number as adjective or sort of determiner

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Believer

#488339 Thu, 13 Mar 08 08:58 AM

Hi,

I have trouble distinguishing between situation where a number seems to be an adjective and where it seems to be sort of a determiner.

He took one apple home.

Wow, it is a one gigantic apple you got in your hand.

Believer

Joined on Mon, Jan 2 2006

Contributing Member (1,964)

Determiners, Numbers

Cool Breeze

#488354 Thu, 13 Mar 08 09:29 AM

Hi Believer

I have managed to live all my life without distinguishing a number used as a numeral from a number used as a determiner. If I tried to do pointless things like that, I would probably have a constant headache. Smile It's far more important for a layman to use numerals correctly: It is a gigantic apple you've got in your hand!

Cool Breeze

Joined on Fri, Apr 7 2006

Helsinki, Finland

Senior Member (2,514)

The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.- Mark Twain

Determiners, Numbers

Believer

#488854 Fri, 14 Mar 08 12:23 PM

Thank you, CB. I might have been confused since I was trying to digest too much information in a too short period of time. (That does sound lame, doesn't it?)

Why is the definite article seems correct to be placed here but an indefinite article doesn't seem to correct to be placed there? I think in most cases, 'a' can be easily replaced with the word 'one'. If 'the' can be used with the countable noun 'apple', it seems logical to assume 'a' can be used in a right situation too.

(to borrow your sentence that served as the corrected sentence of mine)

It is a gigantic apple you've ve got in your hand, but I like the one gigantic apple you had in your hand yesterday.

Always appreciate your help.

Believer

Articles, Countable nouns, Definite articles, Indefinite articles, Nouns, Numbers

Yankee

#488867 Fri, 14 Mar 08 12:57 PM

The word 'one' can be used emphatically:

- That is one gigantic apple youv'e got there!

(The apple you've got is really gigantic!)

In your sentence, you need to leave out the second 'apple' since the word 'one' means 'apple':

It is a gigantic apple you've ve got in your hand, but I like the (gigantic) one you had in your hand yesterday.

Yankee

Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006

Connecticut, USA

Senior Member (4,008)

Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain

Numbers

Believer

#488871 Fri, 14 Mar 08 01:07 PM

Believer

Numbers

Believer

#488872 Fri, 14 Mar 08 01:21 PM

Thank you, Yankee.

Moderator, please delete my previous empty post. I don't know what happened. I think I was typing (or was trying to type) and in the middle of it, my writing disappeared and then, it appeared as a post.

You wrote:

The word 'one' can be used emphatically:

- That is one gigantic apple youv'e got there!

(The apple you've got is really gigantic!)

And to that, I would agree with you but although 'one' is used give an emphatic meaning (I think that is what you were trying to say), to me, it still give a notion that it is talking about a single apple and not more than one.

Would you please tell me why the first one here correct, whereas the second one is not (as it appears to me)?

1. Please tell the one (or two) place (places) you would spend this money on.

2. It is a gigantic apple you've got in your hand, but I like the one apple you had in your hand yesterday. -- I wrote this sentence based on the assumption that I had only one apple in my hand yesterday.

Thank you.

Believer

Numbers