Demonstrative Pronoun Definition, Types, Rules and Examples

While learning about pronouns, we do learn about this, that, these and those in our sentences but never learn the umbrella term it comes under. In this blog, we will learn about the umbrella term it comes under, i.e., demonstrative pronoun. Here we will talk in detail about demonstrative pronouns’ meaning, its definition, types, examples and how to use these demonstrative pronouns in sentences. This blog serves as a perfect guide for you to learn about demonstrative pronouns in English and this will also improve your spoken English skills. If you are someone who is struggling with English grammar and looking for ways to learn it in English and Hindi, then this blog is a perfect guide for you. 

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What is a demonstrative pronoun?

Those pronouns which are used to indicate a particular person, thing or place are called Demonstrative Pronouns. There are four demonstrative pronouns commonly known in English,  “this”, “that”, “those”, and “these”.”This” is used to show closeness, as in “This dress is looking beautiful.” While “that” indicates distance, as in “That building is very tall.” “These” is used for the plural and shows closeness, as in “These play cards are mine.” “Those” is also plural, but it shows distance, as in “Those people are going to office.” Using these demonstrative pronouns increases the clarity and meaning of the sentence. For example, the “this” in “This garden is beautiful” represents the proximity of the garden, while the “that” in “That garden is beautiful” represents the remoteness of the garden. Thus, the use of demonstrative pronouns makes the sentence more clear and easy to understand.

 

Demonstrative Pronouns वो pronouns होते है जो किसी इंसान, जगह या चीज़ की तरफ इशारा करते हैं जैसे “this”, “that”, “those”, and “these” जिसे हिंदी में “यह”, “वह”, “ये” और “वे” कहते हैं। यह (this) और ये (these) का इस्तेमाल किसी पास की चीज़, जगह या इंसान के बारे में बताने के लिए किया जाता है। वहीं दूसरी तरफ वह (that) और वे (those) का इस्तेमाल किसी दूर की चीज़ के बारे में बताने के लिए किया जाता है। 

 

Definition of Demonstrative Pronoun

A type of pronoun that is used to point to specific people or things, indicating the relative distance of the noun from the speaker, either in terms of physical distance or in terms of context is known as demonstrative pronoun. 

 

वो सर्वनाम जो किसी चीज़, जगह या इंसान की स्थिति या वो कितना दूर है, ये बताते हैं उन्हें demonstrative pronoun कहते हैं। ये सर्वनाम चार तरह के होते हैं, यह, वह, ये और वो। 

 

The main demonstrative pronouns in English grammar are “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those.” For example, “This is my book” uses “this” to refer to a nearby item, while “those are my shoes” uses “those” to refer to items that are farther away.

 

Different Types of Demonstrative Pronoun

 On the basis of singular and plural, Demonstrative Pronouns are categorized in two ways: 

 

Singular Demonstrative Pronoun

This: It indicates closeness to a single thing, place or person. 

         ये एकवचन pronoun किसी एक चीज़, जगह या इंसान के पास होने का इशारा करता है। 

Example: This house is multi-storeyed.

                यह घर बहुमंजिला है। 

 

That : It indicates that a single thing, place or person is at a far distance. 

          ये एकवचन pronoun किसी एक चीज़, जगह या इंसान के दूर होने की तरफ इशारा करता है। 

Example: That river is flowing directly into the sea.

                वह नदी सीधे समुद्र में जा रही है।

 

Plural Demonstrative Pronoun

These: This plural pronoun indicates something (in plural sense) is close (in terms of distance).

            ये बहुवचन pronoun कई चीज़ों, इंसानों या जगहों के पास होने की तरफ इशारा करता है। 

 Example: These fruits are ripe.

                 ये फल पके हुए हैं। 

 

Those: This plural pronoun indicates something (in plural sense) is far away.

              ये बहुवचन pronoun कई चीज़ों, इंसानों या जगहों के दूर होने की तरफ इशारा करता है। 

Example: Those kids are playing in our society park.

                वे बच्चे हमारी society के पार्क में खेल रहे हैं।

 

Uses of This, That, These and Those

Here are uses of this, that, these and those given in more detail:

 

This

“This” is used in the singular sense and indicates an object or person that is close to the speaker. It can also be used to introduce something.

इसका इस्तेमाल किसी एक चीज़ या इंसान के पास होने के बारे में बताने के लिए किया जाता है। साथी ही इसका इस्तेमाल किसी चीज़ या इंसान का introduction देने के लिए भी किया जाता है। 

Example: This phone is new.

                यह फ़ोन नया है। 

                This is my friend.

                यह मेरा दोस्त है। 

 

That

“That” is used in the singular sense and indicates an object or person that is away from the speaker. It can also be used to describe any characteristic or quality.

इसका इस्तेमाल किसी एक चीज़ या इंसान के दूर होने के बारे में बताने के लिए किया जाता है। इसका इस्तेमाल किसी की खूबी के बारे में बताने के लिए भी किया जाता है। 

Example: That tree is very big.

                वह पेड़ बहुत बड़ा है। 

                That book is very interesting.

                वह किताब बहुत दिलचस्प है। 

 

These

“These” is used in the plural and indicates objects or persons that are close to the speaker. This pronoun can also be used to refer to a group.

इस pronoun का इस्तेमाल कई सारी चीज़ों और इंसानों के पास होने के बारे में बताने के लिए किया जाता है। साथ ही इसका इस्तेमाल किसी group के बारे में बताने के लिए किया जाता है। 

Example: These vegetables are fresh.

                ये सब्जियां ताज़ी हैं। 

                All these students are hard-working.

                ये सभी छात्र मेहनती हैं।

 

Those

“Those” is used in the plural and indicates objects or persons that are far away from the speaker. It can also be used to clarify a reference.

इस pronoun का इस्तेमाल कई सारी चीज़ों और इंसानों के दूर होने के बारे में बताने के लिए किया जाता है। इसका इस्तेमाल किसी भी चीज़ के reference के बारे में सफाई देने के लिए किया जाता है। 

Example: Those books are there.

                वे किताबें वहां हैं। 

               Those people are my friends.

               वे लोग मेरे दोस्त हैं। 

 

Near and Far Demonstrative Pronoun

Demonstrative Pronouns can be divided into two categories on the basis of nearness and farness:

 

Near demonstrative Pronoun

This: It is singular and indicates a person, thing or place that is close to the speaker.

         ये एक एकवचन pronoun है जो किसी चीज़, जगह या इंसान के पास होने के बारे में बताने के लिए किया जाता है। 

Example: This t-shirt is my lucky one.

                यह टी-शर्ट मेरे लिए भाग्यशाली है।

 

These: It is plural and shows objects or persons which are near.

            ये एक बहुवचन pronoun है जो किसी चीज़ या इंसान के पास होने के बारे में इशारा देता है। 

Example: These books are mine.

                ये किताबें मेरी हैं। 

 

Far Demonstrative Pronoun

That: It is in the singular and indicates a person, thing or place that is far from the speaker.

         ये एक एकवचन pronoun है जो किसी चीज़, जगह या इंसान के दूर होने के बारे में बताने के लिए किया जाता है। 

Example: That house is very big.

                वह घर बहुत बड़ा है। 

 

Those: It is plural and denotes objects or persons which are far away.

            ये एक बहुवचन pronoun है जो किसी चीज़ या इंसान के दूर होने के बारे में बताने के लिए किया जाता है। 

Example: Those girls are sitting there. 

                वो लड़कियाँ वहाँ बैठी हैं। 

 

Rules for Using Demonstrative Pronoun

There are some important rules for the use of demonstrative pronouns:

 

Proximity and Distance 

This and these are used for proximity, while that and those are used for distance.

This और these किसी चीज़ के पास होने के बारे में बताने के लिए किया जाता है और, that और those का इस्तेमाल किसी दूर की चीज़ के बारे में बताने के लिए किया जाता है। 

Examples: This is my pen (proximity) 

                  यह मेरी कलम है।  (पास)

                  That is my pen (distance).

                  वह मेरी कलम है। (दूर)

 

Singular and Plural

This and that are in singular, while these and those are in plural.

This और that एकवचन के लिए इस्तेमाल होता है और these और those बहुवचन के लिए इस्तेमाल होता है। 

Examples: This book is good (singular) 

                  यह किताब अच्छी है। (एकवचन)

                  These books are good (plural).

                  ये पुस्तकें अच्छी हैं। (बहुवचन)

 

Clarifying the context

When you are referring to an object or person, choose the correct demonstrative pronoun so that the reference is clear.

किसी चीज़ या इंसान के बारे में बताते समय सही demonstrative pronoun का इस्तेमाल करना बहुत ज़रूरी होता है। 

Example: This is the fruit basket.

                यह फलों की टोकरी है। 

                That is the vegetable basket.

                वह सब्जी की टोकरी है। 

 

Personal Emotions

When choosing demonstrative pronouns, also keep in mind what kind of feelings or thoughts you want to express.

Demonstrative pronoun को चुनते वक़्त सही feelings या emotions को express करना बहुत ज़रूरी है। 

Example: I like this very much. (a sense of closeness) 

                मुझे यह बहुत पसंद है। (पास का एहसास)

               That is important to me. (a sense of distance)

               यह मेरे लिए महत्वपूर्ण है। (दूरी का एहसास)

 

Adjective

Demonstrative pronouns are generally used with adjectives, which makes the meaning of the sentence more clear.

Demonstrative pronouns का इस्तेमाल अक्सर adjectives के साथ किया जाता है जिससे वाक्य का मतलब और भी साफ़ हो जाता है। 

Example: This is a big house (with adjectives).

                यह एक बड़ा घर है। 

 

What is a Demonstrative Adjective?

Demonstrative adjectives are adjectives that indicate a particular noun and show its proximity or distance.The main demonstrative adjectives are: this, that, these, and those. For example, in “This book is mine” the “this” is a demonstrative adjective indicating “the book”, indicating that the book is nearby. Similarly, in “That house is very big”, “that” is a demonstrative adjective, pointing to a distant house. Demonstrative Adjectives help clarify the position of a noun in a sentence.

 

Demonstrative adjectives वो adjective होते  हैं जो किसी खास noun की तरफ इशारा करता है और उसकी दूरी के बारे में बताता है कि  वो पास है या दूर। 

 

Difference Between Demonstrative Pronoun and Demonstrative Adjective

The main difference between demonstrative adjective and demonstrative pronoun is in their use and role:

 

Demonstrative Adjective

Demonstrative adjectives are those adjectives which specifically indicate the noun. It is near the noun and characterizes it.

ये noun से जुड़े होते हैं और noun के बारे में बताते हैं। 

Example: This book is good.

                 ये किताब अच्छी है। 

Here, “This” is a demonstrative adverb, indicating “the book”.

 

Demonstrative Pronoun

Demonstrative pronouns are words that indicate a thing or person directly, without the use of a noun. These are used independently in the sentence.

Demonstrative pronouns ये बताते हैं कि कोई चीज़ या इंसान कितना पास या दूर है बिना noun का इस्तेमाल किये। 

Example: This is mine. 

                 यह मेरा है। 

The “this” in the sentence is a demonstrative pronoun, pointing to an object or person, but it does not require a noun.

 

Difference Between Demonstrative Pronoun and Relative Pronoun

There are several important differences between demonstrative pronouns and relative pronouns.

 

Definition

Demonstrative pronouns: These pronouns refer to a person, thing, or place, such as “this,” “that,” “these,” and “they.”

                             ये pronoun किसी चीज़, इंसान या जगह बोलने वाले से कितनी दूरी पर है ये बताते हैं, जैसे “this,” “that,” “these,” और “they”. 

Relative pronouns: These pronouns provide more information about a noun in the sentence, such as “which,” “whom,” “whose.”

                               इसका इस्तेमाल noun के बारे में और ज़्यादा जानकारी देने के लिए किया जाता है। 

 

Usage

Demonstrative pronouns: These show the closeness or distance of an object or person. 

                                             इसका इस्तेमाल किसी चीज़ के पास या दूर होने के बारे में बताने के लिए किया जाता है। 

Example: This is my dog. (proximity)

                यह मेरा कुत्ता है। 

 

Relative pronouns: These give information about an attribute or quality. 

                                 इसका इस्तेमाल noun के बारे में जानकारी देने के लिए और उसकी quality के बारे में बताने के लिए किया जाता है। 

Example: The book I like is over there. (special information)

                जो किताब मुझे पसंद है वो वहां है। 

 

Structure

Demonstrative pronouns: These are mainly used in direct sentences.

                                         इसका इस्तेमाल अक्सर सीधे या direct वाक्यों के लिए किया जाता है। 

Example: These toys are mine.

                ये खिलौने मेरे हैं। 

 

Relative pronouns: These often occur in relative sentences and are associated with another sentence.

                                इसका इस्तेमाल अक्सर वहां किया जाता है जहाँ दो वाक्यों को एक साथ जोड़ा जाता है। 

Example: This child, who is playing, is my brother.

                ये बच्चा जो खेल रहा है वो मेरा भाई है। 

 

Uses

Demonstrative pronoun: These provide clarity and help in understanding the context. Sometimes their wrong use can confuse the meaning of the sentence.

                                        इसका इस्तेमाल बातों में और clarity देता है और इनके गलत इस्तेमाल से बातों का मतलब बदल सकता है। 

 

Relative pronoun: These expand the sentence and provide more information. Their use can increase complexity, making sentences difficult to understand.

                                ये वाक्य को बढाकर और ज़्यादा जानकारी देता है लेकिन इसके इस्तेमाल से वाक्य और ज़्यादा complex हो जाता है। 

 

Demonstrative Pronoun Examples in Sentences

This is my favorite book.

यह मेरी पसंदीदा किताब है। 

 

That man is very intelligent.

वह आदमी बहुत बुद्धिमान है। 

 

These toys are for children.

ये खिलौने बच्चों के लिए हैं। 

 

They are playing in the park.

वे पार्क में खेल रहे हैं। 

 

This garden is very beautiful.

ये बगीचा बहुत खूबसूरत है। 

 

That house is mine.

वह घर मेरा है। 

 

These fruits are fresh.

ये फल ताज़े हैं। 

 

Those students have scored good marks in the examination.

उन विद्यार्थियों ने परीक्षा में अच्छे अंक हासिल किये हैं।

 

This is my mother.

ये मेरी माँ है।

 

That film was very exciting.

वह फिल्म बहुत रोमांचक थी। 

 

These clothes have been purchased from the market.

ये कपड़े बाज़ार से खरीदे गए हैं। 

 

They are very good friends.

वे बहुत अच्छे दोस्त हैं। 

 

This question is easy.

यह सवाल आसान है। 

 

That path is straight.

वह रास्ता सीधा है। 

 

These utensils are very beautiful.

ये बर्तन बहुत खूबसूरत हैं। 

 

Try and Learn: Fill in the Blanks

______ (this/that) is my pen.

______ (these/those) books are very interesting.

______ Where does (this/that) path go?

______ (these/those) children have gone to school.

______ (this/that) movie was very funny.

______ (these/those) toys belong to my brother.

______ (this/that) tree is very big.

______ (these/those) vegetables are fresh.

______ (this/that) house is very beautiful.

______ (these/those) people are our friends.

______ Whose is roaming in (this/that) garden?

______ (these/those) flowers are very fragrant.

______ (this/that) is my favorite song.

______ (these/those) chairs are comfortable.

______ (this/that) is your book?

______ (these/those) issues are important.

______ (this/that) incident was very interesting.

______ (these/those) are my new clothes.

______ (this/that) place is special to me.

 

Answers

This 

These 

That

Those

This

These

That

These

That

These

That

Those

This

Those

This

That 

These 

That 

These 

This

 

Awal sir spoken English course offer UTM

 

Demonstrative Pronoun FAQs 

How can I explain demonstrative pronouns?

Demonstrative pronouns are words that point to a specific person or thing. These pronouns indicate the proximity (near or far) of the object or person being indicated. The main demonstrative pronouns are: this, that, these, and those.

This: This pronoun shows closeness. Example: This is my pen.

That: This pronoun indicates a distant object or person. Example: He is my friend.

These: This pronoun is used for many close objects or persons. Example: These books are new.

Those: This pronoun is used for many distant objects or persons. Example: Those kids are playing.

 

What is the difference between demonstrative pronoun and adjective?

The main difference between demonstrative pronoun and demonstrative adjective is in their function and usage. Demonstrative pronouns are words that point to a specific person or thing and do not require a noun. For example, in “This is mine” “this” is a demonstrative pronoun. At the same time, demonstrative adjectives are adjectives that point to a noun and together with the noun describe it, like in “This book is good”, “this” is a demonstrative adjective, which represents “the book”. The main difference is that demonstrative pronouns are used independently, while demonstrative adjectives always accompany the noun. Demonstrative pronouns identify an object, while demonstrative adjectives describe a noun. Thus, both are used as per the context, but there is a significant difference in their function and usage.

 

How can I use “that” as a demonstrative pronoun and as a demonstrative adjective?

The following are ways to use “that” as a demonstrative pronoun and demonstrative adjective:

As Demonstrative Pronoun: When “that” is used as a demonstrative pronoun, it points to a particular thing or person, and does not require a noun.

Example: That’s my book. Here “that” is directly referring to the book.

As Demonstrative Adjective: When “that” is used as a demonstrative adjective, it combines with a noun to characterize it. Example: That book is mine. Here “that” is characterizing the “book” and shows that the book is far away.

 

Are there any similarities between demonstrative pronouns and relative pronouns?

Demonstrative pronouns and relative pronouns have some similarities, although their functions and uses are different. Both types of pronouns provide important information about a context. For example, demonstrative pronouns such as “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those” specifically point to an object or person, while relative pronouns such as “which,” “whom,” “whose” etc. add more information about a name or noun. Both pronouns help in identifying and describing the nouns in the sentence. Furthermore, both types of pronouns contribute to making the dialogue clear and concise according to their position in the sentence. Thus, while their functions are different, both pronouns play important roles in English grammar.

 

How can a demonstrative pronoun be used as a demonstrative adjective?

The way a demonstrative pronoun is used as a demonstrative adjective depends on the context of the sentence. When demonstrative pronouns such as “this,” “that,” “these,” or “those” point to an object or person and add a noun to them, they function as demonstrative adjectives. For example, in the sentence “This food is very good” the “this” is a demonstrative adjective, because it is clearly pointing to and characterizing the “food”. Similarly, in “That hotel is very big”, “that” is also a demonstrative adjective, giving information about the “hotel”. Thus, to use the demonstrative pronoun as an demonstrative adjective, it is always necessary to combine it with a noun, making the meaning of the sentence more clear.

 

Where can I use “those” as a demonstrative pronoun?

“Those” is used as a demonstrative pronoun when you are pointing to multiple objects or people located far away. It can typically be used in sentences like this:

For distant objects

Example: Those are my friends. 

Here “those” is referring to many far away friends.

 

With adjectives

Example: Those were the days!

Here “those” is a reminder of those days which are far away.

 

When choosing from options

Example: I like those better than these. 

Here “those” is used to select something.

 

Conclusion

We hope this blog is a perfect guide for you to learn about the important concept of English grammar, i.e., demonstrative pronouns. This blog covers every detail of the demonstrative pronoun with examples to help you understand and learn English better. This blog also has a fun exercise, which will help you learn about demonstrative pronouns in much detail. If you are also struggling with English grammar and want to learn English online, then joining a spoken English course online will help you. 

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