DETERMINERS & PREPOSITION

DETERMINERS

Determiners are words come at the beginning of the noun phrase. It is considered as the marker of noun phrase. 

We can distinguish determiners by the following formulas:

• Det + N
• Det + Adj. + N
• Det + Adv. + Adj. + N

Categories under Determiners:

1. ARTICLE

Article is a determiner that may indicate the specificity of reference of a noun phrase.

There are two (2) kinds of Article:

• Indefinite Article. Articles A and An are used to modify nouns beginning in vowels a, e, i, o, u. They are also used in modifying nouns that begins with consonant but sounds like vowels which is usually the letter "h".

Examples:     a hospital                    an honest kid

                    a flower                      an hour 

                    an egg                        an honor

                    an elephant                

• Definite Article. The article "The" is used to modify specific nouns

Examples:    I saw a big red snake at the zoo.

                    That was the best movie I have ever seen.


2. DEMONSTRATIVE DETERMINER

A demonstrative determiner modifies a noun.

Examples:   This girl is adorable.

                  That man is annoying!

Demonstrative determiner is different from demonstrative pronoun. Demonstrative pronoun replaces nouns rather than modifying them.

Examples:   This is my camera.

                  Those are mine, too.

3. POSSESSIVE DETERMINER

Possessive determiners modify nouns by attributing possession to someone  or something.

Example:    This is my house.
                 These are mine.

Possessive Pronoun is different from possessive determiner. Possessive pronouns indicate possession such as  mine,yours, hers, theirs.

Example:   Is that car yours?
                The house is theirs.


4. QUANTIFIERS

Quantifiers are words that precede and modify nouns. They tell us how many or how much. Selecting the correct quantifier depends on your understanding the distinction between Count and Non-Count Nouns.

Refer to the table below about Count and Non-count Noun.

Some and any are commonly mistaken as having the same use in a sentence. But here's their difference:

Some is used in affirmative sentences. You don't say, "I don't have some apples."

Any is used in negative sentences. You don't say, "I have any apples."

However, both some and any can be used in positive and negative questions.

Example:    "Do you have any apples?"

                 "Do you have some apples?"

                 "Didn't you have any extra towels?"

                 "Didn't you have some extra towels?"

Little and a little convey different thoughts when used in sentences. For example:

(1) Tashonada has a little experience in management.

(2) Tashonada has little experience in management.

(In sentence 1, the article "a" makes Tashonada's little experience is enough, whereas in sentence 2, removing the article makes Tashonada's experience in management not enough.

Few and a few have difference also.

(1) Charlie owns a few books on Latin American literature.

(2) Charlie owns few books on Latin American literature.

(In sentence 1, the article "a" makes Charlie's books enough, however in sentence 2, removing the article makes his books not enough.

PREPOSITION

Prepositions are generally used to show the relationship between its objects and other words in the sentence.

Prepositions always go with a noun or pronoun which is called the "object of the preposition". A phrase that begins with preposition is called "prepositional phrase".

There are different types of Prepositions according to use:

PREPOSITION IN DIRECTION AND LOCATION

The table below are some commonly used prepositions in direction and location:

Example: 

Daegu is near Seoul but Guangzhou is far from Seoul.

(The preposition "near" is for location while far from is used for direction.)

Examples:

• I'm living in the Philippines.
• There are few shops at the end of the street.
• The picture is on the wall.

PREPOSITION FOR INSTRUMENT

Preposition for instrument is used by different devices, instruments or machines, such as by, with, and, on.

Examples are:

• She comes by bus daily.
• He opened the lock with the key.
• He cut his foot on a piece of broken glass.

PREPOSITION FOR AGENT

Preposition for agent used for a thing in the sentence such as by and with.

Examples are:

• He was hit by a ball.
• The tub is filled with hot water.

PREPOSITION OF TIME

Preposition of time express when the action in a clause takes place.

We use:

• At for use for time of the day.

Example:  I'll see you at 3 o'clock in the afternoon tomorrow.

               I usually eat breakfast at 8 o'clock in the morning.

• In is used with month, year, in particular time of the day, century or some particular age in the past.

Example:  In November 16, 1996.

                In Prehistoric period.

• On is used with days, date and any particular day.

Example:  You are invited on my birthday.

                I'll visit you on Christmas day.

However,

When we use the words last, next, every, and this, we do not use at, in, or on.

Examples:  

        I went to London last June. ( We do not say "in last June" )
        He is coming back next week. ( We do not say "on next week" )                    I ride the train every 7:30 in the morning. ( We do not say "at 7:30" )