在句子中，某一名詞是特指，還是類指，是確定數量，還是不確定數量，這些都要靠「限定詞」來決定。
1.冠詞：定冠詞、不定冠詞、零冠詞
The red book is mine.
Time is money.(零冠詞)
2.物主限定詞：my, your, his, her, our, your, their, one's, its.
My bike is broken.
3.名詞屬格：John's, my friend's.
John's brother will go to school next year.
4.指示限定詞：this, that, these, those, such
This story is very interesting.
5.關係限定詞：whose, which
The children whose parents died are not homeless any more.
6.疑問限定詞：what, which, whose
Whose books are these?
7.不定限定詞：no, some, any, each, every, enough, either, neither, all, both, half, several, many, much, (a) few, (a) little, other, another.
There are some books on the desk.
8.基數詞和序數詞；倍數詞和分數詞
There are three pens in my bag.
The first answer is correct.
9.量詞：a lot of, lots of, plenty of, a great /good deal of, a large of, a small amount of, a quantity of, a great/ large/ good number of等。
We prepared plenty of food and drinks for the party.
1.只能與單數名詞搭配的限定詞
有些限定詞只能與單數名詞搭配，如a, an, one, another, each, neither, many a, such a等。
a toy an apple one book
another student each worker neither girl
such a sentence many a pencil（表示許多鉛筆）
2.只能與複數名詞搭配的限定詞
有些限定詞只能與複數名詞搭配，如both, two, another two, many, a few, few, several, these, those, a number of等。
both toys two apples another two books
many students a few workers few workers
several girls these/those boys a number of pencils
3.只能與不可數名詞搭配的限定詞
有些限定詞只能與不可數名詞搭配，如a (little) bit of, a large amount of, a great deal of, (a) little, much, less, (the) least等。
a bit of food a large amount of money
a great deal of water much/ less space
4.能與單、複數名詞搭配的限定詞
有些限定詞既能與單數名詞搭配，又能與複數名詞名詞搭配，如the first ,the second , the last , the next 等。
the first student the next sentence
the first students the next sentences
5.能與單數、不可數名詞搭配的限定詞
有些限定詞既能與單數名詞搭配，又能與不可數名詞名詞搭配，如this, that等。
this job this work
6.能與複數、不可數名詞搭配的限定詞
有些限定詞既能與複數名詞搭配，又能與不可數名詞名詞搭配，如a lot of , lots of , plenty of , enough , more , most , such , other等。
a lot of books enough pens
a lot of money enough time
7.能與三類名詞搭配的限定詞
有些限定詞既能與單、複數名詞搭配，又能與不可數名詞搭配。如the, some, any, no , other, whose 以及物主限定詞和名詞屬格等。
the book(s)
your friend’s book(s)
whose book(s)
如果三類限定詞同時出現，則順序：前位--中位--後位。
前位限定詞：它們的共同點在於，都是表示大概的、不精確的數量。
例如all, both, half, one-third, one-fifth, double, twice, three times, such等。
中位限定詞：出現頻率最高。
包括冠詞（a, an, the以及零冠詞）、指示代詞（this, that, these, those）、不定代詞（some, any, either, every, each）、否定詞（no, neither）與所有格（my, your, John’s）等。
後位限定詞：它們所表示的數量相對於前位限定詞來說更加精確，所以要更靠近名詞。
所有的數目詞（three, 200等）、序數詞（first, second, 300th, last等），以及表示「多、少」的many, much, little, few等。
例子：
All(前) the(中) five(後) boys were absent that day.
Half(前) his(中) four(後) balls are broken.