📘 Chapter: Determiners – English Grammar Notes (Class 10)
🧠 What are Determiners?
Determiners are words placed before nouns to give more information about the
noun.
They help identify which one, whose, how many, or how much.
🔹 They answer questions like:
➡ Which?
➡ How many?
➡ Whose?
➡ What quantity?
✅ Common Examples of Determiners:
👉 a, an, the
👉 some, any, much, many
👉 this, that, these, those
👉 my, your, his, her
👉 each, every, all, few, little
👉 both, either, neither, several, enough, no
📚 Types of Determiners
There are 6 major types of determiners:
1 Articles
1️⃣
These are the most common determiners.
A / An – Indefinite Articles
➤ Used with singular, countable nouns when the noun is not specific.
➤ “A” before consonant sounds, “An” before vowel sounds.
Examples:
a book, a pen, a university (u = /yu/)
an apple, an hour, an honest man (h is silent)
The – Definite Article
➤ Used when the noun is specific or known to the listener.
Examples:
the sun, the moon, the Taj Mahal
the boy who won the prize
2️⃣ Demonstratives
Used to point to specific things or people.
This, That, These, Those
This/That: singular
These/Those: plural
Examples:
This book is interesting.
That car is fast.
These apples are fresh.
Those people are waiting.
3️⃣ Possessive Determiners
Show ownership or possession.
My, Your, His, Her, Its, Our, Their
Examples:
My bag is on the table.
Her brother is a doctor.
Their house is very big.
👉 Note: Do not confuse with possessive pronouns (mine, yours, etc.), which are not
determiners.
4️⃣ Quantifiers
Show quantity or amount of nouns.
A. Used with Countable Nouns:
Many, several, a few, few, both, each, every, either, neither
Examples:
Many students were absent.
A few friends came to the party.
Each boy got a gift.
B. Used with Uncountable Nouns:
Much, little, a little
Examples:
Much water was wasted.
A little sugar is needed.
Little hope remained.
C. Used with Both Countable & Uncountable:
Some, any, no, enough, all, a lot of, most
Examples:
Some people are here. (countable)
Some milk was spilled. (uncountable)
No time was wasted.
Most boys were playing.
5️⃣ Distributive Determiners
Refer to individual members of a group.
Each, Every, Either, Neither
Examples:
Each student has a book.
Every child needs love.
Either road leads to the station.
Neither answer is correct.
6️⃣ Interrogative Determiners
Used to ask questions related to nouns.
What, Which, Whose (when followed by a noun)
Examples:
What book are you reading?
Which movie did you watch?
Whose pen is this?
📝 Important Rules of Using Determiners
Use "a"/"an" with singular countable nouns only.
✅ a car, an egg
✘a water (✘)
"The" can be used with singular/plural countable and uncountable nouns.
the sun, the boys, the milk
Use "some" in positive sentences; "any" in negatives/questions.
✅ I have some books.
✅ I don’t have any books.
✅ Do you have any books?
"Each" and "every" are used with singular nouns.
✅ Each student is responsible.
✅ Every man has a dream.
"Much" and "little" for uncountable; "many" and "few" for countable.
✅ much water, little time
✅ many friends, few apples
"Few" vs "A few" vs "The few":
Few = almost none (negative)
A few = some (positive)
The few = all that there are (limited)
Examples:
Few students passed. (hardly any)
A few students passed. (some did)
The few students who passed were rewarded. (specific)
✅ Quick Table: Determiners with Examples
Type Examples Noun Type
Articles a, an, the Countable (a/an), All (the)
Demonstratives this, that, these, those All
Possessives my, your, his, her All
Quantifiers some, few, much, many All
Distributives each, every, either, neither Countable
Interrogatives what, which, whose All
✍️ Practice Sentences
Fill in the blanks with correct determiners:
I bought ___ apple and ___ banana. → an, a
___ sun is shining brightly. → The
She didn’t have ___ money left. → any
___ books are kept on the table. → Those
___ of the boys was absent. → Each
He has ___ friends in school. (almost none) → Few
___ milk do you want? → How much
Do you know ___ girl standing there? → that
___ car is this? → Whose
___ of the options is correct. → Neither
🎯 Common Errors to Avoid
❌ Incorrect ✅ Correct
She has many sugar. She has much sugar.
He is a honest man. He is an honest man.
I didn’t buy some eggs. I didn’t buy any eggs.
Each students passed. Each student passed.
💬 Why Determiners Matter?
They clarify meaning, give context to nouns, and make communication clearer.
Important for writing correct and fluent English.
