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Anonymous Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
This, that, these, those
0 Greetings one and all. 02 br
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00 I'm quite perplexed about the usage of this/that/these/those when used in formal/academic writing. Not knowing a lot about grammar, I always thought that "this" and "these" were present tenses while "that" and "those" were past tenses. At uni I always try to write in a formal style, so I often use that and those. However, after reading a little on grammar, it would seem as if I was wrong. While I understand that what determines their use is distance, I get confused when I read novels and academic works, where this/that/these/those seem to be interchangable. For example, I often read the terms "these ideas", "those ideas", and I don't understand. 02 br
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00 Any help would be welcome! 02 br
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00 Jim 0-
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00 I'm quite perplexed about the usage of this/that/these/those when used in formal/academic writing. Not knowing a lot about grammar, I always thought that "this" and "these" were present tenses while "that" and "those" were past tenses. At uni I always try to write in a formal style, so I often use that and those. However, after reading a little on grammar, it would seem as if I was wrong. While I understand that what determines their use is distance, I get confused when I read novels and academic works, where this/that/these/those seem to be interchangable. For example, I often read the terms "these ideas", "those ideas", and I don't understand. 02 br
02 br
00 Any help would be welcome! 02 br
02 br
00 Jim 0-
Top answer
02 br 02 br 00 This is a word : These are words = the first is singular, the second is plural. 02 br 02 br 01 font 00 This book is very easy to read. 02 br 00 This cat is a Siamese cat.
- 02 br 02 br 00 This is a word : These are words = the first is singular, the second is plural.
- 02 br 02 br 01 font 00 This book is very easy to read.
- 02 br 00 This cat is a Siamese cat.
- 02 br 00 The glasses go on this table.
- 02 font 02 br 02 br 00 That was a bird; Those were birds = the first is singular, the second is plural.
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4 Answers
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0 This/That/These/Those are not verbs and therefore do not have tenses. 02 br
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00 They are pronouns. 02 br
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00 This is a word : These are words = the first is singular, the second is plural. 02 br
00 "This/These" refer to things that are near OR identify something specific. 02 br
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01 font 00 This b
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00 They are pronouns. 02 br
02 br
00 This is a word : These are words = the first is singular, the second is plural. 02 br
00 "This/These" refer to things that are near OR identify something specific. 02 br
02 br
01 font 00 This b
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0 These terms (this/that/these/those) are a little bit interchangable. (For example, I could have said, "Those terms" instead of "These terms.") This and That are used with singular nouns (This idea) and These and Those are plural (These ideas). It has nothing to do with present or past tense. It has to do with distance. One should use This/These rather than That/Those to refer to the topic(s) j
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"He walked on the street's curb, holding out his arms for balance as though in a high-wire act. This would be a night that changed everything."
My question is regarding "This would be..." whether "This" refers to the present or past by virtue of relationship to the third person voice. Should it be avoided and substituted with "It would be"?
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