Demonstratives are words that point to specific nouns, like this, that, these, and those. In English Grammar and Usage, they show which thing, person, or idea you mean and how close it feels in space, time, or context.
Demonstratives are pointing words in English that help you identify exactly which noun you mean. The main forms are this, that, these, and those. They can work as adjectives, as in "this book," or as pronouns, as in "This is mine."
In grammar terms, demonstratives show distance. This and these usually point to something near the speaker, while that and those point to something farther away. That distance can be physical, but it can also be about time or context. For example, "this morning" feels closer to now than "that morning," and "these ideas" can refer to ideas just mentioned in a conversation or text.
A demonstrative does more than replace a noun. It narrows down the reference. If you say "that one," you are not naming the thing, but you are still telling the listener which item to pick out from a group. In writing, that makes a sentence less vague and keeps readers from guessing whether you mean one person, one object, or one idea among several.
The adjective and pronoun forms work a little differently. As adjectives, demonstratives come before a noun, like "those shoes" or "that answer." As pronouns, they stand alone and act like the noun itself, like "Those are expensive" or "This is the best option." The sentence still needs a clear context so the reader knows what "those" or "this" points to.
Demonstratives also show up in reported speech and sequence of tenses work because the speaker's point of view may shift. A person saying "This is my seat" in the original moment might become "He said that that was his seat" in reported speech, depending on how the reference point changes. That shift can feel strange at first because English often changes both the time frame and the pointer word at the same time.
One common mistake is using a demonstrative when the noun is already clear without it. Another is leaving the reference too vague, especially in long paragraphs. If you write "This was interesting," the reader may need the previous sentence to know what "this" refers to. In strong grammar and usage, demonstratives keep the reader oriented without making the sentence cluttered.
Demonstratives matter because they are one of the fastest ways English shows reference. A single word can tell you not just what noun is being named, but also whether the speaker is treating it as near, far, current, or already mentioned. That makes demonstratives a big part of clarity in both speaking and writing.
In English Grammar and Usage, they connect directly to sentence precision. If you mix up this and that, or these and those, the sentence can sound awkward or point to the wrong thing. This shows up a lot in editing, where the task is not just to "use the right word," but to make sure the noun reference matches the situation.
They also matter in reported speech, because the reference point changes when you retell someone else's words. A sentence can shift from "this" to "that" when the original speaker is no longer speaking from the same moment. That makes demonstratives a useful bridge between pronouns, adjectives, time expressions, and tense changes.
They also help with cohesion in paragraphs. When a writer uses a demonstrative to refer back to an idea, the reader can follow the thread without repeating the whole noun phrase every time. In class writing, that can be the difference between a sentence that feels smooth and one that sounds repetitive or confusing.
Keep studying English Grammar and Usage Unit 8
Visual cheatsheet
view galleryPronouns
Demonstratives can act as pronouns when they stand in for a noun phrase instead of modifying one. In a sentence like "This is better," the demonstrative is doing the job of the noun itself. That makes pronouns the bigger category, while demonstratives are one specific kind that points to something in the context.
Adjectives
When a demonstrative comes before a noun, it works like an adjective. In "those posters" or "this answer," the word is describing which noun you mean, not replacing it. This connection matters in editing because the same form can change function depending on whether a noun follows.
Tense
Demonstratives often change when tense changes in reported speech. If the original statement is moved into the past, the reference point can shift too, so this may become that. The tense change and the demonstrative change work together to keep the timeline and point of view consistent.
time expressions
Demonstratives often work with time expressions such as now, today, yesterday, or then. A phrase like "this week" signals a time close to the speaker, while "that week" pushes the time farther away. In reported speech, time words and demonstratives often need to be adjusted together.
A quiz item or sentence-editing question might ask you to choose the right demonstrative in context or revise a reported-speech sentence after the speaker changes. You may need to tell whether the word is acting as an adjective or a pronoun, then check if the reference is near, far, current, or previously mentioned. In a passage-analysis task, look for how demonstratives keep a paragraph cohesive by pointing back to a noun, an event, or an idea without repeating it. In reported speech items, the usual move is to shift the demonstrative so the sentence matches the new point of view, especially when the original speaker said this or these.
Demonstratives are a type of pronoun, but not every pronoun is a demonstrative. The confusion happens because this, that, these, and those can stand alone or modify nouns, while other pronouns like I, she, it, or they simply replace a noun without showing distance. If the word is pointing to something by context or proximity, it is a demonstrative.
Demonstratives are pointing words like this, that, these, and those.
They can work as adjectives before a noun or as pronouns on their own.
The choice between near and far forms depends on space, time, or context.
In reported speech, a demonstrative may shift when the speaker's point of view changes.
Clear demonstratives make sentences easier to follow because they tell the reader exactly what is being referenced.
Demonstratives are words that point to a specific noun or idea, usually this, that, these, and those. In English Grammar and Usage, they show distance, context, or time from the speaker's point of view. They can act as adjectives, like "this car," or pronouns, like "That is mine."
In reported speech, demonstratives can shift because the original speaker's perspective is no longer the current one. A word like this may become that if the reference is being retold from a later or different viewpoint. The goal is to keep the sentence clear and consistent with the new reporting context.
They can be both. When a demonstrative comes before a noun, it acts like an adjective, as in "those shoes." When it stands alone, it works as a pronoun, as in "Those are mine."
This usually points to something near, current, or recently mentioned, while that points to something farther away or less immediate. The distance can be physical, but it can also be about time or context. In writing, the choice helps readers know which noun or idea you mean.