"This," "that," "these," and "those" are demonstrative pronouns that replace nouns while specifying their nature in terms of quantity and immediacy. When these words come before a noun, they are demonstrative adjectives. "This" refers to a singular object that is close or more relevant, immediate, or accessible to the speaker, while "that" indicates a singular object that is further removed.
In the following two sentences, "this" and "that" each replace a noun, and are therefore being used as demonstrative pronouns.
This is where the most important items are discussed with the team
Caption 9, Agile workflow: in simplified terms
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That's a very nice hotel.
Caption 21, A Weekend in Amsterdam: Planning the Trip
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We do not know where the discussion was held, or which hotel is being referred to, but we can assume that these locations were provided in an previous sentence.
Here are both words used as demonstrative adjectives, which essentially answer the question "Which?" and provide specificity and clarity.
I have this red pen and this blue pen.
Caption 7, Abiventures: Organizing
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You think you're so smart with that blanket.
Caption 7, A Charlie Brown Christmas: Snowflakes
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The word "these" is the plural form of "this," and is used for multiple items that are more immediate or relevant. "Those" is the plural form of "that."Something that is described as "this" might be right in your hand. Nouns specified with "that" might be an alternative, not the most logical choice, or something you don't have access to.
And I'm just trying to brainstorm how can I use these in my creative filmmaking process.
Captions 8-9, Abiventures: Papers
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And those are made of elementary particles.
Caption 10, In a Nutshell What Is Something?
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And here we have our plural demonstrative adjectives:
So, if you observe these writing rules, your letter will be easy to read.
Caption 12, Business Life: Cover Letter
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I would have seen those keys in the grocery bag.
Caption 43, Parts of Speech: Modal Verbs - Part 4
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Further Learning
You will find hundreds of examples of "this," "that," "these," and "those" on Yabla English.
A personal pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun representing people, animals or objects.
The first person singular pronoun "I" usually refers to yourself (or the speaker). In the plural form it is "we."
I really am passionate about this.
Caption 24, Business English - The Job Interview
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Well, we are very excited to have you with us!
Caption 16, Business English - Starting on a New Job
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The second person pronoun "you" can be singular or plural and usually refers to the person or persons you are addressing.
What will you have for lunch?
Caption 23, Caralie and Annie - Get To Know Each Other
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The third person pronoun refers to someone other than the person you are speaking to, and is "he" (male) or "she" (female) or "it" (object) in singular, "they" in plural:
She is elegant and we wish her luck this weekend.
Caption 32, Taylor Swift - Prom Party
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They thought it was a hoax.
Caption 7, Soccer World Cup - Australia
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Further Learning
Read the personal pronoun article in English and in your native language to help you understand the basics. Write a simple sentence in your native language for each of the personal pronouns, then translate them to English. Search for some personal pronouns on Yabla English and see some different examples of how they are used in context.