Hello, I'm a language expert with a focus on English grammar and usage. I'm here to help clarify any questions you might have about the English language, including the nuanced roles of various parts of speech such as determiners.

Now, let's address your question: Is "our" a determiner?

In English grammar, a determiner is a word that introduces a noun and expresses the reference of the noun in the context. Determiners help to clarify the kind of reference made by a noun to entities in the world. Common determiners include articles (a, an, the), demonstratives (this, that, these, those), possessive pronouns (my, your, his, her, its), and quantifiers (some, any, many, much).

The word "our" is indeed a determiner, but it's specifically a possessive determiner. It is used to show ownership or a relationship between the speaker or writer and the noun that follows. For example, in the sentence "Our team won the match," "our" is the determiner that modifies "team," indicating that the team belongs to or is associated with the speaker and possibly others included in "we."

It's important to distinguish between determiners and possessive pronouns. While "our" can function as a determiner, there are possessive pronouns that correspond to each possessive determiner but do not function as determiners themselves. For instance, "mine," "yours," "his," "hers," "ours," and "theirs" are possessive pronouns that stand alone, replacing a noun and its determiner. They do not precede a noun; rather, they are used when the noun is either understood from the context or has been previously mentioned.

Here's a breakdown of how "our" functions as a determiner:


1. Possessive Determiner: When "our" is used before a noun, it is a determiner. It specifies that what follows is possessed by the group that includes the speaker. For example:
- "Our house is very old." (Here, "our" is the determiner for "house.")


2. Pronoun: When "our" stands alone without a following noun, it can be a pronoun, specifically a possessive pronoun, referring to something that has been previously mentioned or is understood from the context. For example:
- "This is your book. The other one is ours." (In this case, "yours" is a possessive pronoun, and "ours" is also a possessive pronoun, both replacing a noun and its determiner.)

It's also worth noting that determiners, including "our," can be used in various contexts and constructions in English. They are versatile and play a crucial role in the structure and clarity of sentences.

In conclusion, "our" is a determiner when it precedes a noun to indicate possession or a relationship. It is a key part of English grammar that helps to provide context and specificity to nouns within a sentence.

read more >>

Examples in English include possessive forms of the personal pronouns, namely: my, your, his, her, its, our and their, but excluding those forms such as mine, yours, hers, ours, and theirs that are used as possessive pronouns but not as determiners.read more >>