Basics. Determiners and Pronouns.
Determines and Pronouns
this/that/these/those
This group of words refers to specific items or people, with their usage depending on the distance from the speaker and the number of items:
- "this" refers to a singular item close to the speaker.
- Example: This book is interesting.
- Example: This cake tastes good.
- "these" refers to multiple items close to the speaker.
- Example: These shoes are new.
- Example: These apples are fresh.
- "that" refers to a singular item farther from the speaker.
- Example: That house is big.
- Example: That shirt looks great.
- "those" refers to multiple items farther from the speaker.
- Example: Those birds are noisy.
- Example: Those cars are fast.
every and all
"every" and "all" are used to refer to the whole group or all members of a group:
- "every" refers to each member of a group individually.
- Example: Every student passed the test.
- Example: Every morning, I go for a walk.
- "all" refers to the entire group collectively.
- Example: All students passed the test.
- Example: All the books on the shelf are mine.
all, most, some, any, no/none
These words express different quantities or proportions of a group:
- "all" refers to the entire group.
- Example: All children like to play.
- Example: All the cookies were eaten.
- "most" refers to the majority of a group.
- Example: Most people enjoy watching movies.
- Example: Most of the work is done.
- "some" refers to an unspecified number or portion of a group.
- Example: Some students didn't finish the assignment.
- Example: Some apples are rotten.
- "any" is used in negative sentences or questions to indicate the possibility or presence of something.
- Example: I don't have any money.
- Example: Do you have any siblings?
- "no/none" indicates the absence of something.
- Example: No one came to the party.
- Example: None of the students failed the exam.
(a) little, (a) few
These words express small quantities:
- "(a) little" is used with uncountable nouns to indicate a small amount.
- Example: I have little time to finish this task.
- Example: She drinks a little coffee in the morning.
- "(a) few" is used with countable nouns to indicate a small number.
- Example: I have a few friends in this city.
- Example: He reads a few pages every day.
Try the quiz to figure out if you are comfortable with these!
Noun and pronoun
Noun vs pronoun: nouns name things explicitly (Sarah, the book, happiness); pronouns substitute for already-known nouns (she, it, this). They fill the same grammatical slots (subject, object, possessive) — the difference is whether you're naming or pointing back.
Noun and pronoun groups topics spanning both: plurals, possessives, case, agreement, and pronoun reference clarity.
Diagnostic: if your sentence is ambiguous (He told him he was wrong), the issue is usually pronoun reference. Fix by replacing one pronoun with the noun it stands for.
Pronoun
Pronoun vs noun: nouns name explicitly (Sarah, the book). Pronouns substitute and point back (she, it). Pronouns are a closed class (you can't invent new ones easily), while nouns are open (new ones appear constantly). The main complication: pronouns still carry case marking that nouns have lost.
A pronoun replaces a noun or noun phrase. Types: personal, demonstrative, relative, interrogative, reflexive, indefinite.
Diagnostic: every pronoun must have a clear antecedent (the noun it replaces). If the reader can't tell which noun a pronoun refers to → ambiguity error.
Determinative
Determinative vs determiner: "determinative" names the word class (like saying run is a verb). "Determiner" names the syntactic function (like saying run is the predicate). Most determinatives function as determiners, but the terms operate at different levels of grammar.
A determinative is the part-of-speech category containing articles, demonstratives, possessives, and quantifiers.
Diagnostic: asking what kind of word is this? → determinative. Asking what job does it do in this sentence? → determiner.
Demonstrative
Demonstrative vs article: both go before a noun and specify which one. But articles mark definiteness (the = known), while demonstratives mark proximity — this (near me) vs that (away from me). You can't use both together: the this book ❌.
Demonstratives are the four pointing words: this/that (singular), these/those (plural). They indicate distance (near/far) and function as both determiners and pronouns.
Diagnostic: are you pointing at something and indicating how close it is? → demonstrative. Just marking it as known? → article (the).
Determiner
Determiner vs adjective: both appear before a noun, but determiners specify which/how many while adjectives describe what kind. Determiners come first: the big cat (✅) vs big the cat (❌). You can stack adjectives (big fluffy cat) but generally only one determiner per noun.
A determiner is a function slot before a noun filled by articles, demonstratives, possessives, or quantifiers.
Diagnostic: does the word tell you which one or how many rather than what kind? → determiner. Does it describe a quality? → adjective.
Quantifier
Quantifier vs determiner: quantifiers ARE a type of determiner — they sit before nouns and specify "how much/many." The distinction matters because quantifiers are constrained by countability: many only with countable, much only with uncountable. Other determiners (the, this, my) don't have this restriction.
A quantifier = vague amount before a noun (all, some, any, many, few, much, little, several, each, every). Must match noun countability.
Diagnostic: is the noun countable? → many/few/several. Uncountable? → much/little. Unsure about the noun? → check if you can say one ___, two ___s.
Negation
Single vs double negatives: standard English uses ONE negative per clause (I don't see anything or I see nothing). Double negatives (I don't see nothing) are grammatical in many languages and some English dialects, but are non-standard in written/formal English. This is the #1 negation trap for speakers of Spanish, Russian, and French.
Negation = not after auxiliary/modal, or do-support. Negative words (never, nobody, nothing) negate alone without adding not.
Diagnostic: count the negatives in the clause. More than one? → double negative. Fix by replacing one with a positive (anything, anyone, ever).
English Grammar Basics
Basics vs intermediate/advanced grammar: if you're unsure whether to study articles or conditionals, tense basics or reported speech — you need to check whether your foundations are solid first. Basics covers everything up to A2.
English Grammar Basics groups the core building blocks: nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, present/past tenses, questions, and negation.
Diagnostic: if you still hesitate over she don't vs she doesn't, or a vs an — start here. Master these and intermediate topics stop feeling random.
A1 | Elementary | Beginners
A1 vs A2: A1 covers isolated survival phrases (Where is…?, I am…, How much?). A2 handles connected sentences about familiar routines and simple past events. If you can manage short fixed phrases but not string together original sentences about your day, you're still A1.
A1 is the entry level of the CEFR: greetings, introductions, numbers, basic present tense, and core function words.
Diagnostic: can you describe yesterday using past tense? No → A1. Yes → you're moving into A2.
Easy
Easy vs Medium vs Hard: Easy = one rule, obvious answer, A1–A2. Medium = one rule but realistic distractors, A2–B1. Hard = interacting rules, edge cases, B2+. Start Easy to check you have the basics before moving up.
The Easy tag filters for single-rule, short-sentence, common-vocabulary challenges designed for beginners or for anyone wanting a confidence check on fundamentals.
Diagnostic: if you get Easy questions wrong, stay here — your foundations need work. If they feel trivial, move to Medium.