determiners

Determiners

Determiners are used to identify things in further detail. To take the dictionary definition, they are modifying words that determine the kind of reference a noun or noun group has.

Determiners are different to pronouns in that a determiner is always followed by a noun. Personal pronouns ( I , you , he , etc.) and possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, etc.) don't act as determiners.

They are used in front of nouns to indicate whether you are referring to something specific or something of a particular type.

The definite and indefinite articles a/an/the are all determiners.

You use a specific determiner when people know exactly which thing(s) or person/people you are talking about.

Determiners include:

the articles : a / an / the

demonstratives : this / that / these / those

possessives (aka possessive adjectives): my / your /his / her / its / our / your / their

-          Example :

A tree is burning

The tree in front of the house is burning 

source : http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/determinertext.html