📘 Determiners – Class 9 & 10 English (CBSE Notes)
What are Determiners?
Determiners are words placed before nouns to determine or limit their meaning.
They tell us which, whose, how much, or how many.
👉 They are always followed by a noun.
Types of Determiners
1. Articles
a, an, the
Examples:
I saw a dog in the street.
She bought an apple.
The sun rises in the east.
2. Demonstratives
this, that, these, those
Used to point out specific things.
Examples:
This book is mine.
Those houses are very old.
3. Possessives
my, your, his, her, its, our, their
Show possession or belonging.
Examples:
My father is a doctor.
She lost her purse.
4. Quantifiers
some, any, much, many, little, few, several, all, enough, both
Show quantity (not exact numbers).
Examples:
I have some friends in Delhi.
He doesn’t have much money.
There are few chances of rain.
5. Numbers / Numerals
one, two, three… / first, second, third…
Show exact number or order.
Examples:
He bought two pens.
She stood first in the class.
6. Distributives
each, every, either, neither
Refer to members of a group individually.
Examples:
Each student must wear a uniform.
Neither answer is correct.
7. Interrogatives
which, what, whose (used in questions)
Examples:
Which colour do you like?
Whose bag is this?
8. Definite Quantity / Difference
much, many, more, most, little, few, less, least
Examples:
She has more patience than her brother.
Only a few students knew the answer.
✨ Important Rules
1. Determiners always come before a noun (not alone).
✔️I have some money.
❌ I have some.
2. Articles (a, an, the) are also determiners.
3. A noun generally does not take two determiners together.
❌ The my book
✔️My book
🔹 Examples in Sentences
My brother bought two shirts.
Those apples are very sweet.
Do you have any idea about this?
Each child was given a gift.
The moon looks beautiful tonight.
📋 Summary Table of Determiners
Type Examples Usage
Articles - a, an, the General or specific reference
Demonstratives - this, that, these, those Pointing out things
Possessives - my, your, his, her, our, their Showing ownership
Quantifiers - some, any, much, many, few, allShowing quantity
Numerals - one, two, three, first, second Number/order
Distributives - each, every, either, neither Individual reference
Interrogatives - which, what, whose Asking questions
Exercises
A. Fill in the blanks
1. He has read the Ramayana many times.
2. There are many mistakes in your notebook.
3. Each student must attend the assembly.
4. We don’t have any sugar left in the jar.
5. This is my best friend, Riya.
6. She got the first prize in the competition.
7. Few people know the truth of the incident. (“Few” = almost none)
OR A few if you want to mean “some.”
8. Please give me a little water to drink.
9. Whose book is lying on the table?
10. Both the players performed well.
B. Error Correction
1. ❌ He has very little friends in the city.
✔️He has very few friends in the city.
2. ❌ The both sisters are intelligent.
✔️Both sisters are intelligent.
3. ❌ Each of the boys have submitted their homework.
✔️Each of the boys has submitted his homework.
4. ❌ She gave me an honest advice.
✔️She gave me honest advice. (Advice is uncountable, no article before it.)
5. ❌ This are my classmates.
✔️These are my classmates.
C. Choose the correct determiner
1. I have some good news for you.
2. There isn’t much bread left.
3. She was praised by all teachers.
4. Either of the roads leads to the railway station.
5. I don’t have much time to finish this work.
D. Complete the sentences
1. There are many students absent today.
2. She bought some apples from the market.
3. We should help the poor.
4. He spends most of his time reading books.
5. Do you know the person standing at the gate?
