Demonstrative Adjectives
In these lessons, we will learn demonstrative adjectives and how to distinguish them from demonstrative pronouns.
Related Pages
Demonstrative Pronouns
English Adjectives
Personal Pronouns
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 that and 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.
Example:
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.
Difference between Demonstrative Pronouns and Demonstrative Adjectives
Be careful to differentiate between a demonstrative pronoun and demonstrative adjective.
A demonstrative pronoun stands alone whereas a demonstrative adjective describes a noun.
Examples:
That is good. (that is a demonstrative pronoun)
That soup is good. (that is a demonstrative adjective because it describes the soup)
The following table gives some examples to illustrate the difference between Demonstrative Adjectives and Pronouns.
How to recognize demonstrative pronouns and avoid adjective confusion?
Demonstrative Adjectives and Demonstrative Pronouns
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