Determiners Exercises

What Are Determiners?

Determiners are words that introduce and provide information about nouns. They tell us whether a noun is specific or general, how many there are, or to whom they belong. Mastering determiners is essential for clear and accurate English communication.

Let’s practice with various determiners exercises to strengthen your understanding and usage of these important parts of speech.

Basic Determiners Exercises

Exercise 1: Articles (a, an, the)

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate article:

1. Meg used _____ sketch pens to complete her project.
2. I had _____ rice today.
3. _____ picture was hanging crooked on the wall.
4. She wants to become _____ engineer when she grows up.
5. _____ Nile is the longest river in Africa.

Exercise 2: Demonstratives (this, that, these, those)

Complete the sentences with the correct demonstrative determiner:

1. _____ book on the table belongs to me.
2. Can you please pass me _____ papers over there?
3. _____ car parked outside is my father’s.
4. _____ flowers in the garden smell wonderful.
5. I don’t recognize _____ man standing at the door.

Exercise 3: Possessives (my, your, his, her, our, their)

Fill in the blanks with appropriate possessive determiners:

1. She forgot to bring _____ lunch to school.
2. The children have finished _____ homework.
3. We must clean _____ room before the guests arrive.
4. The dog wagged _____ tail excitedly.
5. I can’t find _____ keys anywhere.

Intermediate Determiners Exercises

Exercise 4: Quantifiers (some, any, many, much, few, little)

Choose the correct quantifier for each sentence:

1. He got the job because there weren’t _____ applicants. (many/few/some)
2. There isn’t _____ time left before the exam. (many/much/few)
3. Would you like _____ more coffee? (some/any/many)
4. I have _____ friends who speak French. (much/many/little)
5. There are _____ biscuits left in the jar. (little/few/much)

Exercise 5: Numbers and Distributives (each, every, either, neither)

Select the appropriate determiner:

1. _____ student must complete the assignment by Friday. (Each/Every/Either)
2. I’ve read _____ of these books. (neither/both/each)
3. _____ side of the road has a sidewalk. (Neither/Either/Every)
4. She visits her grandparents _____ Sunday. (every/each/either)
5. There are trees on _____ side of the avenue. (either/neither/both)

Advanced Determiners Exercises

Exercise 6: Mixed Determiners

Fill in the blanks with appropriate determiners:

1. Can you pass me _____ salt? (the/a)
2. I need _____ hour to finish my work. (a/an/the)
3. _____ students in the class are working hard for the exam. (All/Both/Either)
4. There are _____ interesting movies playing this weekend. (much/many/few)
5. _____ of the twins wants to become a doctor. (Neither/Either/Both)

Exercise 7: Complex Usage

Choose the correct determiner for these more challenging sentences:

1. _____ effort you make will be appreciated. (Any/Some/Few)
2. _____ member of the team received a medal. (Each/Every/Some)
3. I’ve tried _____ solutions, but none worked. (several/much/little)
4. There has been _____ improvement in her condition. (little/few/many)
5. _____ information you provided was very helpful. (The/A/An)

Common Challenges with Determiners

Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns

One of the biggest challenges with determiners is knowing which ones to use with countable and uncountable nouns:

Countable Nouns	Uncountable Nouns
many books	much water
few apples	little sugar
several chairs	some milk
a lot of cars	a lot of rice
these/those pens	this/that information

Articles with Specific vs. General Nouns

Another common difficulty is knowing when to use “the” versus “a/an” or no article:

1. Use “the” for specific nouns: The book on the table is mine.
2. Use “a/an” for general or first-mention nouns: I saw a cat in the garden.
3. Use no article for plural or uncountable general nouns: Dogs make good pets. Water is essential for life.

Comprehensive Determiners Exercise with Answers

Test your knowledge with this mixed determiners exercise. Answers are provided below:

1. _____ people attended the concert last night.
2. She has _____ patience with difficult customers.
3. _____ of these options seems reasonable to me.
4. Have you seen _____ new movie everyone is talking about?
5. There aren’t _____ cookies left in the jar.
6. _____ student must submit their assignment by tomorrow.
7. I don’t have _____ money with me right now.
8. _____ books on the shelf are mine.
9. We need to make _____ effort to finish this project on time.
10. _____ of the twins can swim well.

Answers:

1. Many/Few/Several people attended the concert last night.
2. little/much patience with difficult customers.
3. Neither/None of these options seems reasonable to me.
4. the new movie everyone is talking about.
5. many/any cookies left in the jar.
6. Every/Each student must submit their assignment by tomorrow.
7. any/much money with me right now.
8. Those/These/The books on the shelf are mine.
9. some/an effort to finish this project on time.
10. Both of the twins can swim well.

Special Cases and Exceptions

Determiners with Proper Nouns

Generally, proper nouns don’t take determiners, but there are exceptions:

1. Geographic features often use “the”: the Amazon, the Himalayas, the Pacific
2. Countries usually don’t use articles, except for those that are plural or include words like “republic” or “kingdom”: the United States, the United Kingdom
3. Institutions often use “the”: the White House, the Louvre

Determiners in Idiomatic Expressions

Some fixed expressions have specific determiner patterns:

1. in a hurry
2. on the other hand
3. at the moment
4. in the dark
5. take a look

Determiners by Function

Type	Function	Examples
Articles	Indicate specificity	a, an, the
Demonstratives	Point to specific items	this, that, these, those
Possessives	Show ownership	my, your, his, her, its, our, their
Quantifiers	Indicate amount	some, any, many, much, few, little, several
Numbers	Specify exact quantity	one, two, first, second
Distributives	Refer to members of a group	each, every, either, neither, both
Interrogatives	Used in questions	which, what, whose

Practice Exercises for Specific Classes

Determiners Exercises for Class 7

Fill in the blanks with appropriate determiners:

1. _____ student in the class received a certificate.
2. I don’t have _____ money to buy this book.
3. _____ of my parents can drive a car.
4. There are _____ apples in the basket.
5. She has read _____ books in the library.

Determiners Exercises for Class 8-9

Choose the correct determiners:

1. _____ member of the team played well. (Each/Every/Some)
2. I haven’t made _____ progress on this project. (much/many/few)
3. _____ of these answers is correct. (Neither/Either/Both)
4. There aren’t _____ students who completed the assignment. (much/many/little)
5. He has _____ interest in sports. (little/few/several)

Determiners Exercises for Class 10-11

Complete these more complex sentences with appropriate determiners:

1. _____ information you provided has been very useful.
2. There have been _____ attempts to solve this problem.
3. _____ student who completes all assignments will receive extra credit.
4. She couldn’t answer _____ of the questions correctly.
5. There is _____ doubt that he is the best candidate for the position.

Common Mistakes with Determiners

Be aware of these frequent errors:

1. Using “much” with countable nouns: ❌ “much books” ✓ “many books”
2. Using “a” before vowel sounds: ❌ “a hour” ✓ “an hour”
3. Confusing “few” and “a few”: “few” is negative (almost none), while “a few” is positive (some)
4. Double determiners: ❌ “the my book” ✓ “my book”
5. Using “the” with general plural nouns: ❌ “The dogs make good pets” ✓ “Dogs make good pets”

Conclusion

Regular practice with determiners exercises helps solidify your understanding of these essential grammar components. By mastering determiners, you’ll improve the clarity and precision of your English writing and speaking. Remember that context often dictates which determiner is appropriate, so pay attention to the meaning you want to convey.

Continue practicing with these exercises, and you’ll soon develop an intuitive sense for choosing the right determiners in any situation. For additional practice, try creating your own sentences using different types of determiners, or analyze texts to identify how determiners are used in natural language.