Questions tagged [demonstratives]
The demonstratives tag has no usage guidance.
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Using the indefinite article after a demonstrative pronoun
Why in the sentence
This is a great party!
use the indefinite article a rather than the definite article the? After all, the demonstrative pronoun This indicates that the conversation is about a ...
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Which demonstrative pronoun should be used in the following example?
I've made a story on Instagram, on which I've put a link to an image with music.
There you see a T-shirt with the titles of songs from the Untitled blink-182 album. On my story I wrote: "I love ...
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"These ones... Those ones..."-Are those phrases correct? [duplicate]
I was at my house and my mom asked me to get chips. I got the chips and said
These ones?
Then my mom said "yes" and then my dad said "It's best to just say these". Was my ...
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Demonstrative "which"?
I was watching a British panel show from the early 2000s, and at the end of each episode, a buzzer would indicate that the time was up.
What was strange was the way in which the host would react to ...
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singular vs plural in demonstrative clefts
I saw the Youtube video where a girl was explaining the meanings of the word "actually" and at the end said:
(1s) So that was the four ways that you can use "actually" but I've ...
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Is the following statement with 'which is what they now call' ambiguous?
Consider the sentence' "We arrived at Lok Kalyan Marg, which is what they now call Race Course Road." And the two meanings
Lok Kalyan Marg was the erstwhile name and Race Course Road is the ...
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Could someone tell me how to use ‘that which’ together in a sentence? [closed]
I’ve read various sentences in which ‘that which’ is used together.
user443644
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What is the difference between "this" and "that" in "How much is this/that watch"?
I am studying English and I would like to know the difference about "this" and "that" at this phrase translating to Portuguese.
In the image, the subject held the watch and said &...
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how to avoid duplication when object becomes subject in second half sentence: X has an Y, and this Y does Z
(1) A software project should comprise a test suite, and this suite should be ever growing.
How to avoid the duplication of suite?
(2) A software project should comprise a test suite that should be ...
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Demonstrative Pronouns
I understand that a demonstrative pronoun is a word that replaces a noun as if pointing to it. For example, "I want to buy a car. This one is cheap. Those are expensive." This and those are ...
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It is + demonstrative pronoun these
what would be the correct usage and difference in meaning in the sentences below:
It is these small steps that let us ...
or
These are the small steps that let us ...
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Difference in meaning between 'the' and 'that'
I have some doubts about the meaning of 'the' and 'that' in the following two constructions:
The house over there is mine.
That house over there is mine.
Is there any difference in meaning between '...
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Is "those" a demonstrative pronoun or a demonstrative adjective in this sentence?
In the sentence "Their routines are quite different from those who live in other countries." is "those" a demonstrative adjective or a demonstrative pronoun?
Thank you in advance ...
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When you call someone, do you say "Is this Mr Smith?" or "Is that Mr Smith?" when that person picks up? [duplicate]
I feel it should be this since am talking to the very same person, but for some reason I see some people saying “Is that XYZ?”
What are your thoughts about this bit of phone etiquette?
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Can 'this', as in 'this day' or 'on this day' be used for future reference?
I have recently stumbled upon this sentence:
5th June is perfect. Do you think you can come this day?
The time frame of the utterance was more than two weeks before the date mentioned. And I am ...
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Which one is correct in formal style? Why?
1) It's a habit of mine.
2) He’s a brother of Maria’s.
3) My salary is higher than that of Joe.
4) My salary is higher than that of Joe's
5) My salary is higher than that of theirs.
6) My ...
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Regarding " this"and "it"
"This"is used to specify objects placed closer.
"It "is used for non living things
I have seen sentences like
This is a pen.
My question is
It is a pen. .. ..... is correct?
Why can't we use" it" ...
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“These days are over” vs. “those days are over”
Consider a context like the following:
There was a time when the United Kingdom and France were the world's foremost political powers, heading empires that spanned every continent. These two ...
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How many demonstrative pronouns are there really?
Are there only four demonstrative pronouns this, that, these, and those in English, or are there more like thik which is a variation of this and that?
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Is "that which" grammatical in the sentence "I have that which I should have told you summers ago", and if so, how?
This is my first question although I have been reading you for a long time. My question is: can that which be used with the meaning of something?
For me, that is a demonstrative pronoun, so you can ...
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Combining demonstrative and possessive pronoun
I know of at least one language (German, although it’s considered old-fashioned nowadays) where it’s possible to combine demonstrative and possessive pronoun:
Diese deine Worte sind wahr.
These your ...
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In grammar, what do we call this specific usage of "this"?
In spoken American English, often times people who are telling a story use the determiner "this" not as a demonstrative, but rather as a word that serves to emphasize the impact of something....
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What is the difference between “that” and “the” in this context?
What is the difference between these two sentences:
In that third week of November, I started school.
and
In the third week of November, I started school.
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Demonstrative adjectives/pronouns
In the sentence 'Are those english newspapers?' the word 'those' is a demonstrative adjective or pronoun?
My english book says that a demonstrative is an adjective if it is followed by a noun (like ...
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Is it correct to say: These are not homework? [duplicate]
A teacher sent home a list of assignments with a cover letter explaining, "These are not homework."
"This is not homework," or "These pages are not homework," sound equally normal to me, but "These ...
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Should I use 'They' or 'These' here?
It's a test question from my daughter's English teacher. Here is the question.
There are some other things for her birthday. ____ are apples, bananas and some toys.
A. They B. These C. That
I ...
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Which one's correct - "this two" or "these two"?
I’m aware that ‘this’ is used for a singular thing while ‘these’ is used for plural. However, I also see people who use the phrase ‘this two’ so I’m not sure which one’s correct.
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This vs That in usage with concepts [duplicate]
So, the question that's always been bugging me is:
What is the proper usage of "This" and "That", not when it comes to objects or things, but when it comes to concepts.
For example, there's a ...
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Parsing: "This judge's conclusion" -- "this judge," "this conclusion," either? [closed]
What is the normal way to parse the following types of phrases?
A. [this X]'s Y
or
B. this [X's Y]
This man's opinion
This girl's idea
This judge's conclusion
This politician's ...
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What is the best word to describe a thing is large, complicated and intelligent? [closed]
I am writing a description for our product to present in a small demonstration next week. I've built a system that serves people to save time and utilize/optimize their work. I intend to write about ...
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Does "this is Ken and Mike" make sense?
In a book I saw the caption "this is Ken and Mike". Should it be "these are Ken and Mike" since it is plural? Or is there a certain rule that I am unaware of? Thanks.
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"This boys hat": Ambiguity of demonstative with possessive
A. [This boy]’s hat is cute.
B. This [boys’ hat] is cute.
In sentence A, "this" modifies "boy," and in sentence B, "this" modifies "boy's hat," as the brackets show.
Questions
What is ...
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Usage question about plural pronouns [closed]
Is there a great deal of difference in meaning between the following sentences?
These looked very different.
They looked very different.
They seem the same to me, but perhaps I am wrong.
...
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Genitive of this
Is there a genitive form of the word this in English?
For example:
The color of it -> Its color
The color of this -> ?
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Demonstrative Pronouns: This/That – Advanced Usage [duplicate]
When you learn about demonstrative pronouns, it seems like a really simple concept. This/these for nearby (physically, or with regards to time), that/those for distant things. Anywhere you go, online ...
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The difference between "it" and "he/she"
There seems to be a difference between these two pronouns besides the obvious one of animacy. I want to know if people agree or can point out the flaw in my thinking.
I've been attempting to wrangle ...
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Tricky middle school pronoun case question
My younger sister is reviewing for an upcoming exam using quia, which her teacher suggested.
She ran across the following question:
Help me carry _______ boxes into the house.
The options are '...
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'Her company is outperforming those of her competitors'
Why is the first sentence wrong out of the two given below?
*Her company is outperforming those of her competitors.
*Her company is outperforming the companies of her competitors.
The question is ...
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Are “this” and “next” demonstrative determiners?
Question 1: In the following, is this a demonstrative determiner:
I will go to the store this week.
Question 2: If so, then what class is next in the following:
I will go to the store next week....
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Confused about When to Use “these” and “those” [duplicate]
Example #1
This site contains links to books that I read. I recommend
these/those books.
NOTE: The links are on this site, but not on this page. The links are external links.
Should I use these or ...
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Should I Use “These” Books or “Those” Books [duplicate]
On this site there are links to books that I read. I recommend these/those books.
Below on this page there are links to books that I read. I recommend these/those books.
Should I use these or ...
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Should I Use “these” or “those” When I Refer to Something in the First Sentence?
I’ve posted 5 photos on my timeline. Have you seen these/those
photos? You’ll love these/those photos! These/Those photos were taken in France.
Should I use “these” or “those” when I refer to ...
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What does "screw up one eye" look like?
Here is a quote from Bertrand Russell's The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism.
I have never met a personage so destitute of self-importance. He looks at his visitors very closely, and screws up one ...
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'They are' or 'These are'
Which sentence sounds more natural?
These are first and foremost ethical, not medical questions.
They are first and foremost ethical, not medical questions.
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In answering a telephone call, why do you say "Who is this?" instead of "Who is that?"
On the telephone, the person answering it may say "Who is calling?" or "Who is this?"
Why do you say "this" to the caller on the other end of the phone? Is is wrong to say "Who is that?"
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"that of", "those of", and accuracy
I was writing something in a scientific context and came across this issue. (I have a feeling that I haven't searched the archive far enough and this might be a duplicate.)
In a sentence like
...
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Need explanation about demonstrative determiner
Does the demonstratives refer to the next word or previously mentioned statement?
The medieval center is Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. An evening view of these illuminated landmarks is one ...
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"Is this genuine?" versus "Is that genuine?" [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Using “that” and “this” interchangeably
“How did I do this” or “how did I do that”?
Since I'm French-Canadian, I have a hard ...
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"This" vs "that" [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Using “that” and “this” interchangeably
I wanted to know the differences between this and that.
When do you use one or the other? For example:
Too ...
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What's the difference between "these" and "those"?
First of all, I'm not a native English speaker, but in school I learned that these is used if referring to something near, and those is used when referring to something far away (temporally or locally)...
