The Major Difference Between This and These: A pronoun is a word that can also function as a noun phrase when used by itself or refers either to the participants in the discourse or to someone or something when mentioned elsewhere in the discussion. The easiest way to see a pronoun is as a word that replaces the noun is a sentence. So in this article, we will show you the major difference between this and these.
There are various types of pronouns which include interrogative pronouns, personal pronouns, indefinite pronouns, reciprocal pronouns, possessive pronouns, relative pronouns, intensive pronouns, reflexive pronouns and demonstrative pronouns.
Demonstrative pronouns are the type of pronouns used to point to something specific within a sentence. These pronouns can show items in space or time, and they can either be singular or plural. Demonstrative pronouns are typically used to describe animals, places, or things, but they can be used to describe people when the person is identified.
Some examples of a demonstrative pronoun include those, these, this, such, that.
This and These
‘This’ is usually used to describe a singular countable noun and ‘these’ is a pronoun used for plural countable nouns. Countable nouns are nouns that can be counted so they have a plural form to represent when the item is more than one while a non-countable noun, on the other hand, has no plural form.
Examples of ‘This’ and ‘These’ Pronoun
1. What does this place remind you of?
2. Is this what she means?
3. I’ll post these letters on my way to school.
4. This was my father’s car.
5. This is where the story ended.
6. These were the girls who broke the door.
7. These blades cut well.
8. These clothes are beautiful, aren’t they?
9. I wonder if she’ll recognize you after all these years.
10. Aren’t these cats hungry?
The Major Difference between ‘This’ and ‘These’
1. The pronoun ‘this’ is usually used with singular and uncountable nouns.
Example:
Try to repeat this routine every day.
2. The pronoun ‘these’ is usually used with plural countable nouns.
Example:
She can drive any one of these cars.
3. The Pronoun ‘this’ is with words describing dates and time.
Example:
I’ll be coming over to your house this evening.
Bridget sounds pretty sad this afternoon.
Catherine will be in Africa this week.
4. Both “this” and “these” are often used to point things that are physically close to the speaker.
Example:
Why are you on this cap?
These aren’t the things I requested for.
5. “This” and “These” are used to refer to things or ideas.
Example:
Put the beef and red meat on the gas cooker. Then heat this over a low flame until it boils well.
These weren’t our first encounters with the Jews.
6. The pronoun “this” is used to refer to people when we want to identify ourselves or others or to ask for the identity of other speakers.
Example:
Michael, this is my mother, Mrs. Mary.
This is my best friend, Joshua.
7. ‘These’ is often used to indicate an object of view.
Example:
Do these belong to Kate Brandon?
8. Both pronouns are often used to identify emotional distance: In general, we use ‘this’ and ‘these’ to refer to things that we feel positive about or that we are happy to be associated with.
Example:
Isn’t this the lovely gift your dad bought for you?
I love these new pictures on your wall.
9. “This” is often used as a replacement for ‘a’ and ‘an’. In this case, ‘this’ is used to refer to something important or recent, or to introduce something or someone new in a story.
Example:
This guy defrauded John and his sister.
This Man isn’t good at repairing televisions.
10. Both pronouns are often used to replace determiners.