Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns

Demonstrative adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives have two singular forms (this, that) and two plural forms (these, those). These adjectives are used to designate proximity to an object, or to distinguish between an object that is close (in time or space) and one that is more remote. Usually "this" and "these" signal proximity, while "that" and "those" suggest distance:

• These books are too expensive.
• This car is responsive.
• That man irritates me!
• This hotel is more expensive than that one.

Demonstrative pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns have the same form as the demonstrative adjectives, but are used without the nouns to which they refer. In the singular, when designating a specific object, the pronoun "one" is often added:

• These tomatoes are fresher than those.
• These are better than those.
• Would you like a little of this?
• That strikes me as really weird!
• The book is more interesting than that one. 

  In front of a relative pronoun, the demonstrative pronoun becomes "the one" or "the ones" (when speaking of things), or "he / she who", "they who" (when speaking of people):

• This film is the one that you hated so much.
• He who eats well works well.
• This pen is the one with which the President signed the new law.

Related topics

• Relative pronouns
• Subject pronouns
• Reflexive pronouns
• Object pronouns
• Reciprocal pronouns
• Possessive pronouns

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