what to use, this or these? help

Question

0 Hi, can anyone please tell me which is right? "There are this boy, this girl, these ducks."  or "There is this boy, this girl, these ducks." Help. thanks0-

Pieanne · Accepted Answer

0I favour your second solution. Others may disagree, though 050010id1

CalifJim · Answer

0 They are both somewhat unusual and somewhat contradictory.02br
01i00there02i00 (as an adverb of place) is associated with things that are at some distance from the speaker (in contrast to 01i00here02i00).02br
01i00this02i00 and 01i00these02i00 are associated with things that are near the speaker (in contrast to 01i00that 02i00and 01i00those02i00).02br
02br
01i00There are this boy and this girl02i00 says 01i02br
00 In that position at a distance from me are the boy near me and the girl near me.02i02br
00That doesn't make a lot of sense. 05002br
02br
00 How about 01i00That boy and that girl are there02i00 or 01i00This boy and this girl are here02i00 ??? I think these are better.02br
01i00_______02i02br
02br
01i00there02i00 (as the adverb of existence) is only used with indefinite determiners in the typical cases. The demonstratives 01i00this, that, these, 02i00and01i00 those02i00 just don't go with 01i00there02i00 (of existence) except in special circumstances not operative in the examples we are discussing here. Moreover, an expression of location is often used with 01i00there02i00 (of existence).02br
02br
01i00There are a boy and a girl next to the car.02br
00 There are some ducks in the pond.02br
00 There is a boy at the door. There is a duck on the lawn.02i02br
02br
00 CJ02br
010id1

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you Cliff,,,,,,,,,,

what to use, this or these? help

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