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There are two sentences to determiner below:

  1. We were both tired.
  1. We have both seen the movie.

What I know is that the determiner is used in front of noun or pronoun, but the sentences of examples show that the determiner is located after verb.

I would like to know reason why the determiner is after verb.

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  • 2
    "Both" is not a determiner in either of your examples, but an adjunct in clause structure. It would, however, be a determiner in "Both men were tired".
    – BillJ
    Commented Feb 8, 2021 at 15:08

1 Answer 1

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We were both tired.

There is no determiner. "Tired" is an adjective.

But the word "both" can be a determiner:

Both cats were black, which I took as an omen.

We have both seen the movie.

Find the determiner. It is the definite article: the.

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  • Oh dear! "Both" belongs solely to the part of speech 'determinative', though it can have different functions. For example, in "Both men were tired" its function is that of determniner, and in "We were both tired" it's an optional adjunct in clause structure.
    – BillJ
    Commented Feb 8, 2021 at 15:03
  • @BillJ Right! This is the usual story about English words: they are complex.
    – Patriot
    Commented Feb 8, 2021 at 15:10
  • That's true. Incidentally, notice the slight spelling difference between the part of speech 'determinative' and the function 'determiner'.
    – BillJ
    Commented Feb 8, 2021 at 15:15
  • I see your point. Good!
    – Patriot
    Commented Feb 8, 2021 at 15:27
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    @BillJ thanks for your answer.
    – bak1936
    Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 10:07

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