home. There were too many people at the concert.
I don’t know what to do with so much sugar. It’s a problem when there are so many people.
I wish there was not so much sugar here. There were not so many people last year.
There is a lot of sugar in candy. There are many people who want to come. = There are a lot of people who want to come.

  • Expressing opinions about quantity

Expressing opinions about quantity

The quantifiers few and a few, and little and a little seem nearly identical but they are actually quite distinct. These expressions show the speaker’s attitude towards the quantity he is referring to as either positive or negative.

Positive attitude

A few (for countable nouns) and a little (for uncountable nouns) describe the quantity in a positive way, implying that although the speaker may not have much, he has enough.

Examples
  • I’ve got a few friends. = I have enough friends.
  • I have a few flowers in my garden. = I have enough flowers.
  • I’ve got a little money. = I have enough money.
  • I have a little free time on Thursdays. = I have enough free time.

Negative attitude

Few (for countable nouns) and little (for uncountable nouns) describe the quantity in a negative way. They may actually indicate a total lack of the noun, but are more polite than saying so directly.

Examples
  • Few people visited him in hospital. = he had almost no visitors, or perhaps no visitors at all.
  • I’ve seen few birds around here. = there are almost no birds, or perhaps not a single bird
  • He had little money for treats. = almost no money, or perhaps no money at all
  • I have little time for TV = almost no time, or perhaps no time at all
  • Indefinite and incomplete quantities

Indefinite and incomplete quantities

Some and any can be used with countable and uncountable nouns to describe an undefined or incomplete quantity.

Using “some”

Some can be used in descriptive sentences.

Examples
  • I had some rice for lunch.
  • He got some books from the library.
  • I will have some news next week.
  • Philip wants some help with his exams.
  • There is some butter in the fridge.

Some is also used in interrogative sentences when you think you already know the answer.

Examples
  • Did he give you some tea? = I think he did.
  • Is there some fruit juice in the fridge? = I think there is.
  • Would you like some help? = Probably you do.
  • Will you have some roast beef? = Probably you will

Some can also be used in interrogative sentences to ask for something or to offer something.

Examples
  • Could I have some books, please?
  • Why don’t you take some apples home with you?
  • Would you like some tea?
  • Will you have some cake?

Using “any”

Any is used in interrogative sentences when you do not know the answer.

Examples
  • Do you have any friends in London?
  • Do they have any children?
  • Do you want any groceries from the shop?
  • Are there any problems with your work?

Any is also used with not to form negative sentences. In these sentences, the word any emphasizes the negativity to make it more absolute.

Examples
  • She doesn’t want any kitchen appliances for Christmas.
  • They don’t need any help moving to their new house.
  • I don’t want any cake.
  • There isn’t any reason to complain.

 

  • Using graded quantifiers to compare amounts

Graded quantifiers

Graded quantifiers allow us to compare the quantity of one thing with the quantity of another, without specifying an exact quantity for either element. Graded quantifiers preceed nouns. Different quantifiers are needed for countable and uncountable nouns. Sometimes the noun can be omitted when it is understood from the context.

They are distinct from comparatives and superlatives, which compare the degrees of a quality (adjectives) or the degree of the manner something was done (adverbs). Graded quantifiers, like comparatives and superlatives, hold a relative position on a scale of increase or decrease. The superlative grade is always preceeded by the in a sentence.

Quantifier Comparative grade Superlative grade
With plural countable nouns
many more most
few fewer fewest
With uncountable nouns
much more most
little less least
Examples
  • There are many people in England, more people in India, but the most people live in China.
  • Much time and money is spent on education, more on health services but the most is spent on national defence.
  • Few rivers in Europe are not polluted.
  • Fewer people die young now than in the seventeenth century.
  • The country with the fewest people per square kilometre must be Australia.
  • Scientists have little hope of finding a complete cure for cancer before the year 2020.
  • She had less time to study than Paul but had better results.
  • Give that dog the least opportunity and it will bite you.

 

  • Using the quantifier “enough”

Enough as a quantifier

Enough can be used as a quantifier when it is placed before any noun, to indicate the quantity required or necessary. It can be used in both affirmative and negative sentences.

Examples
  • There is enough bread for lunch.
  • She has enough money.
  • There are not enough apples for all of us.
  • I don’t have enough sugar to make a cake.

The word enough can also be an adverb of degree, in which case it is not placed before a noun.

Distributives

Distributive determiners refer to a group of people or things, and to individual members of the group. They show different ways of looking at the individuals within a group, and they express how something is distributed, shared, or divided.

Using distributives

  • Using “each” and “every” to talk about the members of a group as individuals

Using “each” and “every”

Each is a way of seeing the members of a group as individuals, while every is a way of seeing a group as a series of members. These distributives can only be used with countable nouns. They are normally used with singular nouns, and are placed before the noun. In many cases, they are interchangeable.

Examples
  • Each child received a present.
  • Every child received a present.
  • I gave each plant some water.
  • I gave every plant some water.

Each can also be used with plural nouns and pronouns but must be followed by ‘of’. Every cannot be used with plural nouns.

Examples
  • Each of the children received a present.
  • I gave each of the plants some water.
  • He told each of us our jobs.
  • I gave each of them a kiss.

Every can express different points in a series, especially with time expressions. Each works in the same way, but is less common.

Examples
  • Every morning John goes jogging.
  • This magazine is published every week.
  • I have my coffee here every day.
  • I go visit my mother each week.
  • Each Monday, he buys a kilo of apples.

 

  • Using “all” to talk about the whole group

Using “all” as a distributive

The distributive determiner all is used to talk about a whole group, with a special emphasis on the fact that nothing has been left out. All can be used as a distributive in several different patterns.

All can be used with uncountable nouns and plural countable nouns by itself. In this usage, it refers to the group as a concept rather than as individuals.

Examples
  • All cheese contains protein.
  • I like all dogs.
  • All children need affection.
  • This soap is for all purposes.

All can be used with uncountable nouns and plural countable nouns preceeded by the or a possessive adjective. In this case, the meaning is shifted towards referring to a concrete, physical group rather than the group as a concept. In these uses, the word of can be added just after all with no change in meaning.

Examples
  • All the people in the room were silent.
  • All of the birds flew away.
  • Have you eaten all the bread?
  • I will need all of the sugar.
  • I’ve invited all my friends to the party.
  • I’ve used up all of our eggs.
  • You wasted all your time.

All can be used with plural pronouns preceeded by of.

Examples
  • All of us are going.
  • He scolded all of you.
  • Did you find all of them?

All can be used in questions and exclamations with uncountable nouns preceeded by this or that. In these uses, the word of can be added just after all with no change in meaning.

Examples
  • Who has left all this paper on my desk?
  • Look at all this snow!
  • Why is all of that sugar on the floor?
  • Where did all of this confetti come from?

All can be used in questions and exclamations with countable nouns preceeded by these or those. In these uses, the word of can be added just after all with no change in meaning.

Examples
  • Look at all those balloons!
  • Where did all of those books come from?
  • Why are all these children crying?

 

  • Using “half” to talk about a divided group

Using the word “half” as a distributive

The distributive determiner half is used to talk about a whole group divided in two. Half can be used as a distributive in several different patterns. Other fractions can be used in the same patterns, although they are less frequent.

Half can be used with measurements preceeded by an indefinite article (a or an). In this usage, it refers to a measurement.

Examples
  • I had half a cup of milk left.
  • I bought half a kilo of flour.
  • He ran half a mile this morning.
  • I will be back in half a minute.

Half can be used with nouns preceeded by the, a, a demonstrative, or a possessive adjective. In this case, the meaning refers to a concrete, physical division. The word of can be added just after half with no change in meaning.

Examples
  • Half the people have already left.
  • Half of an apple isn’t very much lunch.
  • Did you use half my sugar?
  • I will need half of the flour for my cake.
  • I earned half of that money last summer.
  • She found half these frogs in the river.
  • I spent half that time on my project.
  • You can take half of those books back.
  • I’ve invited half my friends to the party.
  • I’ve used up half of our eggs.
  • You wasted half your money on that!

Half can be used with plural pronouns preceeded by of.

Examples
  • Half of us are going.
  • He scolded half of you but he let the rest off.
  • You couldn’t find half of them?

 

  • Using “both”, “either”, and “neither” to talk about pairs of people or things

Distributives for pairs of objects

The distributive determiners both, either and neither are concerned with distribution between a pair of objects. Normally, these words cannot be used to refer to a group of three or more individuals. They also cannot be used to refer to a group of indefinite size. These distributives can only refer to countable nouns.

Using “both”

Both refers to the whole pair and is equivalent to “one and the other”. Both can be used with plural nouns on its own, or it can be followed by “of”, with or without an article. When followed by a plural pronoun, both must be separated from the pronoun by “of”. Both cannot be used with singular nouns, because it refers to two things.

Examples
  • Both children were born in Italy.
  • Both the children were born in Italy.
  • Both of the children were born in Italy.
  • Both my parents have fair hair.
  • Both of my parents have fair hair.
  • Both of us like skiing.
  • I told both of them to calm down.

Using “either”

Either is positive and when used alone, refers to one of the two members of the pair. It is equivalent to “one or the other”. Because it refers to just one member of a pair, either must be used before a singular noun. It can also be used with a plural noun or pronoun if followed by “of”.

Examples
  • I can stay at either hotel.
  • Either day is fine for me.
  • There are two chairs here. You can take either of them.
  • Either of you can come.
  • Either of the hotels will be fine.
  • I can eat either of the salads.

Either can also be used with or in a construction that talks about each member of the pair in turn. The meaning remains the same, but in this case either is not functioning as a distributive. It is functioning as a conjunction.

Examples
  • You can have either ice cream or chocolate cake.
  • I will come on either Thursday or Friday.
  • You can either come inside or put on your raincoat.

Using “neither”

Neither is negative and when used alone, refers to the whole pair. It is equivalent to “not one or the other”. Because it refers to just one member of a pair, neither must be used before a singular noun. It can also be used with a plural noun or pronoun if followed by “of”.

Examples
  • Neither chair is any good.
  • Neither brother came.
  • Which bag do you want? Neither of them.
  • Neither of us were on time.
  • I think neither of these dresses fits me.
  • Neither of the children wanted to go.

Neither can also be used with nor in a construction that talks about each member of the pair in turn. The meaning remains the same, but in this case neither is not functioning as a distributive. It is functioning as a conjunction.

Examples
  • You can have neither cookies nor candy.
  • It is neither raining nor snowing.
  • She is neither tall nor short.

Determiners of difference

The determiners other and another refer to something different, remaining, or additional. They are placed before a noun. The other is treated separately because its usage is slightly different.

Other Plural countable nouns and all uncountable nouns
Another Singular countable nouns
The other Any noun that can take the definite article “the”

Using “other”

Other can be used alone or after the determiners some, any, and no.

Examples

  • Do you have other shoes?
  • There are other jobs you could try.
  • Is there any other bread?
  • I have some other sugar we could use.
  • We have no other ideas.

If used with a plural countable noun and one of these determiners, the noun may be omitted when it is understood from the context. In that case, other becomes plural. This can also happen with other used by itself, but it is less common.

Examples
  • Do you have any others?
  • I know some others who might like to come.
  • There are no others in this box.
  • I know others like vanilla, but I prefer chocolate.
  • She doesn’t have to wear that dress. She has others.

Using “another”

Another is used with singular countable nouns. For uncountable nouns, another is often used with measure words that are singular.

Examples

  • Have another cookie.
  • Would you like another cup of tea?
  • He has another brother.
  • I don’t have another car.
  • I’ll come by another time.

Using “the other”

If the other is modifying a plural countable noun, the noun may be omitted when it is understood from the context. In that case, other will become plural.

Examples

  • Where is the other box of cereal?
  • I work on the weekend and go to school on the other days of the week.
  • May I use the other honey for my recipe?
  • I enjoyed the first book but I didn’t read the other books in the series.
  • Have you seen the others?
  • Jim ate two cookies. I ate the others.

Pre-determiners

Pre-determiners are normally placed before an indefinite article + adjective + noun to express an opinion about the noun they modify. Such and what are used to express surprise or other emotions.

Examples

  • What a lovely day!
  • She’s such a beautiful woman.
  • You can’t imagine what an incredible meal I just ate.
  • I’ve had such a good time today!

Rather and quite are commenting words, referring to the degree of a particular quality as expressed by the adjective that modifies the noun. They can express disappointment, pleasure, or other emotions depending on the adjective in question. In British English, rather is used as a pre-determiner. In American English it is only used as an adverb. The examples given below are British English.

Examples
  • It was quite a nice day.
  • He’s had quite a bad accident.
  • It’s rather a small car.
  • I’ve just met rather a nice man.

 

 

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