Demonstratives

Demonstratives are words like this, that, these, and those. They can do two different jobs in a sentence -- they can work as determiners (before a noun) or as pronouns (on their own, replacing a noun).

What You'll Learn

• The difference between a demonstrative determiner and a demonstrative pronoun
• How to tell whether a demonstrative is working as a determiner or a pronoun in a sentence
• How to use demonstratives correctly in both roles

When to Use

1. As a determiner (before a noun): "This book belongs to me." (This tells us which book.)
2. As a pronoun (replacing a noun): "This is mine." (This stands in for the noun -- we already know what it refers to.)
3. Pointing to something far away: "Those bags on the shelf are heavy." (determiner) / "Those are heavy." (pronoun)
4. Comparing two things: "This cake is chocolate, but that one is vanilla."

How to Form

Demonstrative Determiners (before a noun)

A demonstrative determiner always appears right before a noun. It describes which noun you mean.

Examples:

• This pencil is sharp.
• That building is the library.
• These cookies taste delicious.
• Those birds are flying south.

Demonstrative Pronouns (on their own)

A demonstrative pronoun stands alone. It takes the place of a noun that has already been mentioned or is clearly understood.

Examples:

• This is my favourite colour.
• That is the hawker centre near my block.
• These are the stickers I collected.
• Those were the best holidays ever.

How to Tell the Difference

Key Rules

1. Determiner = demonstrative + noun: When a demonstrative word appears right before a noun, it is a determiner. It describes the noun. ("That cat is cute.")
2. Pronoun = demonstrative alone: When a demonstrative word appears without a noun after it, it is a pronoun. It replaces the noun. ("That is cute.")
3. Match singular and plural: Use this / that with singular nouns. Use these / those with plural nouns. This rule applies to both determiners and pronouns.
4. Near vs far still matters: This / these for things close to you. That / those for things far from you. The near-far rule works the same whether the word is a determiner or a pronoun.
5. "This is" vs "This + noun": A quick test -- if you can remove the demonstrative and the sentence still has a noun as the subject, it was a determiner. If removing it leaves no subject, it was a pronoun.

Common Mistakes

Clue Words

Determiner clue -- a noun follows:

Look for a noun right after this, that, these, or those: this cake, that shop, these flowers, those children

Pronoun clue -- a verb follows (or end of sentence):

Look for a verb (is, are, was, were) right after the demonstrative: This is fun, That was great, These are mine, Those were nice

Tip: Ask yourself: "Is there a noun right after the demonstrative?" If yes, it is a determiner. If no, it is a pronoun. Remember: D for Demonstrative + Noun = Determiner. P for Pronoun = standing alone.

Practice Tips

1. The "remove it" test: Try removing the demonstrative from the sentence. If the sentence still has a subject noun, the demonstrative was a determiner ("This pen is blue" becomes "Pen is blue" -- still has a subject). If the subject disappears, it was a pronoun ("This is blue" becomes "Is blue" -- no subject left).
2. Label the job: When you read a sentence, circle the demonstrative and write "D" for determiner or "P" for pronoun next to it. Check if a noun follows right after.
3. Rewrite practice: Take a sentence with a demonstrative determiner and rewrite it using a demonstrative pronoun. For example, "These mangoes are sweet" becomes "These are sweet." This helps you see how the two roles connect.

Quick Reference