It is written this that these those. Demonstrative pronouns This, that, these, those

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).

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

1. this car
2. these houses
3. those vegetables
4. these cities
5. that sandwich

1. this car
2. these houses
3. those vegetables
4. these cities
5. 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.)

We fix:

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

1. Those are newspapers, and these are dictionaries.
2. This is my book, and that is your pen.
3. Those are our envelopes, and this is his letter.
4. This is her white bag, and that is her coat.
5. 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."

It will be useful for a beginner English speaker to understand the frequently used demonstrative pronouns that and this in English. If you understand their use at the very beginning, this will help you avoid frequent misconceptions and mistakes in the future. So what are their differences and similarities?

That or this? Where and how?

In English, everything is different from our native language. There, pronouns that indicate this and that can answer the questions "who?" So what?". And they serve as an addition and definition in a sentence. And they can even become, if necessary, an independent part of speech.

Despite the fact that they play the same general role, there is still a noticeable difference between that and this.

This - this, this, this.

That - that, that, that.

Translated into Russian, both pronouns define one object (or one person).

The significant difference between this and that is only the distance at which this object or person is from the speaker. To be more precise, this is what is nearby or close to the speaker, and that is what is far from us.

This bird is mine. - This bird is mine.

That bird is yours. - That bird is yours.

Which word to choose - this or that? It all depends on where exactly this bird is located. The one sitting on my shoulder will be this bird. The one that is far from me, on a tree branch - that bird.

There will also be a difference between this and that when we talk about the remoteness of an object. But we are no longer talking about space, as in the previous example, but about time.

For example: That was funny! I had a wonderful time! - It was wonderful! I had a wonderful time!

If the narrator, remembering summer, talks about the past tense, then he pronounces that.

These and those. Difference and use of plural pronouns

Just as there is a difference between this and that, there are also differences in the plural pronouns these and those.

You need to remember when pronouns change their form:

If there are many objects, we change the form: this to these, and that to those.

These - these; Those - those.

These apples are mine. These apples are mine.

Those apples are yours. Those apples are yours.

Both pronouns indicate that there is more than one apple. The difference between these and those in the plural, as well as in the singular, is obvious. But that's not all. Distance also plays an important role.

These - these objects are close.

Those - those objects are far away.

Therefore, when choosing a pronoun, pay attention to the following:

1. How many (one or many).

2. Distance (here or there).

But this is not the only difference between this and that. In colloquial speech, it would be impolite to refer to someone using the pronoun this without the purpose of introducing them to someone.

For example: This is our gardener. - This is our gardener (there is a disrespectful attitude towards the gardener here)

Mom, this is Jon, my friend. Mom, dad, this is John, my friend.

In the first case, it is considered impolite to address the gardener, and in the second, John’s acquaintance with his mother. In this way, the difference between that and this will be obvious to an Englishman.

use this, that, these, those in a sentence

As mentioned above, singular and plural pronouns can be combined with words that answer the questions “who?” So what?".

Also, if this or that comes at the beginning of a sentence and is followed by a noun that modifies, then they must be followed by the verb to be. If the number is singular, then is, if it is plural, then are.

This is. This is a cat. - This is a cat.

These are. These are dogs. - These are dogs.

That is. That is a car. - That's a car.

Those are. Those are tomatoes. - Those are tomatoes.

Both this and that in these sentences play the role of the subject and are translated as “this”.

That and this without nouns can be seen in different sentence forms:

Which dresses would you give, these or those? -Which dress should I give you: this or that?

Who is that? - Who is it there?

If the demonstrative pronoun is preceded by a word that answers the questions “who?” and “what?”, then it specifies an object or person:

This cat has drunk our milk. - This cat drank our milk.

In this example, the pronoun this specifies that it was this cat, and not some other, that drank all our milk.

The above examples clearly show the difference between that and this.

For Russian speakers, the translation “this” will be more familiar and pleasant. After all, as a rule, we don’t say “that”.

And although for us the difference between this and that does not play a special role, it will be fundamental for a native English speaker. Therefore, to avoid errors, it is better to use this.

How to pronounce these or this correctly

In spoken English it is difficult to hear the difference between these and this; they seem almost the same to us by ear. Therefore, it is important to immediately figure out how to speak clearly for residents of the UK and USA.

This is spoken with lightning speed, while the s at the end sounds like the Russian “s” - dull. But these are better pronounced with a long, drawn-out “and” sound. And at the end it is important to hear the “z” hard, not the “s”.

But how can you tell the difference? The answer is simple: if you learn to pronounce these pronouns accurately from the very beginning, then in a conversation with your interlocutor you will also clearly hear what the difference is between that and this.

Anyone who strives to improve the English language can first begin to do this by understanding where and how to correctly use such simple words as this and that. After all, you can’t do without them. Very often, almost everywhere, they are found in English expressions. And, of course, it is best to do this with real native English speakers.

Demonstrative pronouns this, that, these And those used to refer to people or things in a certain way.

This And these denote persons or objects that are in close proximity to the speaker in time or space. When mentioning people or objects more distant in space or time, determiners are used that And those.

This And that are placed before singular nouns, uncountable nouns and pronouns one. These And those are placed before plural nouns and pronouns ones.

This, that, these And those often called demonstrative adjectives.

This and these

This And these denote persons or objects that are completely obvious in a situation. This And these are used to distinguish these persons or objects from a group of similar ones. For example, if you are in a house, you can mark it this house. If we have the keys in our hands, we can talk about them these keys. If you are at a party, you can talk about it this party.

Didn't have a private practice in this fiat.
I am going to walk up these steps towards you.
I’ll come as soon as these men have finished their work.
I like this university.
Good evening. In this program we are going to look at the way in which British music has developed in recent years.

When it is obvious what or who we are talking about, this And these can also be used as pronouns (pronouns).

This And these are part of many expressions relating to the present time period, for example, this month, this week And these days.

That and those

That and those are used in relation to people and objects that are within sight, but distant in space.

When it is obvious who or what we are talking about, that And those used as pronouns (pronouns).

Could you just hold that ?
Please don't take those .

Use

Use this, that, these And those before a noun indicates that the person or thing has just been mentioned. For example, if you just mentioned a girl, when you mention her again you can say this girt or that girl. Usually in such cases, the pronoun (a pronoun) is used to repeatedly mention someone or something, but sometimes this is impossible due to the fact that it is not clear who or what it refers to.

Students and staff suggest books for the library, and normally we’re quite happy to get those books.
Their house is in a valley. The people in that valley speak about the people in the next valley as foreigners.
They had a lot of diamonds, and they asked her if she could possibly get these diamonds to Britain.

In colloquial speech that And those can also be used before a noun to denote people or objects already known to the addressee.

That idiot Antonio has gone and locked our cabin door.
They learned how to eat with those horrible chopstics.
Do you remember that funny little attic apartment?

That can be used before nouns when talking about something that just happened, or something that the speaker just had a direct connection to.

I knew that meeting would be difficult.

That is often used as a pronoun to refer to something that just happened or happened.

Using those instead of the

In a more formal speech those can be used instead the before a plural noun when that noun is followed by a relative clause. When used in this way, the relative clause specifies which specific group of people or objects is being referred to.

… those workers who are employed in large enterprises.
The parents are not afraid to be firm about those matters that seem important to them.

Informal use of this and these

In informal conversation this And these sometimes used before nouns, even if something or someone is mentioned for the first time.

And then this woman came up to me and she said, “I believe you have a goddaughter called Celia Ravenscrofi.”
At school we had to wear these awful white cotton hats.

In the English language, there are many different constructions, words and pronouns that serve a variety of functions in sentences. Such words often raise a lot of questions not only among beginners, but also among those more advanced in learning English. In this article we will look at the difference between this and that, which are similar at first glance words.

So what is the difference between these two most common words?

If we translate both words into Russian, we can say that they are absolutely similar, because both are translated as “this”. But you cannot rely only on the translation of this and that.

The main difference between these two demonstrative pronouns is the distance of an object from the person who is talking about it. We'll figure this out now.

This in English: when to use?

Let's look at the rules for using these two especially popular pronouns.

The English pronoun this is used when we point to an object not far from us:

• this plate standing on the table nearby;
• this person is opposite us;
• this phone lying on the sofa and so on.

Let's give a couple of examples to make it clearer:

• Give me this pen. - Give me this pen.
• My sister wants to buy this shirt for her boyfriend. - My sister wants to buy this shirt for her boyfriend.
• This is my dog. It is cute, isn't it? - This is my dog. She's cute, isn't she?
• Mary won't go with us. This is pretty sad. - Mary won't go with us. It's quite sad.

In sentences, the pronoun this can often be replaced by another personal pronoun - it (it).

• This book is the most interesting. - This book is the most interesting.
• It is the most interesting book. - This is the most interesting book.

When is the pronoun that used?

But here, on the contrary, that is used when talking about an object located at a further distance from the speaker. Usually this pronoun is translated as “that”: that box, that person, that car. Here are a couple of sentences in which this pronoun is used:

• Do you see that big blue box? - Do you see that big blue box?
• John, look at that picture! It's fantastic! - John, look at that photo! It's amazing!
• That man made me crazy. - That man drove me crazy.
• That girl looks weird! - That girl looks strange!

Sometimes the pronoun is used in sentences that require a firm, rigid coloring. Usually such proposals are rude. For example:

• That's none of your business! - It doesn't concern you! / It's none of your business!

Sometimes this demonstrative pronoun can be replaced by another by analogy - which. In this case, this is translated into Russian as “which”:

• The town that we visit is so wonderful. I would like to go there again. - This town we visited is so wonderful! I would love to go there again.
• The town which we visit is so wonderful. I would like to go there again. - This town we visited is so wonderful! I would love to go there again.

Difference

As we have already found out, the demonstrative pronouns this and that are somewhat similar. But there is a very important difference between them. The pronoun this indicates objects that are nearby, not far from the speaker. But that performs a slightly different function. It is used when talking about some object located far away. This is the difference between this and that.

Plural: these and those

Another pronoun that often raises questions is the plural of the same this and that.

These is translated into Russian as “these” and is the plural of this. Everything is exactly the same here. If objects are located nearby, then we use these:

• These cats are so cute! - These cats are so cute!
• I hope these guys are nice. - I hope these guys are nice.

But those is the plural of the demonstrative pronoun that. It is translated into Russian as “these”, “those” and is used when talking about any distant objects, objects at a distance:

• Those stars are amazing. - Those stars are amazing.
• Those who interested at other books of this writer can take them at our school library. - Those who are interested in other books by this writer can borrow them from our school library.

When we talk about the similarity of something, as well as in various scientific reports, these plural demonstrative pronouns often change to that of / those of.

The roles of these pronouns in a sentence

The pronouns in this group have two different functions:

1. Definition, that is, searching for a dependent word that reveals the main thing: That house is so big! (This house is so big!) This cat is really fat! (This cat is really fat!) Thesee books are worth reading. (These books are worth reading.)
2. As an independent word - a pronoun. In this case, things or objects are meant. Just look at that! (Just look at this!) Can I take some of these? (Can I have some?)

Expressions that may be useful to you

There are many expressions in English that contain the demonstrative pronouns discussed above. Most often these are colloquial, everyday statements used in our everyday life:

• That’s it (“that’s all”; “that’s it”; “exactly”; “precisely”; “that’s enough!”). This expression can be explained in different ways. Most often it means “exactly!”, but can be translated as the end of a dialogue, a point in resolving some issue. In this case, the expression is translated: “that’s it, that’s enough.” And if the expression has a questioning intonation, the phrase can be translated as follows: “Is that all you can say?” In Russian, we often say in such cases: “Come on!”
• That's right is one of the most popular affirmative answers in the English language. It is translated as follows: “this is exactly”, “true”, “so exactly”, “absolutely true”, etc.
• That’s alright / that’s ok - used to forgive a person, to say that everything is fine. Translated as: “everything is fine”, “everything is okay”, “everything is fine”.
• This one time only - one single time, only one time.
• This one taken? - Is it busy here?/Is it free?
• Those against? - Are there those who are against?/Anyone against?
• This is it! - This is it!/Exactly/Absolutely/Good/Correct!

Uses of this and that

There are many different uses. These demonstrative pronouns often have different meanings and even emotional connotations. This is what we will talk about now.

We continue to study the rule of this and that.

Approval of things and objects that we love

These demonstrative pronouns are often used to point to an object that we love and approve of. In this case, use this or these. This creates a feeling of closeness to the subject, the speaker’s predisposition:

• I love this new dress I "ve bought! - I love this new dress that I bought!
• These places remind me about my childhood. - These places remind me of my childhood.

That and those to indicate distance

And the following demonstrative pronouns, on the contrary, exist in order to create some distance, distance from the object, in the literal and figurative sense. This is the difference between this and that. Take a look at the examples and you will understand everything:

• Actually, I don't really like that boyfriend of yours. - Actually, I don't really like this boyfriend of yours.
• I hate those places! - I hate these places!/those places!

That in the meaning of the and this as a/an

Very often, the demonstrative pronoun replaces the definite article in order to focus attention on the subject that is being described. Typically, this technique is used when telling various stories, transferring knowledge and life experience:

• So I saw that man and... - And I saw this man, and...
• Remember that museum where we have already been at? - Remember the museum where we were already?

But the demonstrative pronoun this replaces a/an. This usually happens when someone introduces us to something new or introduces us to a new person in our lives. I think you see a clear difference between this and that:

• This guy is really shy, but I like him. - This guy is so modest, but I like him.

Physical distance and proximity to objects

But most often with the help of these pronouns we denote physical distance. Thus, we bring to a conclusion all of the above.

The use of this and that in English is one of the easiest rules, which, however, is often mistaken. This and its plural these show proximity to an object, that this object is nearby, not far away. But that and those in the plural are used to indicate the remoteness of an object.

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?
-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.