How to Spot Demonstrative Pronouns

When it comes to pronouns, deciphering their use can be like picking letters out of alphabet soup. However, with a little knowledge about how different types of pronouns work, you can get better at recognizing their uses in sentences. The pronouns we call "demonstrative" pronouns are ones that point to another noun implicitly. Here's how to recognize demonstrative pronouns in a sentence.

Instructions

1. Identify demonstrative pronouns. The demonstrative pronouns used in English are: this, that, those and these.

2. Break demonstrative pronouns down into their categories. You can see that these and those are the plurals of the other two. Another way to classify demonstrative pronouns is between the immediate ones: this and these, and the indirect references: that and those. Immediate vs. indirect is a good thing to recognize to understand how demonstrative pronouns work.

3. Look for sentences where nouns are not directly named. This is where demonstrative pronouns really come in handy. In sentences where the speakers or writers don't name proper nouns or even describe a concrete noun, a demonstrative pronoun fills in the gap. EX: "I got those folders filled, but what about these?" Here we assume that 'these' refers to more folders, unless the speaker is dealing with other items as well. Then hunting back through a text will reveal the right answer.

4. Use context. When you see your demonstrative pronoun standing alone, you need to roll back the tape in your head to see what the speaker or writer might be referring to. Ex: "What can I do with this?" In this case, "this" refers to something, probably an item the speaker is holding in his hand. To know what it is, you have to look at the sentences and paragraphs around the sentence to pick out the noun that's being referred to.

5. Check all clauses of a sentence. Demonstrative pronouns are famous for hiding out in long sentences. Remember, any time a speaker or writer makes a vague reference, check to see if they are using one of your demonstrative pronouns and what they mean by it. EX: "I checked the doors and windows. Then I did the faxes. I have a folder in my hand I've been working on, and I've had a very long day, and I just don't know what to do with this!" Here, the noun is hiding out in the part of the sentence where the speaker says "I have a folder in my hand" which is linked to the last word: this.