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Articles and Other Determiners

Articles and Other Determiners [Demonstratives, Possessives, Quantifiers, Cardinal Numbers, and Ordinal Numbers] In the following table, select the article or other determiner required in each sentence. [θ] stands for zero article. The sentences are based on headlines from the New York Times. Click the teacher icon for explanations and review the uses of these determiners on page 1.

1.	---ATheθ Taliban and ---itstheirthe allies are tightening ---itstheira grip in Northern Pakistan.	The sense is that individuals within the group are all actively seeking to gain and consolidate control. Their training is, therefore, closer to the meaning of the sentence than its.
2.	They have created ---aanthe virtual Taliban mini-state by expanding ---thetheira training of ---thetheirθ suicide bombers and ---someothertheir recruits.	With first mention, mini-state is an indefinite noun. The possessive determiner places emphasis on the Taliban's training of recruits. Suicide bombers is a general noun, and suicide bombers aren't the only recruits. There are others pronoun  , so "other adjective " recruits.
3.	---ThisTheseThose Islamic militants are using ---aansome reign of ---asomeθ terror to impose ---athesome creeping "Talibanization" on ---theθ Pakistan.	The second mention of Islamic militants requires a determiner (These Islamic militants). "A reign of terror" refers to the tactic they are using. It is singular and indefinite with first mention. A creeping Talibanization refers to the system they are imposing. It is one system, their own. Names of countries do not have an article unless it's part of the title.
4.	---TheTheseSome militants have killed more than ---the100some local leaders and government sympathizers whom they have accused of being ---thesomeθ American spies, several of them in ---thesomeθ beheadings.	The demonstrative determiner points back to the same group previously mentioned. The cardinal number tells how many people they have killed. American spies and beheadings are general plural nouns. As such, they need no article.
5.	---TheAAn notorious Chilean dictator, General Augusto Pinochet, died on December 10, 2006 after undergoing angioplasty and ---theaan operation following ---theanθ acute heart attack.	Dictator is a specific noun identified by name. Operation is a singular indefinite noun referring to one operation. The indefinite noun phrase begins with the adjective acute. The noun refers to one heart attack.
6.	Pinochet came to ---thesomeθ power in ---aθhis bloody coup that overthrew ---atheθ Marxist government of President Salvador Allende.	To come to power is an idiomatic expression. A Bloody coup is the first mention of this coup. It only took one coup to overthrow Allende. The Marxist government is made definite by the prepositional phrase that limits it.
7.	Under ---hisathe dictatorial rule, Chile enjoyed ---aanthe era of strong economic growth, but it came at ---antheθ expense of personal freedom. Thousands of ---theθsome people were executed, detained, tortured, or exiled.	The possessive determiner points back to the previously mentioned dictator, Pinochet. An era means one new era of economic growth. Expense is made definite by the phrase that follows and limits it. [It came at the expense of personal freedom.] Thousands of people is a limited number. No other determiner is needed with a number.
8.	---θTheA [N]ews of ---his athe death sent Chileans into ---theθtheir streets of Santiago, but ---atheθ revelry was marred by ---theθa violence.	News could be interpreted as a general noun with no determiner [all of the news of his death] or as a definite noun made specific by the phrase that follows and limits it...the news of his death.] His is the possessive determiner. Streets is made definite by the phrase that limits it...the streets of Santiago. Violence is a noncount noun used in a general sense.
9.	---TheAAn hottest ad space in Times Square may be on ---theaθ tourists' cameras.	Hottest is a superlative adjective. The definite article goes with all superlative adjectives. Tourists' cameras is a general noun referring to any or all cameras used by tourists. Zero article before a plural general noun.
10.	---Theθ Advertisers pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for ---theaθ space on ---thetheirθ billboards and blazing video screens above Times Square.	All of the nouns in this sentence are used in a general sense...all advertisements, any or all space on all the billboards above Times Square. One could use the definite article before billboards and blazing video screens as the prepositional phrase limits the nouns
11.	But now marketers are spreading ---thetheirsome messages down on ---thetheira ground. For example, ---atheirthe recent display of public toilets set up by Charmin bathroom tissue was used by thousands in Times Square and viewed by ---the θ7,400 Web users on one site alone.	Their is the possessive determiner refering to marketers. The ground is a unique noun requiring the definite article. A recent display of toilets refers to one display. The cardinal number 7,400 functions as a determiner.
12.	Nascar's recent display of ---thetheirθ race cars has been viewed on You-Tube more than 1,800 times.	Nascar's limits the entire phrase -- recent display of race cars No other article or determiner is needed.
13.	---ATheθ Food and Drug Administration has tried for years to establish ---thethierθ guidelines for how ---atheθ food industry should handle ---theaθ fresh produce to prevent illness.	The sentence names a specific government agency. The definite article is necessary. Guidelines is a general plural noun. Zero article is required. The food industry is a specific noun. The definite article is necessary. Fresh produce is a general noun. Zero article.
14.	Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and ---thehisθ state lawmakers say ---atheirthe time is ripe for ---theatheir first major overhaul of ---atheθ state prison system since ---aθthe 1970s.	State lawmakers is a general noun, including any or all state lawmakers. Zero article. The time is ripe is an idiom, meaning it's the right time for.... The first is an ordinal number and the definite article cannot be omitted from an ordinal number, which designates a specific number. The state prison system is a specific system. The definite article is required. The 1970s is a specific decade. The definite article always co-occurs with decades.
15.	---ATheirθ 23-page New York City Police Department report of ---atheθ shooting that left a bridegroom dead on ---athehis wedding day provides ---atheirthe most detailed account yet made public.	First mention of the report is an indefinite noun...A ...report. The noun shooting is made definite by the adjective clause that follows and limits it. His is the possessive determiner. The superlative adjective must include the definite article: the most detailed account.

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