Demonstrative Pronouns

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Demonstrative pronouns direct attention to a specific person, place, or thing. There are only four demonstrative pronouns: this, that, these and those.

This is better than that.
Put those down - they are dirty.
Hello. This is Alice. Is that Ruth?
Who is that?

We use this/these to talk about people and things which are close to the speaker.

This is very nice - can I have some more?

This/these can refer to situations and experiences which are going on or just about to start.

Listen to this. You will like this.
Watch this. This is a police message.

We use that/those to talk about people and things which are more distant from the speaker, or not present.

That smells great - is it for lunch?
Get that cat off the piano.

That/those can refer to experiences which have just finished, or which are most distant in the past.

Did you see that? Who said that?

Sections in this article

Pronouns
Kinds of pronouns
Personal pronouns
Possessive pronouns
Reflexive pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns
Relative pronouns
Correct usage of personal pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

Sections in this article

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