DETERMINERS

DETERMINERS

function words used to specify the kind of reference a N has
ARTICLES
1. INDEFINITE
  1. a/an
    1. specific use
      1. introduce new specific entity: A 12 year old boy
    2. unspecific use
      1. NP doesn't refer to any specific individual: I'm looking for a millionaire
    3. classifying or generic use
      1. classify an entity: My husband is a doctor
  2. zero article
    1. signals indefiniteness with UC N and PL CN
      1. UCN: We have wine on the table girls, drink it
      2. PLCN: We have telephones and we talk to people
    2. special uses with SING CN
      1. meals as institutions: Are we going out for dinner tonight?
      2. places as institutions: The ceremony took place in church
      3. predicatives with unique references
        when a predicative NP names a unique role or job : Lukman was re-elected OPEC president in November
      4. means of transport and communication
        found mainly after by: travel by air
      5. times of the day, days, months, and seasons
        tomorrow at dawn
      6. parallel structures
        He traveled from country to country
      7. block language
      8. vocatives
        no hard feelings, doctor
2. DEFINITE
  1. the
    1. anaphoric
      1. After unknown entities have been introduced, they can be treated as 'known' and named by the in later references
        A 13 year old boy won the match. The boy...
    2. indirect anaphoric
      1. the earlier noun is not repeated, but an associated noun is used with the
    3. with synonyms
      1. she found her blue Mercedes Benz...the vehicle
    4. cataphoric
      1. definite reference is established by something following later in the text
    5. situational
      1. often occurs because an entity is known from the situation
  2. countable and uncountable nouns
POSSESIVE
1. specify the noun phrase by relating it to the speaker/writer or other entities. It corresponds to personal pronouns
2. my
3. our
4. your
5. his
6. her
7. its
8. their
DEMONSTRATIVE
1. specify whether the referent is singular or plural and whether the referent is 'near' or 'distant' in relation to the speaker
2. this
3. that
4. these
5. those
6. situational
  1. Situational reference is very common in conversation, where the choice between thishhese and thathhose reflects the speaker's perception of whether the referent is near or distant
7. time reference
  1. They're building a house this year
8. anaphoric
  1. typically refer back to the preceding text
9. cataphoric
  1. used where a modifier following the head specifies the reference of the head noun
10. introductory
  1. introduce a new entity into a narrative

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	Created by Fede Jaime about 11 years ago