English Grammar Topic Determiners for Class 8, Examples, Exercises with Answers
The topic of determiners is in the syllabus of class 8 English grammar and students must have in-depth knowledge in order to score full marks in grammar questions. Here, we will discuss determiners for class 8 and provide some practice questions wherein the students can test their knowledge of determiners.
First of all, we must know What are Determiners?
Determiners are one of the nine parts of speech. ‘Determiner’ is a word used before a noun to indicate which things or people we are talking about.
The determiners a/an and the are called “articles”. They are the most common of all determiners. They come at the very beginning of a noun phrase. We divide them into “indefinite” and “definite” as shown below:
We use indefinite articles to mean non-specific persons or objects. Indefinite is general. We use definite article to mean specific person or thing. Definite is particular. When we are talking about something in general, we use a or an. ‘A’ is used before a noun that starts with a consonant sound (e.g., “p,” “b,” “m”).‘An’ is used before a noun that starts with a vowel sound (e.g., “a,” “e,” “i”). When we are talking about something in particular, we use the.
indefinite articles |
definite article |
|
a/an |
the |
|
use with |
singular countable nouns only |
all nouns |
use for |
a non-specific person or thing (singular) |
specific people or things (singular or plural) |
Think of the sky at night. In the sky we see so many stars and only one moon. So normally we would say:
- I saw a star last night.
- I saw the moon last night.
Article Rules for the definite article ‘The’
Rule 1 –
The very basic rule of the article says that the article ‘the’ is used before a singular or plural noun, which is specific. It indicates a particular thing/s or person/s in case of a common noun.
Example: The stranger she spoke to at the metro station was very rude.
Rule 2 –
Article ‘The’ is used when the listener knows what the speaker is talking about.
Example: The mangoes you kept in the refrigerator last night do not taste good.
Rule 3 –
‘The’ is used to generalize the whole class or group.
Example: The poor are marginalised.
Rule 4 –
‘The’ is used for geographical points on the globe.
Example: The equator and the Tropic of Cancer can never meet.
Rule 5 –
‘The’ is used for the nouns that cannot be counted.
Example: Two robbers stole all the diamonds from the bank.
Rule 6 –
‘The’ is used with geographical nouns, depending on the size and plurality of the noun. ‘The’ must precede the names of oceans, rivers, group of islands, lakes, mountains, countries with united states or islands, etc.
Example: The Nile is the longest river.
However, ‘the’ must not precede the following– Names of continents, like Asia, South America, etc Names of countries, states or streets like Alaska, Bolivia, New town street, etc. Names of Single lakes, mountains, islands or bays, like Chilika Lake, Hudson Bay, etc. Names of languages like Spanish, French, etc. Names of Sports such as basketball, cricket, football, etc. Names of subjects like Economics, Mathematics, History, etc.
Rule 7 –
‘The’ is mandatorily used for things that are only one of a kind in the universe.
Example: The Sun is a ball of fire.
Rule 8 –
‘The’ does not mean all.
Example: The books are my favourite (not all the books, just the books talked about)
Article Rule for Indefinite Article ‘A’ and ‘An’
Rule 1 –
The article ‘a’ is used before a consonant word or any vowel with a consonant sound.
Example: She is an intelligent girl.
Rule 2 –
A singular common noun always requires an article ‘a’ or ‘an’, but a plural common noun does not require any article or can have ‘the’ to particularize that noun.
Example: I saw an elephant. (Refers to a random elephant)
Rule 3 –
A/An is used to make a Proper noun a common noun. Proper nouns do not take articles but to make them common nouns, a/an is used.
Example: She is an American. (America is a proper noun but ‘American’ is a common noun)
Rule 4 –
Indefinite articles ‘a’ or ‘an’ are used to refer to numbers sometimes.
Examples: The toddler is playing with a toy (one toy).
Rule 5 –
The indefinite article (a/an) precedes the descriptive adjective.
Examples: She is an amazing singer.
Rule 6 –
The indefinite article is used with the determiners (few, lot, most).
Examples: There are a few birds in the sky.
Determiners Exercise with Answers (Practice Questions)
A Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners:
1. Have you ever seen ______ lion?
2. She is ________ intelligent girl.
3. Is this _________ cinema hall?
4. _________ Sun rises from the East.
5. Mental health plays __________ important role in overall well being.
6. He is _________ man of good ethics.
7. Radha will go to _______ salon around 1 pm.
8. There isn’t _________ bus stand nearby.
9. We went to see ________ Trade Fair.
10. _________ apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Answers
1. a
2. an
3. a
4. The
5. an
6. a
7. the
8. a
9. the
10. An
B Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners:
Since March 8, 1990, Women’s Day has been observed by SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) comprising seven countries namely India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives. 1. ________day is celebrated to highlight the problems of 2. ________ girl child in these countries. It is very sad that girl children are subjected to extreme neglect and disrespect, especially in underdeveloped countries. The birth of a girl child is seen by parents as 3. _________ cause of pity. They are deprived of proper nutrition, education, economic opportunities and social status or respect. We must eliminate these prejudices and provide 4. ________ bright future for girls by educating them.
Answers
1. The
2. the
3. a
4. a
C Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners:
The teacher of today is 1. ________ salt of 2. _________ earth. He wants to create 3. _________ man, not just make money. He is 4. _______ knowledgeable gentleman. He is 5. __________ expert in the particular subject he teaches.
Answers
1. the
2. the
3. a
4. a
5. an
D Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners:
The Dowry system is bad for society. It has turned 1. _______ sacred matter of marriage into 2. __________ business deal. 3. ________bride is regarded as 4. ___________ marketable commodity. Bride’s parents are often put under inhumane pressure for 5. __________ handsome dowry.
Answers
1. the
2. a
3. The
4. a
5. a
E Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners:
Training in 1. _________ specific branch of applied science, such as engineering, agriculture, weaving, spinning, etc., is considered technical education. It contrasts with liberal education which aims to impart general knowledge of arts and sciences. In the modern era, technical education is extremely important. Today, a country’s prosperity is determined by its industrial development. 2. _______ more advanced the country is in industry, the more prosperous 3. _________ country is. Technical knowledge is now 4. _________ backbone of industrial progress, which holds 5. ________ key to national prosperity.
Answers
1. a
2. The
3. the
4. the
5. the
F Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners:
1. ________ aim is 2. _________ goal or objective to be achieved in life. To be successful in life you must have 3. ________ goal. My goal in life is to become a teacher. We all know that teaching is a very noble and responsible profession. I’ve discovered that our country’s increasing misery and distress is 4. _________ result of its people’s ignorance and illiteracy. So I decided to spread 5. _________knowledge among the masses as much as possible within my humble capacity. As a teacher, I want to be a loving and respectful person.
Answers
1. An
2. a
3. a
4. the
5. the
G Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners:
Television is 1. _________ wonderful scientific gift. It combines 2._________ advantages of cinema and radio. 3._________ most important and effective form of entertainment is television. It broadcasts live telecasts of major events. It is also the most effective advertising medium. It facilitates mass education. It is very important in the world of sports and games. However, it has some drawbacks. It is used to enhance the image of specific individuals. Some programmes are inappropriate for pupils to watch. There is a danger of becoming addicted to television. As 4.________ result, academic performance suffers. It also has 5.________ impact on vision. As a result, programmes must be carefully chosen.
Answers
1. a
2. the
3. The
4. a
5. an
H Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners:
There are 1. ________ children in our country who are deprived of education and 2. _________ normal joyous experiences of childhood. While upper-middle-class boys and girls attend school, they work in tea shops or small factories. They work as servants in middle-class and upper-class households. Parents are very poor, so children are forced to take up all 3. _________ occupations. Government should come up with strict laws to solve 4. _________ problem. Along with the law, the government should introduce some economic reforms which will bring down the poverty line to 5. _________ extent. Apart from this, to solve this problem, illiteracy needs to be eliminated and the birth rate must be controlled.
Answers
1. many
2. the
3. these
4. this
5. some
I Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners:
Family is where you learn your first life lessons. Your family members are 1. _______ only assets that will always be with you. Whatever 2. ________ circumstances, family members are always there to support one another. In 3. _______ family, good values and morals are always instilled. We are prepared in 4. ________ family to respect our elders and love our children. Our family consistently teaches us lessons about honesty, dependability, kindness, and so on. Family always gives us 5.________ feeling of being loved and cared for.
Answers
1. the
2. the
3. a
4. the
5. the
J Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners:
The “Balanced Diet” is a diet that contains all of 1. ________ necessary ingredients in nearly the required quantity. A balanced diet is one that contributes to 2. __________ maintenance or improvement of overall health. We should eat a well-balanced diet that includes liquids, adequate proteins, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and calories. To maintain 3. ________ healthy body, we must eat fresh fruits, salad, green leafy vegetables, milk, egg, yoghurt, and so on on a regular basis. We need iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, and trace amounts of iodine, copper, and other minerals. Milk is possibly 4. ________ only single item that can be considered 5.________ balanced diet in and of itself.
Answers
1. the
2. the
3. a
4. the
5. a
K Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners:
Positive thinking is 1._________ attitude or mindset characterized by optimism and happiness. 2. ________ positive person hopes for 3. _________ best and expects success in his life. Although many may scoff at 4. ________ idea of staying positive all the time, it has 5.________ plethora of benefits not only for the mind but also for the body. Positivity brings happiness to the soul and lightens one. It evokes our goodwill and joy.
Answers
1. an
2. A
3. the
4. the
5. a