• What are Determiners?

Unit 14 – Presentation 1

“a broad category of the English grammar that contains many subcategories in it, e.g. demonstrative & indefinite pronouns, articles, etc”

Which are the Indefinite Pronouns?

1. someits derivatives: somebody/ someone,

something, somewhere

positive meaning

affirmative sentences (but also in qu’s: a. offering sth OR b. expecting a positive

answer)

other uses

a) some + singular countable noun

b) some + cardinal number

c) some + question word/ noun adverbs

d) cardinal number + -something

Which are the Indefinite Pronouns?

2. anyits derivatives: anybody/ anyone, anything,

anywhere

neutral meaning

interrogative & negative sentences (but also in aff. sent’s: a. with if or expressing

doubt & b. with a change of meaning)

other usesb) any + comparative adj./ adv.

a) any + question word/ noun adverbs

Which are the Indefinite Pronouns?

3. noits derivatives: nobody/ no-one, nothing,

nowhere

strong negative meaning

affirmative sentences but turns them into negative

other uses a) no + comparative adj./ adv.

1. Don’t confuse it with the adverb no that is used in negative answers.

e.g. ‘Are you happy at your new place?’ ‘Well, no, not exactly.’

2. Following the ‘no double negative’ rule, it can’t be used with not, hardly/ scarcely, seldom/ rarely, without.

Notes on the Indefinite ‘no’

Which are these ‘Quantity’ Words?

Type of Noun

Countable

Uncountable

positive interrogative

negative

lots/ a lot of(how) many?

(how) much?

(not) many

(not) much

NOTE:

lots/ a lot (of)/ many ≠ few/ a few (few: negative meaning)

lots/ a lot (of)/ much ≠ little/ a little (little: negative meaning)Much, many also in affirmative sentences when they are (parts of) the subject or for brevity. A lot (of) also in negative (short) answers for euphony/ emphasis. Near synonyms to lots/ a lot (of): plenty (of), a good/ great deal (of), a large amount/ quantity/ number (of).

Other Uses of ‘Quantity’ Words I

a) much + comparative adj.’s/ adv.’s OR ‘too’ emphatic comparative/ result construction

b) much + participle new compound adjective

c) much + as + subject + verb special concession (mainly with verbs of like/ dislike, praise/ criticism

Other Uses of ‘Quantity’ Words II

d) many + a(n) + (adj.) + singular noun emphatic form of the commoner many + plural countable noun

e) in phrases meaning lots/ a lot (of) a good many, a great many

f) a lot + comparative emphatic comparative

No/ Neither/ None

1. no + noun

adj. ≠ a(n)/ some/ anye.g. no friend of mine will testify against me.

2. nobody/ no-one

no + body/ one pronoun ≠ a(n)/ somebody/ anybody, someone/ anyone – an answer to

‘who’

4. none

(of the two) adj. OR pronoun ≠ both/ either – an answer to ‘which’ (of the two)

(of three or more) quantitative pronoun ≠ everyone/ everybody/ everything/ all – an

answer to ‘how much/ many’

3. neither

All of the words in the previous slide: a) refer to one person or thing at a time & b) are found with a singular verb,

except for: some/ any, which could have a plural in cases & both/ all, which are always found in plural with this meaning.

Notes on no/ neither/ none & their opposites

Every/ Each/ All

1. everysingular countable noun adjective –

Exception: in time phrases e.g. every 3 months

2. each sing. countable noun adj. OR + (of) pronoun

a) sing. (un)count. noun adj.

3. all

b) plural count. noun adj.

c) other determiners + noun pre-determiner

d) (of) as a pronoun e.g. All was quiet and peaceful.

e) as an adverb e.g. all alone

Other/ Others/ Else

1. other noun adjective

2. an + other another adjective OR pronoun

4. else

pronouns

pronoun OR adverb

3. the other(s)

What are the Reflexive Pronouns?

They are the –self form of the possessive adj.’s (for the 1st & 2nd persons, singular & plural) and of the accusative case personal pronouns (for the 3rd persons, also singular & plural).

How are the Reflexive Pronouns used?

In 3 different ways:

a) they form the Middle Voice by replacing the object of an active/ action verb.

b) as emphatic forms of the subject or object (without replacing them).

c) preceded by the preposition by, they mean alone/ on my own.

Opposites: each other/ one another.