This/these, that/those (adjetivos y pronombres demostrativos)

1. This beach was quite empty last year. This exhibition will be open until the end of May. This people come from that hotel over there. What does that notice say? That exhibition closed a month ago. He was dismissed on the 13th. That night the factory went on fire. Do you see those birds at the top of the tree? This diet of mine isn’t having much effect. My diet isn’t having much effect. That car of Ann’s is always breaking down. Ann’s car is always breaking down.

[Usados como adjetivos, los demostrativos concuerdan con sus nombres en número. Son los únicos adjetivos que lo hacen. ‘this/these/that/those + nombre + of + yours/hers etc . o Ann’s’ se emplea a veces, por razones de énfasis, en lugar de ‘your/her etc. + nombre.’]

2. This is my umbrella. That’s yours. These are the old classrooms. Those are the new ones. Who’s that (man over there)? – That’s Tom Jones. «That was the concerto in C minor by Vivaldi,» (after a radio programme.) ANN (to TOM): This is my brother Hugh. ANN (to Hugh): Hugh, this is Tom Jones. TELEPHONE CALLER: Good morning I am Tom Jones. Good morning. This is Tom Jones. Good morning. Tom here. Those who couldn’t walk were carried in stretchers. They’re digging up my road. They do this every summer. He said I wasn’t a good wife. Wasn’t that a horrible thing to say?

[‘this is’ se usa en presentaciones. Al teléfono ‘I am …’ es más formal que ‘this is …’ y ‘el nombre propio de quien llama + here,’ la opción más informal. ‘those’ puede ir seguido de una oración de relativo especificativa.]

3. This chair is too low. I’ll sit in that. This chair is too low I’ll sit in that one. I like this best. I like this one best. I like this blue one. I like these blue ones.

[Cuando hay una idea de comparación o selección, el pronombre ‘one’/’ones’ se coloca frecuentemente a continuación de estos pronombres. No es esencial, salvo cuando ‘this’ etc. va seguido de un adjetivo.]