ICSE Class 9 Grammar Revision Notes for Determiners

Determiners

What are Determiners?

• A determiner is a word which is used to modify a noun or a noun phrase.
• It is a word which provides context or reference to a noun.
• It can also show the quantity, quality, position or specificity of the noun. 
• Various parts of speech can function as determiners to the noun.

• Articles
• Demonstrative adjectives
• Numeral adjectives
• Adjectives of quantity
• Possessive adjectives

Articles 

Definite Articles

• Definite articles are used as determiners to express the specificity of the noun.
• They can be used to refer to singular or plural nouns.
• They can be used to refer to countable and uncountable nouns.
  
  

Indefinite Articles

• Indefinite articles are used to refer to the noun in the general sense.
• They are used to refer to the noun for the first time. 

• Example: There is a lady on the phone. (The noun phrase 'a lady' is mentioned for the first time.)

• They are used to refer to a particular group or class of nouns. 
• They are used with singular nouns.
• They are used to refer to countable nouns only.
  
  
  
  

Demonstrative Adjectives

• Demonstrative adjectives are used are words to point out a specific noun or noun phrase.
• That and This are used with singular nouns. Those and These are used with plural nouns.
• This and These are used to point towards nouns which are nearby. That and Those are used to point towards nouns which are far away.
  
  
  
  

Numeral Adjectives

• Numeral adjectives are words which specify the number of the noun.
• Cardinal numeral adjectives are numbers. (one, two, three)
• Ordinal numeral adjectives are numerical rankings. (first, second, third)
  
  
  
  

Adjective of Quantity

• Adjectives of quantity are words which suggest the quantity of the noun.
  
  
  
  

Possessive Adjectives

• Possessive adjectives are used to indicate the possession or ownership of a noun to another.
• They can be confused with pronouns, but they are actually adjectives.