Distributive Determiners - Definition, Usage and Examples

Determiners, in the English language, are meant to introduce a noun in a sentence. Possessive determiners, demonstrative determiners, quantifiers, articles and distributive determiners are the common types of determiners. In this article, you will be introduced to what a distributive determiner is and how it is used in sentences, along with examples to help you understand clearly. Furthermore, try out the practice questions given to see how far you have understood its usage.

Table of Contents

• What Is a Distributive Determiner? – Meaning and Definition
• Examples of Distributive Determiners – Learn How They Are Used
• Test Your Understanding of Distributive Determiners
• Frequently Asked Questions on Distributive Determiners in English

What Is a Distributive Determiner? – Meaning and Definition

A distributive determiner is a word that is used to refer to a group, an individual who is a part of a group, a number of other things, etc. They show how something is shared, divided or distributed. Distributive determiners include words such as ‘each’, ‘every’, ‘all’, ‘half’, ‘either’, ‘neither’, ‘only’, ‘both’ and so on.

According to the Collins Dictionary, a distributive is defined as those words “referring separately to the individual people or items in a group, as the words each and every”. The Cambridge Dictionary defines a distributive as a word “showing that the members of a group are to be treated separately, rather than as a group”.

Examples of Distributive Determiners – Learn How They Are Used

Taking a look at a few examples can help you comprehend the usage of distributive determiners better, so here are a few sentences for your reference.

• The teacher asked each student to submit the signed consent letters one by one.
• Every citizen has the right to express their thoughts and ideas.
• All the members of the committee had been present for the last budget meeting.
• Both Sheela and Albin are specialising in Inorganic Chemistry.
• Each and every one of you has to donate something in cash or kind for the kids in the orphanage.
• Only Sharan came forward to help us.
• I guess either of these would work.
• Half the world does not know what is actually going on.
• Neither of us were able to finish the 2564^th level.
• Every Sunday, we go for mass at 6:30 a.m.

Test Your Understanding of Distributive Determiners

Now that you have gone through some examples and have analysed how distributive determiners are used, try identifying the distributive determiners in the following sentences.

1. Neither dress fits me now.

2. We had a unit test every Saturday.

3. Every one of us could not afford to go on the school trip as it was costly.

4. Not all of us were invited to the party.

5. Both the teachers and the principal agreed that the students need a break.

6. Every person from the age of eighteen to forty-five was asked to take the vaccination.

7. All the tasks were complete.

8. You can either work from home or work from the office for a month.

9. Half the food was left, and so we decided to take it home instead of wasting it.

10. All teenagers and adults would have definitely watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

Here are the answers to the exercise. Go through them and find out if you identified the distributive determiners correctly.

1. Neither dress fits me now.

2. We had a unit test every Saturday.

3. Every one of us could not afford to go on the school trip as it was costly.

4. Not all of us were invited to the party.

5. Both the teachers and the principal agreed that the students need a break.

6. Every person from the age of eighteen to forty-five was asked to take the vaccination.

7. All the tasks were complete.

8. You can either work from home or work from the office for a month.

9. Half the food was left, and so we decided to take it home instead of wasting it.

10. All teenagers and adults would have definitely watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S.