DIFFERENCE WORDS

OTHER, ANOTHER

These words refer to something different, remaining, or additional.

They are placed before the noun.

Another is used with singular nouns.

Otherwith singular or plural.

• There are other jobs you could try.
• Where's the other packet of cereals?
• Is there any other bread?
• Have another cup of tea.

PRE-DETERMINERS

SUCH, WHAT, RATHER, QUITE

These words are normally placed before the indefinite article.

Such and what are often used to express surprise or other emotions:

Examples

• What a lovely day!
• She's such a lovely woman!
• What an incredible film!
• He's such a fantastic guitarist!

Rather and quite are 'commenting' words, referring to the degree of a particular quality. They can express disappointment, pleasure, or other emotions, and are used before a/an + adjective + noun:

Examples

• It's rather a small car. (= I'm a bit disappointed because it's small)
• It was quite a nice day.(= I was agreeably surprised.)
• He's had quite a bad accident. (= I'm worried)
• I've just met rather a nice man. (= I'm pleased)

QUESTION WORDS

WHICH, WHAT, WHOSE

In questions, these words ask which thing or person is being referred to. They are placed before the noun.

• Which dress are you going to wear tonight?
• What colour is your dress?
• Whose car are you going to use?

DEFINING WORDS

WHICH AND WHOSE

In a statement, these words define or explain which thing or person is referred to:

Examples

• He went back to the house. (Which house?) The house which stood on the corner. = He went back to the house which stood on the corner.
• I saw the man. (Which man?) The man whose car you damaged. = I saw the manwhose car you damaged.

• He couldn't remember which film he had seen.
• That's the man whose wife works in my office.
• Tell me which coffee you like.
• The woman whose dog bit you is at the door.

THE DISTRIBUTIVES

EACH, EVERY, EITHER, NEITHER

These distributive words are normally used with singular nouns, and are placed before the noun.

Each, either and neither can be used with plural nouns but must be followed by 'of':

Each is a way of seeing the members of a group as individuals:

• Each child received a present.
• Each of the children received a present.

Every is a way of seeing a group as a series of members:

• Every child in the world deserves affection.

It can also express different points in a series, especially with time expressions:

• Every third morning John goes jogging.
• This magazine is published every other week.

Either and Neither are concerned with distribution between two things - either is positive,neither is negative:

• Which chair do you want? Either chair will do.
• I can stay at either hotel, they are both good
• There are two chairs here. You can take either of them.
• Neither chair is any good, they're both too small.
• Which chair do you want? Neither of them - they're both too small.