these/they

Question

DearAre these your keys?   Yes, they are.That is your seat?   Yes, it is.I know the above answer sentences are correct.However,    Yes, these are.   Yes, that is.   please explain why I can not use in these ways?Thank you in advance

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,
Are these your keys? Yes, they are.

That is your seat? Yes, it is.

I know the above answer sentences are correct.
However,

Yes, these are.
Yes, that is.

please explain why I can not use in these ways? It's correct grammar. You can say these things that way if you want to. But it's not idiomatic. Native speakers don't usually say these things that way.

Best wishes, Clive

AlpheccaStars · Answer

That is your seat? Yes, it is. (not correct)
The correct pair is:

Is that your seat? Yes, it is. or Yes, that is my seat. or No, that one is.
This, that, these, and those are demonstrative pronouns. These pronouns refer to specific things. They require a context that indicates the thing or things that are being referenced. The personal pronouns are grammatically more independent and don't need as much context..
In sentences with the verb "be", the reference can be a predicate noun, pronoun, or adjective.
This is delicious. (predicate adjective)
That is my seat. (noun)

"These are. " and "That is." sound incomplete. There is not enough context for the demonstrative pronoun as subject.

CalifJim · Answer

mboutiAre these your keys? Yes, they are.

That is your seat? Yes, it is.

I know the above answer sentences are correct.
However,

Yes, these are.
Yes, that is.

please explain ...

Reviewing the basics, for inanimates you have the following.

Demonstratives -- singular: this, that = the one/thing here, the one/thing there, in contrast to others

Corresponding pronoun: it = the thing mentioned previously

Demonstratives -- plural: these, those = the ones/things here, the ones/things there, in contrast to others

Corresponding pronoun: they = the things mentioned previously
____
So here's what is being said. Note the underlines, indicating voice stress. This position of the stress gives emphasis to the "Yes" idea.
-- Is that your seat? = Is the seat there your seat?
-- Yes, it is. = Yes, the thing you just mentioned is (my seat).
-- Are these your keys? = Are the keys here your keys?
-- Yes, they are. = Yes, the things you just mentioned are (my keys).
____
Demonstratives are used contrastively. To the native speaker, they seem inappropriate without a contrast. The voice stress is on the demonstrative, not on the verb. With the demonstratives, you don't stress is to emphasize the "Yes" idea. You only draw attention to this (or these) in contrast to that (or those).

-- Is that your seat?
-- Yes. That is (, but not this).

-- Are these your keys?
-- Yes. These are (, but not those).
If you are asked if a certain seat (or certain keys) are yours, the expected answer is "Yes" or "No". It doesn't make sense for your answer to focus on which seat (or keys) is (are) in question in contrast to some other seat (or keys). The questioner has already set the focus on which seat or keys you are talking about.
___

On the other hand, if you are asked to decide between this or that (these or those) with a "Which?" question, you have:
-- Which seat is yours?
-- That (one) is. (Not this one. Not the others.)

-- Which keys are yours?
-- These are. (Not those. Not the others.)
____
So if you are asked "Are these your keys?", you should answer "They are", that is, "The ones (=The keys) you just mentioned are my keys" -- not "These are", that is, "The keys that are here but not others elsewhere are my keys".
But if you are asked "Which are your keys?", you should answer "These are", that is, "The keys that are here, not others elsewhere", not "They are", that is, "The ones (=The keys) you just mentioned are my keys". (In this case, no particular keys were mentioned at all, so it's more obvious why "They are" is wrong.)
___
In short, if asked "Is?" or "Are?", answer "Yes" or "No", stress the verb, and don't use demonstratives, because they answer the question "Which?".
If asked "Which?", answer with demonstratives, stress the demonstratives, and don't answer with it or they, because they answer "Yes/No" questions.
___
However, if you have to answer "No" to a "Yes/No" question, you may add further information to specify "Which?", thus:
-- Is that your seat?
-- No. (It isn't.) This is. [pointing to a different seat]
-- Are these your keys?
-- No. (They aren't.) Those are. [pointing to different keys]
CJ

Fandorin · Answer

Thank you, CJ. <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

BarbaraPA · Answer

Wow. This is one of those responses that Hitch asks about: the ones that are so complete and thorough that they should be the ones referred to in the future.

Great explanation, CJ.

CalifJim · Answer

Thanks, GG!
Strange, isn't it? The smaller the words (it, they, this, ...), the more explanation they require!

CJ

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