If we talk about determiners in the English language, these are words that introduce and modify a noun in a sentence. But what if the noun is referring to a single member of a group rather than the group as a whole? This is where we use distributive determiners, a type of determiner that helps us single out members of a group. But what are they, and what else is the usage of distributive determiners? Read on and learn everything about them, along with rules, examples, and a worksheet!
Table of Contents
Words like “each,” “every,” “either,” “neither,” “both,” “all,” and “half” that we use daily in our everyday English are what we call distributive determiners. These are words that we place before a noun to describe how each person or an object in a group is treated. We can use these words to refer to a group, a part of a group, and even an individual thing or group within a group.
A simple definition of distributive determiners is “Words that show how people or things in a group are treated one by one or in parts.” Let’s understand these with an example sentence. “Each person on the team contributed equally.” Here, we are using “each” to refer to every single person in the team (group).
Here is a list of distributive determiners that are most commonly used in English grammar, along with examples of distributive determiners in sentences. Do note that the determiners “each” and “every” are considered redundant when it comes to formal writing and are generally used for emphasis.
| Distributive Determiner | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Each | Each letter was written by hand. |
| Every | Every chocolate in the box is imported. |
| Either | You can stand on either side of the room. |
| Neither | Neither one of you got selected. |
| Any | You can select any place you wish to go. |
| All | All members are requested to attend the event. |
| Both | Both chocolate and strawberry flavours are my favourites. |
| Half | Half the bottle was empty. |
| Each of | Each of the boxes have clues for the next game. |
| Neither of | Neither of us knows what happened. |
When using distributive determiners, you have to keep a few rules in mind to avoid forming incorrect sentences. Besides the use case of each of the distributive determiners in English grammar, just keep two things in mind:
Let’s take a look at the key rules and usage of distributive determiners along with some examples:
1. Each
We use each to refer to every single person or a thing in a group or an entity, one by one, to put more emphasis on them. This is generally used with singular and countable nouns.
For example:
Each player on the team gave their best.
2. Every
Similar to “each,” every is used to refer to all the members of a group, but is generally used in a general sense of the whole. This distributive determiner is also used with singular and uncountable nouns.
For example:
Every piece here is specially created for everyone.
3. Either/Neither
“Either” and “neither” are used with singular nouns and are used when referring to two things. “Either” is used to refer to one of two possibilities, whereas “neither” is used for not one and not the other (out of two). Let’s take a look at distributive determiners examples for both of them:
For example:
4. Any
The next on our list of distributive determiners is “any”, which is used with singular, plural, countable nouns, and uncountable nouns. It is generally used in a sentence to refer to one or more items in a group, and often in cases when it does not matter which.
For example:
Can any one of you tell me where he is?
5. All
“All” is used to refer to everyone or everything in a group, more simply to refer to the totality of something. It can be used with both plural and uncountable nouns.
For example:
All members are requested to come to the boardroom.
6. Both
The next one, the distributive determiners are “both”, which is only used when talking about two things. Similarly, we can only use it with plural nouns to refer to two things together.
For example:
Both of you follow me.
7. Half
Lastly, we use “half” to refer to 50% of the group and can be used with singular, plural, or uncountable nouns. Also note that we can sometimes also add “of” with it.
For example:
The one thing you need to know is that in grammar, the meaning of distributive determiners and distributive adjectives is often interchangeable. Even though both are used to mean the same thing, there is a small difference between them when it comes to how the words are used in a sentence.
| Feature | Distributive Determiners | Distributive Adjectives |
|---|---|---|
| Main Role | To determine or point out which noun is being talked about | To describe the noun by giving more details |
| Used With | Directly before a noun or before "of + plural noun" | Usually, right before the noun |
| Examples | each, every, either, neither, all, both, any | same words (but used to describe nouns) |
Also note: The difference is mostly about how the term is used in grammar discussions, not in daily use.
Here is a worksheet for distributive determiners for you to practice identifying and using different distributive determiners in English grammar. Check it out:
Exercise 1: Rewrite the Sentences
In this first exercise, you have to use distributive determiners instead of the phrases in brackets.
1. (All of the students) have submitted their assignments.
2. (Not one of the two options) seems good enough.
3. (One or the other book) will be suitable for the project.
4. (All of the employees) must attend the meeting.
5. (None of the two answers) is correct.
6. (All of the children) enjoyed the party.
7. (Not one of the two proposals) was accepted by the committee.
8. (One or the other candidate) will get the job.
9. (All of the players) followed the coach’s instructions.
10. (None of the two roads) leads to the beach.
Answer Key
1. Every student has submitted their assignments.
2. Neither of the two options seems good enough.
3. Either book will be suitable for the project.
4. Every employee must attend the meeting.
5. Neither of the two answers is correct.
6. Every child enjoyed the party.
7. Neither of the two proposals was accepted by the committee.
8. Either candidate will get the job.
9. Every player followed the coach’s instructions.
10. Neither of the two roads leads to the beach.
Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks
In this exercise, you have to choose the correct word from the list of distributive determiner and complete the sentence.
1. ______ student in the class must submit their homework by Friday.
2. You can choose ______ of the two books; they are both interesting.
3. ______ of the two answers is correct.
4. ______ child received a gift on their birthday.
5. I don’t like ______ of these options.
6. ______ employee must wear their ID badge at all times.
7. You can take ______ of the two routes to get there.
8. ______ of the two answers was marked wrong.
9. ______ player on the team did their best.
10. ______ of these dresses would look great on you.
Answer key:
1. Each student in the class must submit their homework by Friday.
2. You can choose either of the two books; they are both interesting.
3. Either of the two answers is correct.
4. Every child received a gift on their birthday.
5. I don’t like any of these options.
6. Every employee must wear their ID badge at all times.
7. You can take either of the two routes to get there.
8. Neither of the two answers was marked wrong.
9. Each player on the team did their best.
10. Either of these dresses would look great on you.
To conclude our blog, distributive determiners are an important part of the English grammar that can help you specify and understand how to refer to individual things or people in a group. While using them, just remember that singular determiners like each, every, either, and neither usually take singular verbs.
Additionally, if you are looking to strengthen your understanding of the meaning of distributive determiners or any other aspect of English grammar, or need english coaching, then you can get help from experts at Gradding.com. They will provide you with tailored lessons, practice exercises, and personalised feedback to boost your confidence and fluency. Connect today!
1. Can Distributive Determiners Be Used with Plural Nouns?
Yes, we can use distributive determiners like all, both, some, half, each of, and neither of with plural nouns. Whereas distributive determiners like each, every, either, and neither are used with singular nouns.
2. What are Distributors in Determiners?
In determiners, “distributors” are used to refer to words (each, every, either, neither, all, both, any, half) that show how something is shared, divided, or applied to people or things individually or in parts.
3. Why Are Distributive Determiners Important in Real-Life Communication?
Distributive determiners are an important part of real-life everyday communication because they help us say:
4. What are Some Common Mistakes with Distributive Determiners?
Some common mistakes people make while using distributive determiners are that they incorrectly use words like "each," "every," "either," "neither," and "both." This leads to confusion about quantity, number, and inclusivity. For example, using “each” when talking about a group as a whole or using “every” with a singular noun.
5. Difference Between Distributive Determiners and Distributive Pronouns
The main difference between distributive determiners and distributive pronouns is that even though both refer to members of a group, they function differently in a sentence. For example, “Each paper is hand printed,” here “, each” is modifying the noun “paper.” Whereas, “Each of the papers is hand printed,” here, "each" is a pronoun, replacing the noun "paper."
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