A noun phrase can be marked as definite or indefinite by a suffixed determiner (DET). The relativized noun may be preceded by a determiner. Adjectives inflect similarly to this determiner. Any noun not preceded by an article or other determiner is in the vocative case. This type of determiner also depends on a noun. A second noun phrase "the bone" is created with determiner "the" and noun "bone". Nouns are almost always accompanied by a French-origin determiner or a possessive. Such constructions have the possessor appearing outside the determiner phrase. Linguists interested in X-bar theory causally link zero articles to nouns lacking a determiner. They posit an inventory of functions (e.g. subject, object, oblique, determiner, attribute, predicative, etc.). The inflected form is also used when the determiner is used predicatively. This means that indefiniteness is implied by the lack of definite article or determiner. Phonological awareness is an important determiner of success in learning to read and spell. DPs that lack an overt determiner actually involve a covert determiner in some sense. For emphasis, it may come before the determiner phrase.