eath 153
determiners: the, my, some, several etc 154
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154 determiners: the, my, some, several etc
1 What are determiners?
Determiners are words like the, a, my, this, some, either, every, enough, several. Determiners come at the beginning of noun phrases, but they are not adjectives.
the moon this house every week
a nice day some problems     enough trouble
my fat old cat     either arm several young students
There are two main groups of determiners.
2 Group A determiners: the, my, this, ...
These help to identify things - to say whether they are known or unknown to the hearer, which one(s) the speaker is talking about, whether the speaker is thinking of particular examples or speaking in general, etc. There are three kinds:
articles: a/an, the (see 61-70)
possessives: my, your, his, her, its, our, your, their, one's, whose (see 441, 626) demonstratives: this, these, that, those (see 589)
We cannot put two Group A determiners together. We can say a friend, my friend or this friend, but not the my friend, the this friend, this my friend or my this friend. To put a possessive together with a/an or a demonstrative, we can use the structure a/this ... of mine/yours etc (see 443).
She's a friend of mine, (not Ske^s-a my friend.) Nouns with possessive's (see 439-440) can be used like determiners (e.g. Britain's weather).
3 Group B determiners: some, each, much, enough etc
Most of these are 'quantifiers': they say how much or how many we are talking about. The most important are:
some, any, no
each, every, either, neither
much, many, more, most; (a) little, less, least; (a) few, fewer, fewest; enough;
several all, both, half
what, whatever, which, whichever Some Group B determiners are used with singular nouns (e.g. each), some with plurals (e.g. many), some with uncountables (e.g. much), and some with more than one kind of noun (e.g. which).
We can put two Group B determiners together if the combination makes sense.
We meet every few days.        Have you got any more coffee? For details of the use of Group B determiners, look up the sections on particular words.
determiners: the, my, some, several etc 154
4 Group B + Group A: some of the people
Group B determiners can be used directly before nouns, without of.
Have you got any sugar? (not ... any of sugar.)
Most people agree with me. (not Most of people ...) But if we want to put a Group B determiner before a noun which has a Group \ determiner (article, possessive or demonstrative), we have to use of. Compare:
- some people - enough remarks
some of the people enough of those remarks
- which friends - neither door which of your friends neither of these doors
- each child - most shops each of my children most of the shops
A Group B determiner + of can be used directly before a noun in a few cases. This happens with proper nouns such as place names, and sometimes with uncountable nouns that refer to the whole of a subject or activity.
Most of Wales was without electricity last night.
Much of philosophy is concerned with questions that have no answers.
5 Group B + of + pronoun: most of us
Group B determiners are used with of before pronouns.
neither of them which of us most of you
6 no and none; every and every one
No and every are not used before of, instead we use none and every one. Compare:
- no friends - every blouse none of my fiends every one of these blouses
1   all (of), both (of), half (of)
We can leave out of after all, both and half when they are followed by nouns
(but not when they are followed by pronouns).
all (of) his ideas half (of) her income
both (of) my parents but all of us (not all us)
Note that when each, every, either and neither are used directly before nouns
without of, the nouns are singular. Compare:
- each tree - neither partner each of the trees neither of the partners
8 Group A + Group B: his many friends
Certain Group B determiners can be used after Group A determiners.
They are many, most, little, least and few.
his many fiends     these few poems     the least time the most money      a little time a few questions
For the difference between little and a little, and between few and a few, see
329.
9 other determiners: other, such, what, only, numbers
There are a few other determiners that do not fit into Groups A and B. They are other, such, what (in exclamations), only and numbers. Other, only and
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J etc 154
different 155
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page
136
numbers come after Group A determiners {another is written as one word); such and what come before the article a/an.
my other sister such a nice day
the only possibility the tliree bears
what a pity
Other and such can also come after some Group B determiners. many other problems most such requests
10   determiners without nouns; / haven't read any
Nouns are often dropped after determiners if the meaning is clear.
Do you know Orwell's books?~ / haven't read any.
Have we got any tomatoes? -A few.
Wliich chair do you want?~ This will do. Determiners are sometimes used without nouns to refer to people in general. This is formal and generally rather old-fashioned.
Many are called but few are chosen. (The Bible)
Some say one thing, some say another.
OPEN MEETING: ALL (ARE) WELCOME.
Possessives (except whose and his) have different forms when they are used without nouns: mine, yours, hers, ours, theirs (see 442). Compare:
That's my coat That's mine.
Its and one's are not used without nouns. (See 442)
For others meaning 'other people', see 54.4. For all meaning everything, see 38.2. For expressions like a lot of, a heap of, the majority of, see 333.
For more information about particular determiners, consult the entries for the individual words (see Index).
155 different
1 modifiers: any different etc
Different is a little like a comparative: unlike most adjectives, it can be modified by any and no, (a) little and not much.
I hadn't seen her for years, but she wasn't any different.
How's the patient, doctor?^No different.
His ideas are little different from those of his friends.
The new school isn't much different from the old one. Quite different means 'completely different' (see 489.3).
/ thought you'd be like your sister, but you're quite different. Unlike comparatives, different can also be modified by veiy.
She's very different from her sister.
2 prepositions: different from/to
From is generally used after different; many British people also use to. In American English, than is common.
American football is very different from/to soccer. (AmE ... different from/than soccer.) Before a clause, different than is also possible in British English. The job's different than I expected. (or ... different from/to what I expected.) For the difference between different and other, see 54.5.
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