Demonstrative Adjective
What are demonstrative adjectives?
The words this, these, that, those, and what are demonstrative adjectives. We use them to tell our listeners which thing or person we mean.
We use this and that before singular nouns and we use these and those before plural nouns.
This and these are used to indicate that the items are fairly close at hand, while thatand those tend to indicate that the items that are further away.
The following table gives the demonstrative adjectives: this, that, these, those. Scroll down the page for examples and explanations.
This apartment needs to be painted. (this is a demonstrative adjective to indicate which apartment)
He lives in this house
How much is that bag?
Bring me that book.
Would you like these oranges?
I am keeping these pencils.
I am selling those books.
Please give me those clothes.
What are demonstrative adjectives and how do we use them?
Adjectives gives additional information about nouns or pronouns.
Descriptive adjectives tell us something about the quality of a noun or pronoun.
Possessive adjectives show possession.
Demonstrative adjectives tell us whether an object is near or far from the speaker. There are only 4 demonstrative adjectives.
This - refers to a single person, place or thing that is near the speaker.
That - refers to a single person, place or thing that is far from the speaker.
These - refers to more than one persons, places or things that are near the speaker.
Those - refers to more than one persons, places or things that are far from the speaker.
The words this, these, that, those, and what are demonstrative adjectives. We use them to tell our listeners which thing or person we mean.
We use this and that before singular nouns and we use these and those before plural nouns.
This and these are used to indicate that the items are fairly close at hand, while thatand those tend to indicate that the items that are further away.
This apartment needs to be painted. (this is a demonstrative adjective to indicate which apartment)
He lives in this house
How much is that bag?
Bring me that book.
Would you like these oranges?
I am keeping these pencils.
I am selling those books.
Please give me those clothes.
Adjectives are words which describe nouns or pronouns. Demonstrative adjectives are one among seven types of Adjectives.
Demonstrative Adjectives are those Adjectives which refer to people or things near or far from the speaker in terms of distance and time. These Adjectives point out and modify nouns in order to let us know which nouns we are being referred to.
The major function of Demonstrative Adjectives is to let the listener or reader have a clear idea about nouns being talked about.
Types of Demonstrative Adjectives
There are two types of Demonstrative Adjectives. They are:
- Singular Demonstrative Adjectives
- Plural Demonstrative Adjectives
Singular Demonstrative Adjectives
Singular Demonstrative Adjectives are those adjectives which refer to people or things which are close to the speaker in terms of distance and time. There are few Singular Demonstrative Adjectives. They are:
This
Examples:
- If you make this noise again, I will punch you.
- Can you pass me this red pen?
- Is this yours or mine?
- How is this idea of going to swim?
- This place is beautiful and peaceful.
- This is my dream girl.
- Is this what you cooked?
That/Yonder/Yon (it means in a distant but within sight)
Examples:
- He is not so sure that he can dance.
- That is madness.
- That is his car.
- Is that booking his?
- That is their workplace.
- They went to clean yon temples.
- Yonder beggar-who is he?
Former
- The former education minister was a corrupt person.
- The former policy was not so progressive.
- The country was destroyed by the former government.
- The former idea was accepted by everyone.
- I took the former offer.
- He has blamed his former wife.
Latter
- He preferred the latter option.
- In the latter part of the century women started getting their rights.
- In these latter days of inflation people suffered a lot.
- In the latter part of the story the prince kills the princess.
- In these latter days of suffering we should help each other.
- In that latter decision people may be pleased.
- In the latter class people came up with new ideas.
Plural Demonstrative Adjectives
Plural Demonstrative Adjectives are those adjectives which refer to people or things far from the speaker in terms of distance and time. There are two Plural Demonstrative Adjectives. They are:
These
Examples:
- These skirts are my favorite summer clothes to wear in college.
- Eat these chocolate muffins.
- These shoes belong to my lovely mother.
- Buy him these groceries from the market.
- These cupcakes look so tasty.
- The boys who threw these torn sheets will be punished.
- These singers came to our town to sing in the yearly fair.
Those
Examples:
- Can you pass me those laptops, please?
- Do not go to meet those liars again without informing us.
- Those pens in my room don’t write anymore.
- Those employers who do not care about employees are selfish and immoral.
- Those socks are wet and smelly.
- Should we edit those plays or write new ones?
- Why doesn’t he forgive those naughty students?
Use of Numbers As Demonstrative Adjectives
Ordinal numbers can be used to express order and show distance in space and time as Demonstrative Adjectives.
For example
- For my fifth birthday, I got a toy car.
- The first time I saw her, I knew she was the one.
- Even in the twenty-first century, so many taboos still exist in society.
Confusion with Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative Adjectives are often confused as Demonstrative Pronouns. This may be because words like this, that, these and those are both Demonstrative Adjectives and Demonstrative Pronouns. However, we should clearly understand that these words as Demonstrative pronouns do not modify nouns and stand alone.
| Use as Adjectives | Use as Pronoun |
|---|---|
| This pizza is very tasty. | This is a tasty pizza. |
| Those boys are playing cricket. | These are my children - Scott and Ana. |
Grammar Exercise - Demonstratives
Complete with the right words demonstrative
- (Talking about a book in your hand) How could you buy something like this
? - (With a bowl of cherries on your lap) These cherries are delicious!
- (During a long walk) I should have worn those shoes I bought in Greece last year; these have never been comfortable.
- Could you bring me that book I left in the garden?
- (From the marriage vows) To have and to hold from this day forward.
- I hate those books which tell you: " this is what you have to do to become rich.".
- (About a picture hanging on the wall) those are my children.
- (About a picture you've just taken from your wallet) This is my wife.
Grammar Exercise - Demonstratives (2)
Complete with the right words (that, those, this or these).
- Waiter, I'm sorry to say it but this cake you have just served me is awful.
- I met him two five hours ago this morning.
- Look at those kids playning in the garden over there; they're so cute.
- Take one of those files from that table.
- He was sitting on that rocking chair he had bought from the flea market.
- Many parents complain about their children these days.
- Are you leaving this weekend?
- The jeans you have bought today are better than those you bought last month.
- We used to do it differently in those days
- You know the books I am carrying are just fantastic. I think these books will keep me company during this summer holiday.
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