PREDETERMINERS.

Тhe рrеdeterminersoccur prior to other determiners (as you would probably guess from their name). This class of words includes multipliers (double, twice, four/five times….); fractional expressions (one-third, three-quarters, etc.); the words both, half, and all; and intensifiers such as quite, rather, and such.

The multipliers precede plural count and mass nouns and occur with singular count nouns denoting number or amount.

Examples:

· This van holds three times the passengers as that sports car.

· My wife is making double my/twice my salary.

· This time we added five times the amount of water.

In fractional expressions, we have a similar construction, but here it can be replaced with of- construction.

Examples:

· Charlie finished in one-fourth (of) the time his brother took.

· Two-fifths of the respondents reported that half the medication was sufficient.

The intensifiers occur in this construction primarily in casual speech and writing and are more common in British English than they are in American English. The intensifier “what” is often found in stylistic fragments: “We visited my brother in his dorm room. What a mess!”.

Examples:

· This room is rather a mess, isn’t it?

· The ticket-holders made quite a fuss when they couldn’t get in.

· What an idiot he turned out to be.

· Our vacation was such a grand experience.

Half, both, and all can occur with singular and plural count nouns; half and all can occur with mass nouns. There are also of- constructions with these words (“all [of] the grain”, “half [of] his salary”); the of-construction is required with personal pronouns (“both of them”, “all of it”).

Predetermines: such, what, rather, quite.

These words are normally placed before the indefinite article.

Such and what are often used to express surprise or other emotions.

Examples:

What a lovely day!
She’s such a lovely woman!
What an incredible film!
He’s such a fantastic guitarist!

Rather and quite are “commenting” words, referring to the degree of a particular quality. They can express disappointment, pleasure, or other emotions, and are used before a/an + adjective + noun.

Examples:

It’s rather a small car. (= I’m a bit disappointed because it’s small)
It was quite a nice day. (= I was agreeable surprised)
He’s had quite a bad accident. (= I’m worried)
I’ve just met rather a nice man. (= I’m pleased)

Ex. 1. Supply the appropriate form of the nouns given in brackets.

The mountain is 11,856 (foot) high.
He earns eleven (pound) a week.
The sleeping-bag is two (pound) ten (shillings).
She needed three (foot) six (inches) of velvet.
He was a man five (foot) seven.
This cost him four (pound) ten.
The room was forty square (foot).
She bought the frock at three (pound).

Ex.2 State the number of the following nouns and give the corresponding singular or plural, if any.

Brethren, memoranda, antenna, means, scissors, pence, Roman, index, governor, linen, news, fish, data, photo, axes, physics, cloth, halves, mice, staff, sleeves, species, business, feet, bases, headquarters, Japanese, corps, knowledge, grief, swine, contents, clothes, sledge.

Ex.3. Put the nouns in brackets in the correct number.

a) more than one (day) twenty-one (day)

one and a half (mile) one (mile) and a half

one or two (metre) 0,5 (metre)

three (foot) five (foot) six

a (pair) of shoes two (pair) of shoes

to walk in (pair) (dozen) of socks

a (dozen) of socks by the (dozen)

four (dozen) buttons

b) 1. The man took five (fish) out of the bag and gave each

dog a fish.

2. I wondered at the variety of (fish) in his aquarium.

3. Our (family) are all good chess-players.

4. Our (family) are next door neighbours.

5. The fruit trees were all in (blossom).

6. The bush was all covered with starlike (blossom).

The (people) of all the five continents were represented at the World Youth Festival.
The Japanese (people) are very industrious.
In the many pavilions of the Agricultural Exhibition, one can see various (fruit) grown on the vast territory of our country.

10. You must eat more (fruit).

11. (Fruit) is cheap in summer.

12. There is a lot of (fruit) in summer.

13. There are a lot of different (fruit) on the table.

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