Demonstratives are words that are used to indicate or point to a specific thing, person, or idea. In language arts, we use demonstratives to help us to communicate more effectively and to avoid confusion in our writing.
There are four primary demonstratives
- This
- That
- These
- Those
This and that are singular demonstratives, while these and those are plural demonstratives.
This refers to something that is near to the speaker or the writer, while that refers to something that is farther away from the speaker or the writer.
These refers to things that are near to the speaker or the writer and are plural, while those refers to things that are farther away from the speaker or the writer and are plural.
Examples of demonstratives in sentences:
- This is my favorite book. (referring to a specific book near the speaker)
- That is a beautiful sunset. (referring to a specific sunset far from the speaker)
- These are the cookies I baked this morning. (referring to specific cookies near the speaker)
- Those are the mountains we climbed last summer. (referring to specific mountains far from the speaker)
Demonstratives are also used in conjunction with nouns to clarify what is being referred to.
For example:
- This book on the table is my favorite. (referring to a specific book on the table near the speaker)
- That restaurant near the park is really good. (referring to a specific restaurant near the park, far from the speaker)
- These chairs in the living room are comfortable. (referring to specific chairs in the living room near the speaker)
- Those houses on the hill are beautiful. (referring to specific houses on the hill far from the speaker)
It is important to note that demonstratives can change depending on the context in which they are used. For example, “this” could refer to a specific object near the speaker in one sentence, while in another sentence it could refer to a specific point being made in a conversation.
Demonstratives are useful tools in language arts to help us to communicate more effectively and avoid confusion. By using this, that, these, and those, we can indicate specific things, people, or ideas and clarify our writing.