SELECTING AND PARTICULARISING THE REFERENT
The determiner
SUMMARY
1 The determiner
The first element of the nominal group, the determiner, particularizes by ‘selection’. Four main
types of selection: demonstrative and possessive, quantification and distribution.
2 Demonstrative and possessive determinatives
Demonstrative: this week, that day, these events, those ideas
Possessive: my coat, Tom’s house, their university, our bus, the moon’s orbit . . .
3 Wh- determinatives:
which, what, whose, whichever, etc.
4 Quantifying determinatives
Exact quantifiers (numeratives): cardinal and ordinal numerals
Non-exact: some, any, no, much, many, little, few, several
5 Distributors:
all, both, each, every, either, neither
6 The semi-determinatives: such, same, certain, another, other, former, latter, last, next
7 Summary of determinative elements
