Demonstrative Pronoun
The demonstrative pronouns and
demonstrative adjectives modify nouns - the most popular are this, that,
these and those. The only difference between demonstrative
pronouns and demonstrative adjectives is that demonstrative adjectives are
followed by nouns while demonstrative pronouns are not.
Defining
a Demonstrative Pronoun
Demonstrative pronouns are the same pronouns used
for demonstrative adjectives - this, that, these and those. The difference
is in the sentence structure.
- The demonstative pronoun takes the place of the noun
phrase.
- The demonstrative adjective is always followed by a
noun.
For example, here are some
demonstrative pronouns that are taking the place of the underlined noun phrase:
- The food you’re cooking smells delicious. --> That smells delicious.
- The pretzel-like yoga move we’re doing really hurts. --> This really hurts.
- What is the strange, polka-dotted, Sasquatch-like
creature coming toward us? --> What is that?
- The cockroaches currently giving birth under our
kitchen sink are totally gross. -->
Those are totally gross.
- The delicious, pink petit fours on my plate are my favorites. --> These are my favorites.
There are three other words that are
sometimes used as demonstrative pronouns - such, none, and neither.
Examples are:
- He will allow none.
- Neither
will do.
- Such
is the human race, often it seems a pity that Noah... didn't miss the
boat. - Mark Twain
Using
a Demonstrative Pronoun
Typically, when you use a
demonstrative pronoun, you will either need to indicate what you’re talking
about by pointing or otherwise gesturing toward it, or your listener(s) will
need to be looking at it as well. For this reason, demonstrative pronouns are
mostly used in spoken English.
However, demonstrative pronouns can
be used in written English if the context makes clear the noun to which the
demonstrative pronoun refers. A list, for example, in close proximity to
(either before or after) “these” or “those” would be clear enough.
- “Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright
copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with
strings – these are a few of my favorite things.”
Or you could refer to a description
of an object, activity or situation as “this” or “that” if you do so
immediately following the description.
- They make you wear rented shoes, you always smell bad
when you leave, my thumb nail always breaks off, and I’m not good at it.
That is why I hate bowling.
Defining
a Demonstrative Adjective
As mentioned earlier, the four demonstrative adjectives are this, that,
these and those. They are adjectives because they modify nouns.
That means they come before nouns in a sentence. For example:
- Is this book yours or mine?
- Did you finally throw away that old t-shirt?
- These shoes
smell disgusting.
- I told you those old magazines were a fire
hazard.
Demonstrative adjectives indicate exactly which
noun the speaker means and where it is (or they are) relative to the position
of the speaker.
- If the noun in question is nearby, he uses this
(singular) or these (plural).
- If the noun is out of the speaker’s reach, he uses that
(singular) or those (plural).
Then he always follows the
demonstrative with any other accompanying adjectives in their proper order and
finally, the noun.
So what is a demonstrative pronoun?
It’s a single demonstrative word that takes the place of a noun, a noun phrase,
a string of noun phrases, an activity, or a situation in both written and
spoken English.
