Sentences with this that these those examples. Demonstrative pronouns in English (this, that, these, those)

How demonstrative pronouns are used in spoken English.
Demonstrative pronouns:
this, this, this these - this
that, that, then - that
those - those
this is it
such, such - such
the same (s), the same (same) - the same
That/that. This/these.

1. This (these)index fingers pronouns used:
to indicate an object located close to the speaker.
This old woman is Mr. White's secretary.
This elderly woman is Mr. White's secretary.
to describe situations relating to the future or present time.
We are sorry but Dr. White is out at this moment.
We're sorry, but Dr. White is not available at the moment.
I'm seeing Tom this Sunday.
I'm meeting Tom this Sunday.
in a situation where you introduce people to each other or introduce yourself over the phone.
Kate, this is Liz and these are my friends Bob and Ted.
Katya, this is Lisa, and these are my friends Bob and Ted.

2. Those/that are used:

To indicate an object or person located at a certain distance from the speaker.
Look at those new beautiful buses over there! they are his!
Look at those beautiful new buses over there! They are his!
to describe situations related to the past.
That month spent at the seaside was the best in my life!
That month spent on the sea coast was the best of my life.
when talking on the phone to clarify who you are talking to.
"Hello! This is Lilia Smith. Who is that, please?”
"Hello. My name is Lilia Smith. Who, tell me, am I talking to?

3. these/ this, those/that are used as pronouns and independently without a noun behind it.
Let's have a talk over this. Let's discuss this.
These peaches are riper than those in the basket.
These peaches are riper than the ones in the basket.

4. If the pronouns these /those are used in an interrogative sentence, then in the answers they are replaced by they.
Are these papers yours? Are these your papers?
Yes, they are. Yes.

It
It is also used as a demonstrative pronoun.
It is a candle. This is a candle.

5. When answering special and general questions containing this or that, the pronoun it is used
Is that a butterfly over there? Is that a butterfly over there?
Yes, it is. Yes.
What is this? What is this?
It is a beetle. It's a beetle.
It or There?

How to use It correctly:

1) in sentences with It +be + adjective + to infinitive, highlighting the adjective, or it + be + adjective (+ that)
It is useless to know how it works without manual.
It's useless to know how it works without instructions.
It was coincident (that) Zinaida met her future husband in Paris.
What a coincidence that Zinaida met her future husband in Paris.

2) When we talk about the weather It has been foggy today.
Today it was foggy.
It has been snowing here since 2 o’clock.
It has been snowing since 2 o'clock.

3) When we ask for the exact time -What is the time?
What time is it now?
-It is 23.30 sharp.
Exactly twenty three thirty.

4) When we describe places (terrains)
It is always calm and beautiful here at the lake.
Here by the lake it is always quiet and beautiful.

5) When we use phrases like it is becoming/ it is going to...
It is going to be boring at Rubik’s party.
Rubek's party promises to be boring.
It is becoming less and less interesting film to watch on TV. There are less and less interesting movies to watch on TV.

There

Used when there is a combination: there + be (is, are, will be, have/has/had been, was, were):

1) When we say that something exists somewhere (is, exists, is located)
There is wooden old church in my village.
In my village there is an old wooden church.

2) When we indicate the presence of something, someone
I ‘m sure there was some people at the restaurant.
I'm sure there were several people outside the restaurant.

3) When we indicate that something is happening or will happen in the future
There was a wedding here 3 hours ago.
There was a wedding here 3 hours ago.

If there is an enumeration in the sentence, then in the phrases there is / are be consistent in number with the first noun.
There was his aunt, two cousins and Granny at my last birthday party. My birthday party last year was attended by his uncle, two cousins and grandmother.

Very often, students of even intermediate levels of English proficiency confuse demonstrative pronouns this, that, these, those, what is Especially when you need to translate sentences with these pronouns from your native language into English. These four words can be classified according to 2 criteria: distance And number. First about the distance.

In the table below you can see that the words this And these are used when talking about people or objects located close to the speaker. For example, this magazine (this magazine), these magazines (these magazines). While that And those- about people or objects located far away, far away from the speaker. For example, that picture (that picture), those pictures (those pictures). Now about the number (sg. - the singular - singular, pl. - plural - plural). The pronouns this and that are used with singular nouns - this pear(this pear) that pear(that pear), and these and those - in the plural - these pears(these pears) those pears(those pears).

Particular attention should be paid to the pronunciation of the demonstrative pronouns this and these. These two sounds are very similar. Be sure to compare them by listening directly to the blog, and now repeat them several times to feel the difference between [ðιs] (“s”) and [ði:z] (like the “and” in the word “needles”).

Remember that after the pronouns these and those you must make the noun plural by adding the ending -s or -es ( these shopss those bench es).

	HERE	THERE
sg.	this (this)	that (that)
pl.	these (these)	those

It's time to check how clear my explanation is to you :) Translate into English:

this car
these houses
those vegetables
these cities
that sandwich

this car
these houses
those vegetables
these cities
that sandwich

I think everyone did a great job with this simple task. Then, how would you say in English such a sentence (note, NOT a phrase): “This is a hotel, and that is a restaurant”? That's right, after the words this and that we use the verb to be in the singular: “This is a hotel, and that is a restaurant.” Say hotel and restaurant in the plural. It should be like this: “These are hotels, and those are reataurants.” - verb to be in the plural (These are hotels, and then restaurants.)

	HERE	THERE
sg.	This is	That is
pl.	These are	Those are

We fix:

These are newspapers, and these are dictionaries.
This is my book, and that is your pen.
These are our envelopes, and this is his letter.
This is her white bag, and that is her coat.
This is the student, and these are the teachers.

Those are newspapers, and these are dictionaries.
This is my book, and that is your pen.
Those are our envelopes, and this is his letter.
This is her white bag, and that is her coat.
This is a pupil, and these are teachers.

Questions with this, that, these, those

And, the last important point on the topic this, that, these, those- questions. Before asking “What is this?” in English, determine whether the answer will be a singular or plural noun. Because your question and answer must match in number. For example, if there are several apples on a plate, then the question “What is this?” will sound: “What are these?”, and not “What’s this?”, because the answer will be: "These are apples."

Demonstrative pronouns in English ( demonstrative pronouns / demonstratives) indicate a person, object, or their signs. There are several demonstrative pronouns in English.

Singular	Plural
this– this, this, this	these- these
that- that, that, that	those– those
such- such, similar	such- such, similar
the same- the same	the same- same
it- This	it- This

Now you know what demonstrative pronouns are in English. Next we will look at cases where each of them is used.

Demonstrative pronouns this and these

This these– with plural nouns. These pronouns should be used in the following cases:

When we talk about people or things that are close to us. Sometimes in sentences with this And these adverb is used here(here), which also shows the proximity of the object to us.

This table is wooden. – This table wood. (the table is nearby and we point to it)

These books belong to me. – These books belong to me. (several books are near me)

This girl is here and she is waiting for you. – This girl Here, and she is waiting for you.

When a situation occurs in the present or future tense, we describe this situation using this/these.

We are going to meet this week. - We are going to meet at this week.

This month you are making a great progress. - IN this month you are making great progress.

When we talk about the same thing several times and want to avoid repetition.

I don't want to discuss this but I have to. - I don't want This discuss, but I have to. (implies that this event has already been called before, thus avoiding repetition)

Look at this! He seems to be looking for his money. - Look at This! Looks like he's looking for his money. (the pronoun indicates the situation described in the second sentence)

This is the main goal in my life. – This main goal in my life.

When we introduce people or introduce ourselves in a telephone conversation.

Jim, these are my brothers, Tom and Carl. – Jim This my brothers, Tom and Carl.

Hello! This is Kate speaking! Can I speak to Mary? - Hello. This Kate. Can I talk to Mary?

Demonstrative pronouns that and those

Demonstrative pronoun that used with singular nouns, pronoun those– with plural nouns. Let's see when we can use demonstrative pronouns that And those:

When we talk about people or things located far away from us. Sometimes in sentences with demonstrative pronouns that And those adverb used there(there).

I don't like this piece of cake. Give me that one, please. – I don’t like this piece of cake. Give me That, Please. (the piece of cake that the speaker liked is located further from him)

Those ships are too far. I can't see their names. – Those ships too far. I don't see their names. (the indicated ships are at a distance from the speaker)

Look at that! There's a camel. - Look there! Vaughn there camel.

That's my future husband. – That- My future husband.

When we talk about a situation that took place in the past.

In those days people didn't have cars. - IN those times people didn't have cars.

We made only four kilometers that day. - IN that day we only walked four kilometers.

When we refer to some information that has been mentioned before and want to avoid repetition. We usually talk about a past action.
She got married a month ago. That was wonderful! – She got married a month ago. It was Wonderful!
When we start a conversation on the phone and ask the other person to introduce himself. The person on the other end of the line is far from us, so we need to use a demonstrative pronoun that.
Good morning! This is Brenda White. Who's that speaking? - Good morning! This is Brenda White! Who am I talking to?

The picture clearly shows how demonstrative pronouns work this/that And these/those when indicating the proximity or distance of an object.

We also suggest you watch a video from the teacher Alex. It's interesting how a native speaker explains this topic.

Demonstrative pronouns such, the same, it

Other demonstrative pronouns in English include such(such, similar) the same(the same one) and it(This). Let's look at how they should be used in speech:

When the noun is singular, then together with the demonstrative pronoun such(such, similar) the indefinite article is used.
It's such an important decision - This such important decision.

If the noun is plural, use the article after the pronoun such(such, similar) no.

Don't do such things! - Don't do it such of things!
Demonstrative pronoun the same(the same / the same) is always used with the definite article. Nouns after the same can be in either singular or plural form.

Underline the word with the same meaning, please. – Please underline the word with same meaning.

He chose the same movies as I did. - He chose the same films, and me too.

Demonstrative pronoun it corresponds to the Russian pronoun “this”.

– What is it? - What This?
- It's my ring. - This is my ring.

Is it your passport? – This your passport?

Don't miss it! - Do not miss This!

Difference between this and it

Many linguists say that there is little difference between it And this No. You will be understood in any case if you say This is a cat or It is a cat. But there is a difference, albeit a small one.

This is a cat. - It's a cat. (we focus on the word “this”, that is, exactly this, and not that cat)

It is a cat. - It's a cat. (we focus on the word “cat”, that is, not a dog or a guinea pig)

And one last little detail. To avoid repeating the same noun twice, the word is sometimes used instead one. And before that one You must also use a demonstrative pronoun. If the demonstrative pronoun in English is not followed by an adjective, then one (ones) can be omitted.

Would you like to buy this hat or that (one)? – Would you like to buy this hat or that?

And if there is an adjective, then you must save it one or ones in a sentence.

I don't want to buy this hat, I will take that blue one. – I don’t want to buy this hat, I'll take it out that blue one

This, That, These And Those known as demonstrative determiners or demonstrative pronouns ( demonstrative pronouns ). They are often used with location words here (here and there (there), or phrases indicating a specific place, e.g. on the corner (on the corner). Demonstrative pronouns mean that we show someone that one or more objects are here or there.

Demonstrative pronouns in examples

Notice how pronouns this, that, these And those change depending on the location of the items in the following dialogues. Location can be relative. If I'm standing in this room over there (there) can mean that someone or something is on the other side of the room, as in this example:

Harry: Could you pass me that pen on the shelf over there?(Can you pass me that pen over there on the shelf?)
Mark: Do you mean this pen here?(You mean this pen here?)
Harry: Yes, that pen.(Yes, that pen)
Mark: Here you are. Oh, could you pass me those newspapers on the chair over there?(Yes, please. Oh, can you pass me those newspapers on that chair over there?)
Harry: These? Of course, here you are.(These? Of course, please)

In this dialogue, Harry asks Mark about the pen that is next to Mark. Note that Harry uses over there (there) to refer to something on a shelf in another part of the room.

However, the next example is about a street, and in it here covers a much larger area, and there means something further away.

Harry: Is that Miss Smith over there?(Is that Miss Smith there?)
Mark: No, Miss Smith is further away. That's Mrs. Twins.(No, Miss Smith is much further away. This is Mrs. Twins)
Harry: What’s the number of this house in front of us?(What is the number of this house in front of us?)
Mark: This is number 5. It’s not what we need.(This is number 5. This is not what we need.)
Harry: I’m glad your sight is much better than mine! How about these flowers in this lawn?(I'm glad your eyesight is much better than mine. What are those flowers on this lawn?)
Mark: These are called mallow.(They are called mallows.)

Here (here), There (there)

This and these are used with objects that are relatively close, that is, they can be used with the word here (Here ) or indicating a specific nearby location.

This is my book here.(It is my book.)
These are my new shoes here. I bought them last month.(These are my new shoes. I bought them last month.)
This is my new phone on the table.(This is my new phone on the table.)
These are my sons on this sofa.(These are my sons on this sofa.)

That (for singular) and Those (for the plural) are used for objects located at a distance. WITH that And those often used there or over there (there) to indicate that the object is far from the speaker. At the same time, instead of there or over there Can also indicate specific locations of objects at a distance.

That is my wife sitting over there.(That's my wife sitting there.)
Over there! Those are the sportsmen who won the competition.(Over there! These are the athletes who won the competition.)
Those are my friends over there.(These are my friends.)
Those are my apple trees at the back of the garden.(These are my apple trees at the back of the garden.)

Singular demonstrative pronouns

This and That are used with singular verbs and indicate one object, one person or one place.

That blouse is wonderful!(That blouse is wonderful!)
This window overlooks the garden.(This window looks out onto the garden.)
This woman walks with a dog.(This woman is walking her dog.)
That park is known for its wildlife.(This park is known for its wildlife.)

Plural demonstrative pronouns

These Andthose are used with the plural form of the verb and refer to more than one object, person or place.

These dresses are so light!(These dresses are so easy!)
Those figures were done by Michelangelo.(These sculptures were made by Michelangelo.)
These study students in our college.(These students study in our college.)
Those girls play volleyball on the middle school team.(These girls play volleyball on the middle school team.)

Exercises on demonstrative pronouns

Complete the sentences using this, that, these, those , and here or there :
1. Could you give me that pencil over _____?
2. Here are _____ books you wanted.
3. Can you see _____ palace next to the shop?
4. Is _____ a pen over there for me?
5. _____ are three boys standing on the beach.
6. Could I take some of _____ cakes right here?
7. _____ cars over there are luxury.
8. _____ computers on the desk are ancient.
9. _____ is the document you asked for.
10. Could I have that photo on the table over _____.

Answers and explanations to them

1. there - you are talking about something remote from you.
2. those - use those in cases where you have already talked about this before.
3. that - points to a large building far away from you.
4. there — use there in questions: is there/are there to ask about the availability of something.
5. There - use there to point out people far away from you.
6. these - use these , talking about something close.
7. those - use those , pointing to multiple objects.
8. those - use those, talking about something distant.
9. here - use here is/here are when you convey something to someone.
10. there - use there to point to something at a distance.

You will find a large number of exercises on demonstrative pronouns on the website

In the first section of the second lesson, the demonstrative pronoun was introduced This as an alternative to the word It:

It is a cat = This is a cat

Let's see how these words differ.

What's happenedit?

It- This personal pronoun , the most adequate Russian translation of which would be: It. From previous lessons we remember that in English nouns have neither masculine nor feminine gender. It cannot be said that a table (table) is He, and a car (car) is She. All these words will belong to one neutral gender - It (it).

This is where the whole sentence comes from:

It is a table - This is a table literally: It is a table
It is a car - This is a car literally: It is a machine

Of course, it doesn’t sound very good in Russian word for word, so it’s better to try to understand these sentences from the point of view of the English language and just forget that words have genders.

What's happenedthis?

This– this is also a pronoun, but this demonstrative pronoun : This . We use it when we point to some object - hence the name “demonstrative pronoun” (For example, we point our finger at the table and say: This is a table)
This is very suitable for constructing sentences like "This is..."

This is a book - This is a book
This is a pencil - This is a pencil

In all these cases the words This And It are equal. You can say this and that.

This is a car = It is a car (This is a car)
It"s a room = This is a room (This is a room)
What is it? = What is this? (What is this?)
Is it a bicycle? = Is this a bicycle?(Is this a bicycle?)
It"s not a flower = This is not a flower(This is not a flower)
It isn't a river = This isn't a river(This is not a river)

This and That

Besides the pronoun This(this), which indicates an object nearby, in English there is another pronoun to indicate a more distant object - That(That).

· >We use the pronoun This (This) when we point to an object located next to us (Here):>

T his is a flower he is nearby
T his is a room she is nearby

· >When the object is a little further from us (There), you need to use the pronoun That. The closest Russian equivalent is To. Although in Russian in a sentence we very often translate the word That with the pronoun This.>

That is a house - This is a house verbatim: That is, house
That is a bike - This is a motorcycle he is located at a somewhat distant distance from us
That is a tree - This is a tree here we also mean that tree, it is located not here, but there

So, if the item is HERE, then we use This, when the item is THERE, then we say That.

Compare:

This is a pen and that is a pencil- This is a pen, and that is a pencil.

Say it in English with the pronoun that:

This is a shirt
This is a flower
This is a glass
This is a newspaper

With the pronoun That we can shorten the verb is and say briefly and concisely: That's.

That is a phone = That"s a phone(This is a phone)
That is a clock = That"s a clock(This is a clock)
That is a shelf = That"s a shelf(This is a shelf)

Say it briefly:

This is the door
This is a computer
This is a mug
This is a mirror

Now we can use That in all kinds of sentences.

What is that? – That is a car.
Is that a car? – Yes, that's a car.
That is not a dog, that is a cat.
Is that a cow? – No, that "s not a cow, that"s a bike
That isn't a boy, that's a girl.
>

Hover your cursor to find out what all these sentences mean.

Note also that if the question contains the pronoun this , then it is not at all necessary to use it when answering. Everything will depend on how close the subject is to you and the interlocutor. So very often you can find such cases:

What is that? – This is a bicycle The bike is further away from the person asking, but closer to the person answering

Is this a cupboard? – Yes, that"s a cupboard
Is that a clock? – Yes, this is a clock

Try to speak in English, imagining that the following objects will be close to the person asking the questions, and far from the answer. And then vice versa:

What is this? - This is a guitar