LoginIndefinite Determiners
In this lesson, master indefinite determiners, which provide information about non-specific nouns. Clear explanations and practice exercises to help you learn.
What Are Indefinite Determiners?
Indefinite determiners are determiners that express quantity or indefinite ideas of quality. We use indefinite determiners when we want to answer the questions 'how much' or 'how many' and give someone information about the quantity of something.
Indefinite Determiners: Types
Indefinite determiners are categorized into two groups:
indefinite pre-determiners
indefinite post-determiners
Indefinite Pre-determiners
Indefinite pre-determiners are the determiners 'both' and 'all' and all the indefinite partitives. Here are the most common indefinite pre-determiners on the list:
Most, Many, Much, More
The indefinite determiners 'many' and 'much' refer to a large number and amount. 'Many' is used with plural nouns while 'much' is used with uncountable nouns.
'More' is the comparative form of them and 'most' is the superlative form of them.
Like most people, I try to be respectful of others.
I don't have many friends.
Do you want more money?
Tip!
Notice that 'more' and 'most' can also be pronouns. In this case, they come alone and are not followed by a noun or a noun phrase.
Some of my friends have their own cars but many do not.
I want more!
Plenty, Enough, Several
All these phrases are used to determine the amount or number of a particular noun. 'Several' and 'plenty' are used with plural countable nouns. The other ones can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. Here are the examples:
Several family members were killed by the villagers.
There are plenty more chairs in the next room.
Any, Some
'Any' is used in questions and negative sentences while some is used in positive sentences. 'Any' and 'some' are used with plural countable or uncountable nouns. Here are the examples:
Does she need any help?
I want some milk for breakfast.
I don't want any money.
Some cookies have raisins in them and some have chocolate chips.
Either, Neither, Each
'Neither' is used with countable plural nouns and it implies negative meaning, so it is used with affirmative verbs, while 'either' is used in negative sentences with negative verbs. Here are the examples:
Neither car was well-priced.
Either choice seems logical to me.
Each is another distributive which is followed by the term of and used as an indefinite pre-determiner.
Each member is given a particular task to do.
Both and All
'Both' and 'all' are used as pre-determiners or determiners.
Both my parents are invited to my birthday party.
All children should be taught to swim.
Indefinite Post-determiners
Quantifiers are used as post-determiners. Here are the most common quantifiers on the list:
I have had many orders.
That little amount of milk ruined the whole cake.
Review
Quantifiers (also called indefinite determiners) are the words that are used before adjectives, adverbs, or nouns to make them stronger or weaker. Based on the type of noun that follows them they are put in 3 groups.
quantifiers for countable nouns
quantifiers for uncountable nouns
quantifiers for uncountable and countable nouns
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