Determiners

Pick the right little word that comes before a noun, such as a, an, the, this, that, my or some.

Name:

Date:

Try each question. If you're stuck, leave it and come back. The answer key is on the last page.

1
Choose 'a' or 'an': I saw ___ elephant at the zoo. I saw ___ elephant at the zoo.
Answer:
2
Which word is a determiner? A) quickly B) the C) jumped D) happy
Answer:
3
Choose 'a' or 'an': She ate ___ apple after lunch. She ate ___ apple after lunch.
Answer:
4
Choose 'a' or 'an': He used ___ umbrella in the rain. He used ___ umbrella in the rain.
Answer:
5
Which determiner shows possession? A) the B) this C) my D) some
Answer:
6
Pick a demonstrative determiner: '___ book here is mine.' (this/that/these/those) ___ book here is mine.
Answer:
7
Which is the correct determiner: 'I ate ___ apples.' A) a B) an C) some D) this
Answer:
8
Choose the best determiner: '___ children must line up quietly.' (All/An/A) ___ children must line up quietly.
Answer:
9
Which determiner is used for plurals far away? A) this B) these C) that D) those
Answer:
10
Choose: ___ books on the shelf are mine. (plural, near you) ___ books on the shelf are mine.
Answer:

Answer key

Determiners · for parents and teachers

1
an
'Elephant' starts with a vowel sound, so we use 'an'.
2
the
'The' is a determiner. It tells us which noun is meant.
3
an
Use 'an' before vowel sounds, so 'an apple' is correct.
4
an
'Umbrella' starts with the vowel sound /u/, so we use 'an'.
5
my
'My' shows the noun belongs to me. It is a possessive determiner.
6
This
'This' points to one nearby thing. 'These' would be for more than one.
7
some
'Some' is a determiner that works with plural nouns.
8
All
Plural nouns take determiners like 'All', 'The', 'These' or 'Those'. 'A' and 'An' only go with singular nouns.
9
those
'Those' = plural and far ('those trees over there').
10
These
'These' is for plural objects that are near.