Transcript Lecture 6 Determiners (I)

Lecture 4 Determiners
1. Classification of Determiners
2. Collocations between Determiners
3. Articles
1. What are determiners?
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Words that precede any pre modifying
adjectives in a noun phrase and which
denote such referential meanings as
specific reference, generic reference,
definite quantity or indefinite quantity
are referred to as determiners.
In terms of function, they break into two major
types: identifiers and quantifiers.
Differences between determiners and adjectives
1. Determiners usually precede adjectives
a nice man
wrong: nice a man
2. The choice of determiners is often determined by
the head word but not adjectives.
Many good people wrong: much good people
3. Adjectives show the characteristics of the head
word, but determiners identify or quantify it.
Many good books
three English books
Classification:
Determiners, as a class of words, include:
1.
Articles (definite article, indefinite article, zero article)
2.
Possessive determiners: my, your, his, her
3.
Genitive nouns: John’s, my friend’s
4.
Demonstrative determiners: this, that, these
5.
Relative determiners: whose, which
6.
Interrogative determiners: what, which, whose
7.
Indefinite determiners: no, some, each, several
8.
Cardinal and Ordinal numerals:
9.
Multiplicative and Fractional numerals
10. Quantifiers: a lot of, plenty of, a large amount of
Problems
when more than one determiner occurs in the
noun phrase, there is the problem of word order
between determiners.
Collocations between Determiners
There is a problem of word order between
determiners if a noun phrase contains more
than one determiner.
According to their potential position,
determiners fall into three subclasses:
Central Determiners, Pre-determiners
and Post Determiners.
The Order:
all
all
all
half
all
such
the
your
these
his
those
a
some
Pre Central
four
three
last few
last few
teachers
books
days
lecture
months
several hundred
guests
other
students
misfortune
alloy
such
Post
Questions for thought:
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His some friends usually speak highly of him.
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His every action shows that he is a very
determined young man.
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We have got enough time to read such many
novels.
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Exercises:
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(the other, five, all) boys were in the classroom.
(such, one) dictionary is enough for me.
They want at least (double, their) salaries.
He was on leave (few last the) days.
(such, few) cases have been reported.
He has been staying home (all last few these) days.
3. Usage of the articles:
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Articles are the most typical of determiners.
English has two articles: the definite and the
indefinite articles.
With plural count nouns and noncount nouns,
the absence of an article signals the presence
of another kind of article---- the zero article.
It is in this sense that we may also say the
English has three articles----- the definite,
the indefinite, and the zero article.
Pronunciation:
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The is pronounced /ðə/ before a consonant
sound and /ði/ before a vowel sound.
The book the article
Indefinite article a /ə/ is used before a
consonant sound and an /ən/ before a vowel
sound.
A book
an article
Functions of articles:
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Generic and Specific Reference
Generic reference refers to the class in general,
while specific reference refers to identifiable units
and no other.
When we say the reference is generic, we are
talking about any member representative of a
class of people or things. Specific reference
refers to a particular specimen of the class.
Generic reference:
Galileo claimed that he had invented the
telescope.
An ox is a useful animal.
Carrots are my favorite vegetables.
Knowledge is power.
Specific reference:
 Old Tom owns a dog and a cat. The dog’s
name is Boris; the cat’s name is Blackie.
(definite)
Here’s a letter for you. (indefinite)
The streets are clean and are shaded with
trees.
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All the three forms of article (the, a (n), and
zero) can be used generically to refer to the
members of a class as a whole.
Specific reference falls into two kinds: Definite
specific reference and indefinite specific
reference.
Indefinite article
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1. The main function: to classify , to indicate class
membership.
It can refer to a class as a whole.
A horse is a useful animal.
This is a dictionary, not an encyclopedia.
2. Nouns referring to a job/profession as subject
complement.
Miss Wang is a teacher.
His wife is a waitress.
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3. a(n) as a weaker form of one.
I’d like a cup of coffee.
I only want one cup of coffee and you ‘ve
given me two.
The wall will collapse at a blow.
The wall will collapse at one blow.
4. in some set collocations or idioms
In a hurry in a minute
Have a cold/a sore throat/a cough
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5. not usually used with proper nouns except
referring to the category of countable nouns.
You’ll never be a Mozart.
Father bought her a complete Lu Xun.
6. not usually used with mass nouns except
referring to the category of countable nouns.
(denoting a kind/type of)
He was caught in a heavy rain.
Parents love their children with a devotion for
which they ask for no return.
Definite article
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1. primarily used for specific reference to a
particular example of a class.
Helen is in the library.
2. used of a phenomenon conceived of as
“unique”:
Make hay while the sun shines.
3. used to denote generic reference:
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The computer is an electronic machine for
storing and processing data.
 4. used before the names of musical
instruments:
 I usually play the violin in my spare time.
5. used before the names of organizations,
offices and institutions, public buildings,
ships , most newspapers and magazines:
the People’s Congress the National Museum
 the Democratic Party the People’s Daily
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6. before personal names in the plural form
referring to the family:
The Blacks
the Smiths
7. before the names of seas, rivers, mountains,
straits, deserts, and most of the bays and gulfs:
The Atlantic the Mississippi the Persian Gulf
The Sahara The Taiwan Straits the Alps
Zero article
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1. proper nouns mostly take no article:
2. before plural nouns, used to denote generic reference:
African elephants have larger ears than Indian elephants.
Compare:
*Ruthless poachers hunt an elephant for the valuable
ivory of its tusks. (one example of a class)
Ruthless poachers hunt the elephant …… (formal)
Ruthless poachers hunt elephants…of their tusks.
(both refer to the whole class)
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3. usually before material and abstract nouns:
It is impossible to live in a world without hope.
4. before times and seasons:
At night, in summer
If winter comes, can spring be far behind?
5. before names of official posts, titles and
professions:
Who’s captain of the ship?
6.before names of sports, meals and transport:
Play football, have lunch, by bus
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7. before certain singular count nouns,
especially those referring to institutions, such
as bed, church, school, college, court, hospital,
office, prison, etc.
They go to church every Sunday morning.
We went to the church to attend a wedding
ceremony.
Class begins at 8 in the morning.
There are twenty students in the class.
She stayed in hospital for three weeks.
I went to the hospital to see my friend.
Other uses of articles:
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1.zero commonly used before some idioms
composed of two nouns:
Heart and soul, husband and wife, arm in arm,
face to face.
2. in some prepositional phrases, things are
different when nouns take zero or the definite.
Notes are printed at the bottom of the page.
He is a good man at bottom.
More prepositional phrases:
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In the future & in future
In charge of & in the charge of
In possession of & in the possession of
In case of & in the case of
In fashion & in the fashion of & in a fashion
Out of question & out of the question
Error correction:
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A language is unique to humans.
Film is a form of mass entertainment.
I wanted to go to the university, but I wanted
to be an actor more.
Times is a British daily newspaper.
White House is refusing to comment on the
report.
The children have taken fancy to their nurses.
Exercise:
1.This is __ first time that the child has seen __
elephant.
2. Can you lend me __ pencil so that I can finish __
test?
3. For many people, __ childhood was a happy time.
4. __ Man has just taken his first steps into __ space.
5. I love __ mountains, but I hate __ sea.
6. If you go by __ train, you can have quite __
comfortable journey, but make sure that you get
__ express, not __ train that stops at all __
stations.
7. He was sent to __ prison for stealing.
8. Children should be taught to behave
themselves at __ table.