The King’s Servants: Determiners
Determiners are the next part of speech. Think of them as the king’s servants, because they only help nouns.
The Main Determiners
There are ten true determiners. That is, they cannot function as any other part of speech.
a | an | the | |
my | our | your | every |
his | its | their |
What Are Determiners - Activity 1
There is no test for determiners. You need to memorize them. The easiest way is with a nursery rhyme.[i]
Sing:
Three blind mice, three blind mice,
See how they run, see how they run,
They all ran after the farmer’s wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,
Have you ever seen such a sight in your life,
As three blind mice.
Again: Louder!
Now sing this:
a, an, the
a, an, the
my, our, your, every, my, our, your, every
Have you ever seen such a sight in your life,
As … his, its, their. his, its, their.
Again: Louder!
And again: Louder!
What Are Determiners Activity 2
Work one of these exercises:
What Are Determiners? Optional Activity
Choose a subject from this list. Write an essay of 200-500 words. Follow the directions exactly. You can do this by yourself, in a small group, or as a class.
All essays that follow the directions will receive a Certificate of Completion,. Excellent essays have a chance to be published on this website and be eligible for the contest’s cash prize. For further information see “Reading or submitting an essay” under Read Me First.
Teachers and Parents
Teachers and parents can also participate! Use the instructions in Read Me First to guide your students through the process.
Want a chance to have your students’ writing published on this website – and possibly win an additional $500 for your classroom?
Develop an exercise for the lesson. It should differ from the one presented. The more creative and effective your exercise is, the better your chance to win the prize.
The exercise must use the grammar concept as this website explains it.
[1] Dr. G. would like to thank Mr. Anthony Pierce for his idea.