Determiners I
Modern English Grammar 1
Session 3
But first: what we did last week
• categorised Ns
nouns (common and proper nouns) pronouns, placeholder “one”
• identified types of nouns
• looked at countable vs. uncountable nouns
countable: apple, object, etc
uncountable: salt, love, money, information, etc.
• for home study considered plural forms in
English
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From the Home Study
let’s check
Activity 5
on page 19
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2.2.3 Plurals of countable nouns
added -s eye hat
tree day
eyes hats
trees days
added  or - e- between bridge church
-s, -se, -ss, -sh, ge, dge, ch kiss clash
and plural -s house bus
bridges churches
kisses clashes
houses busses
changing a -y after a lady
consonant to -ie before the cry
plural -s
ladies
cries
changing of -f to -ve before dwarf
plural -s leaf
wife
dwarves
leaves
wives
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2.2.3 Plurals of countable nouns
nouns that take no plural -s salmon deer
sheep aircraft
salmon deer
sheep aircraft
nouns looking like plurals, species
used in singular and plural series
(no change)
species
series
nouns from French ending chassis
with -s that do not change bourgeois
précis
chassis
bourgeois
précis
nouns that are always in the trousers, binoculars, jeans
plural pyjamas, glasses/specs
crossroads, scissors
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2.2.3 Plurals of countable nouns
nouns that form the plural goose, mouse
with a vowel change tooth, woman,
man, child
nouns that use an “old” child
plural ending ox
nouns of Latin origin corpus index
retaining Latin plurals memorandum
nucleus larva
nouns of Greek origin phenomenon
retaining Greek plurals criterion
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geese, mice,
teeth, women
men, children
children
oxen
corpora indices
memoranda
nuclei larvae
phenomena
criteria
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The Determiners …
Do
Activity 1
on
page 23
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3.1 Overview
Determiners
general
specific
definite
article
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demonstratives
possessive
determiners
indefinite
article
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quantifying “identifying”
determiners determiners
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3.2.1 Specific Determiners
definite article
the
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demonstratives
possessive
determiners
this
these
that
those
my
your
her his its
our
your
their
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3.2.2 General Determiners
indefinite articles
quantifying
determiners
“identifying”
determiners
a/an
Ø
all
any
few/little
more, most
much, many,
a lot of
several
some
another
both
each
either/neither
every
no
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From the Home Study
let’s check
Exploration 1
on page 24
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3.2.1 The Definite Article a)
the
She plays _______
flute with the London Symphony Orchestra.
I went to _______
cinema with my friend.
the
the Great War at the age of 18.
My great-uncle died in _______
the
Have you taken _______
dog for a walk yet?
the
Mont Blanc is _______
highest mountain in Europe.
the
I was listening to _______
news last night when she called.
Ø
the wines of
I like __________
wine but I’ve never liked _______
Germany very much.
Ø
Ø
8. _______
Dr Jeckyll was not happy about turning into _______
Mr Hyde forever.
Ø
9. The Beatles played a concert at _______
Shea Stadium in 1963.
the
10. Ruth Dreyfuss was _______
first female socialist federal
councillor, but _______
second woman in the federal executive.
the
11. I fear neither _______
death nor _______
infamy.
Ø
Ø
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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3.2.1 The Definite Article b)
the Bishop of Westminster.
the old doctor turned away from ___
12. ____
13. I would love to dance with _______
girl in the blue dress standing
the
at the bar.
the
14. In the evening a lot of young people went to _________
school to
hang around.
Ø
Ø
15. _______
Grammar lessons are a crime against _______
nature.
the only woman in my life.
16. She’s _______
a
a
17. She has got _______
car and _______
motorbike. On Sundays
the bike but to go to work she prefers
she goes for a spin on _______
_______
car.
the
the
18. _______
earth (if that’s all right with
the meek shall inherit _______
the rest of you guys).
Ø the
19. The old couple went to __________
market.
the
the Alps, _______
20. Here are some books about _______
Sahara,
the
the Atlantic.
_______
Antarctic and _______
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3.2.1 The Definite Article c)
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
_______
dishwasher has made life a lot easier.
the
_______
self-employed businessman tends to work longer hours.
the
My father went to ____________
sea after he met my mother
Ø
the
We sailed from ____________
Bay of Biscay to ____________
the
the
Cape of Good Hope.
the
Life is difficult nowadays for _______
elderly.
(the) Ø home to avoid the crowds in Italy.
We are staying at _______
Ø women are expected to enjoy having _______
Ø
_____
babies.
Ø
We stayed at home to avoid the tailback over _______
Whitsun.
Every weekend she went to _________
the (Ø) prison to see her
husband.
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Do
Activity 2
on
page 25
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3.2.1 Usage of Definite Articles a)
4. Have you taken the dog for a
 to refer to an entity in the
walk yet?
immediate situation, known
to both interlocutors
 to refer back to a noun
used earlier on (anaphoric
reference)
17.She has got a car and a
motorbike. On Sundays she
goes for a spin on the bike
but to go to work she prefers
the car.
 in expressions with an
institutionalised meaning
3. My great-uncle died in the
Great War at the age of 18.
 with institutions which we
sometimes use, believe in,
etc.
2. I went to the cinema with my
friend.
6. I was listening to the news
last night when she called.
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3.2.1 Usage of Definite Articles b)
 in front of a noun,
countable or uncountable,
with post-modification
7. I like ∅ wine but I’ve never
liked the wines of Germany
very much.
13.I would love to dance with
the girl in the blue dress
standing at the bar.
 together with expressions
signifying “uniqueness”
(only, most, first, etc.)
16.She’s the only woman in my
life.
5. Mont Blanc is the highest
mountain in Europe.
10.Ruth Dreyfuss was the first
female socialist federal
councillor, but the second
woman in the federal
executive.
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3.2.1 Usage of Definite Articles c)
 To represent a class of
animals, people or things
21.The dishwasher has made life
a lot easier.
22.The self-employed businessman tends to work longer…
 together with an adjective
which refers to a class of
people
18.The meek shall inherit the
earth.
25.Life is difficult nowadays for
the elderly.
 geographical names to
signify it is unique or that
we refer to a specific one
20.Here are some books about
the Alps, the Sahara, the
Antarctic, and the Atlantic.
24.We sailed from the Bay of
Biscay to the Cape of ...
 before musical instruments 1. She plays the flute with the
London Symphony Orchestra.
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3.2.1 Non-usage of Definite Articles
 before a place name, a
proper name or a title +
noun
8. ∅ Dr Jeckyll was not happy
about turning into ∅ Mr Hyde
forever.
9. The Beatles played a concert
at ∅ Shea Stadium in 1963.
 but the exception with
titles is
12.The old doctor turned away
from the Bishop of
Westminster.
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3.2.1 Non-usage of Definite Articles
 before abstract and other
uncountable nouns
11.I fear neither ∅ death nor ∅
infamy.
15.∅ Grammar lessons are a
crime against ∅ nature.
7. I like ∅ wine but…
 To refer to a collective
group of people
27.∅ women are expected to
enjoy having ∅ babies.
 With most religious
holidays
28.We stayed at home to avoid
the tailback over ∅ Whitsun.
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3.2.1 Selective usage
 if we mean the institution
or the location
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26.We are staying at ∅ (the)
home to avoid the crowds in
Italy.
29.Every weekend she went to
the (∅) prison to see her
husband.
19.The old couple went to the /
∅ market.
23.My father went to the / ∅
sea after he met my mother
14.In the evening a lot of young
people went to the [/∅]
school to hang around.
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Do
Exploration 2
on page 26,
then complete
Activity 3
on page 27
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3.2.2 Demonstratives “this/these”
11.This young man here is my
beloved son.
 people or things obvious in the
situation
 people or things the speaker has 3. Do you remember this mate of
mine I told you …
referred to recently.
7. I met this gutter press
journalist …. You wouldn’t
believe these guys, …
 periods of time in which we find
ourselves at present (this
month, this week, these days).
13.I’m going to start … definitely
this week.
15.What are you up to these
days?
 someone/thing mentioned for
the first time in informal
language.
5. I met these people, right, and
there was this bloke I said to
myself, like, this guy means
trouble, ...
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3.2.2 Demonstratives “that/those”
 talk about people or things which 12. The seat next to me is taken
but that one over there is
the interlocutors can see but are
free, I think.
not close to.
 talk about people or things the
speaker has referred to recently.
2. The scrumptious hunk who
picked me up yesterday? That
guy’s my new boyfriend.
 talk about an event which has
just taken place.
8. That concert was really great,
man.
 refer to someone/thing
mentioned for the first time in
informal language.
16.You can’t imagine how that guy
gives me the creeps.
 refer to someone/thing
who/which is known to the
interlocutors in informal
language.
4. I just don’t believe that
grammar worksheet he gave us
last week ...
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Home Study
Activity 4 on page 28
Exploration 1 on page 32
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And that’s all for today
Tune in again for General
Determiners next week
when it’ll be time again for
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