1. Descriptive Grammar – 2S, 2016 Mrs. Belén Berríos Droguett
Determiners (d)
Descriptive Grammar – 2S, 2016
Mrs. Belén Berríos Droguett

2. Function
A determiner can introduce a NP and their main function is to act as modifiers
In some cases, the determiner is obligatory in sentences or phrases, but this is not always related to grammatical reasons, most of the time it is connected to the use (common) of the language (what sounds more natural):
Cat plays in the sofa
The/My/This cat plays in the sofa

3. Form According to AITEG there are three classes of determiners:
Pre-determiners
Central determiners
Post-determiners
Central determiners can be classified into:
Definite article – the
Indefinite article –a/an
Demonstratives – this, that, these, those
Possessives – my, our, your, his, her, its, their
Interrogatives – what, which, whose
Relatives – which, whose, whatever
Indefinites – some, any, no, enough

4. Form
Pre-determiners are considered to be the ones which go before a central determiner
Multipliers
Fractions
In some cases they can occur without a central determiner, just modifying a NP:
Both students
Post-determiners can appear after the central determiner:
Ordinal numbers
Cardinal Numbers
Words such as many, few, little
However, the first two, we are going to study them in a separate group called enumerators