These ones?

Question

What is the plural of the demonstrative pronoun "this one" .... these? or these ones?

Just the truth · Accepted Answer

Both  &  are commonly used in speech. For more formal situations and SWE,  isn't commonly used.

Casi · Answer

Technically, it's "these".

Just the truth · Answer

Technically, it's "these".

"technically", contains within, the concept, the feeling at the least, that there is something that is based on science. That demands much more than a smile, Casi.

CalifJim · Answer

From a lifetime of observation I can make the following conclusions:

In the U.S. among the educated, often urban and suburban population, and among the younger people the plural of "this one" is "these".

Among the uneducated, or inner city, or rural, or older population, the plural of "this one" is "these ones".

Among the very rural and impoverished, the plural of "this one" (pronounced "thissun") is "theasons" (rhymes with "reasons").

Choose for yourself who you want to imitate.

Zzzzjones · Answer

These responses are all good, insightful, and helpful... sort of the answers I anticipated. An answer that I also anticipated that is missing, however, is one that I thought I learned in my freshman college English course many years ago: "these ones" is reduntant... therefore, "these" is the only correct form (assuming the rule against reduntancy is to be respected.... obviously not always the necessary custom, especially in ordinary speech patterns and when there is deemed some special need for effect or emphasis).  Bottom line is that I thought there, perhaps, was a grammar rule that suggested which form was correct. Apparently, there is not... it is just usuage and custom.... and, maybe, pure fashion tending to help identify the differing generations and those with different educational backgrounds.  At least, in the USA. I am curious if the consensus is the same for other English speaking areas.

CalifJim · Answer

"these ones" is redundant

Well, yes, but then "this one" is equally redundant, isn't it?

Or is it that "this" and "that" alone are used to refer to abstract ideas and situations, whereas "these" and "those" are not used that way?

In that case, the function of "this" and "that" as abstractions and their function as pointers to particular instances of physical things can only be kept separate if we have "this" AND "this one", "that" AND "that one". On the other hand, the same cannot be said of "these" and "those"; they are always used as particular intances of things, so there's no need for separation into a "these" form and a "these ones" form -- same for "those" and "those ones".

To be consistent, there should be a "this" and a "that" for the more abstract or general use and "this one", "that one", "these ones", "those ones" for the more specific references, but the evolution of language is not always as neat as it could be!

MrPedantic · Answer

Technically speaking, this one is the norm:

and this one is an informal variant:

You rarely find these ones in SWE:

while these ones are almost unheard-of:

[6]

This is quite interesting:

as is this:

But as I say, those at the top are the most common ones.

MrP

Mister Micawber · Answer

I have deleted the lot of you.  I am deathly tired of it all.

Casi · Answer

Well, for some unknown reason, my post was deleted, JT, so let me try again, same words:

"These ones" is fine, but in terms of semantics (i.e., "technically"), the plural counterpart for "this one" is "these two (etc)".

Hope that helps.

Sorry, I should have defined my terms.
I'll do better next time.

Zzzzjones · Answer

The problem I see with this "technical" perspective is that it may be too narrow: the plural objects being referred to may not be merely "two" things, but may be more... maybe three +.

Hence, the generic "ones" seems to do the job especially well when there are such undefined multiple objects to refer to. Course, maybe just plain "these" is also quite adequate, if a non-technical view is considered???

These ones?

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