This/that' and 'these/those': nearness and distance

'Nearness' may be physical. This and these may refer to something you are actually holding or that is close to you, or that you consider to be close to you, or to something that is present in a situation. We can associate this and these with here:

The picture I am referring to is this one here

The photographs I meant are these here This and these can refer to nearness in time (now):

Go and tell him now, this instant'

'Distance' may be physical. That and those can refer to something that is not close to you, or that you do not consider to be close to you. We can associate that and those with there:

The picture I am referring to is that one there

The photographs I meant are those there That and those can refer to distance in time {then):

Operations were difficult in the 18th century In those days there

were no anaesthetics

Demonstrative adjectives/pronouns compared

Demonstratives can be adjectives: that is, they can be determiners
[> 3 1] and go before a noun or one/ones [> 4.10]; or they can be
pronouns used in place of a noun or noun phrase [> 4.2.1]:
adjective + noun: / don't like this coat
adjective + one I don't like this one
pronoun: I don't like this

Demonstratives used as pronouns normally refer to things, not people:

/ found this wallet I found this (pronoun)

/ know this girl (this cannot stand on its own here) Demonstrative pronouns after What? refer to things:

What's this/that? What are these/those? This and that as pronouns after Who? refer to people:

Who's this⁹ Who's that⁹

These and those referring to people are followed by a (plural) noun. Compare What are these/those⁹ (i.e. things) with:

Who are these/those people/men/women/children? But those, closely followed by who, can be used on its own:

Those (of you) who wish to go now may do so quietly

Pronouns

4.35 Common uses of 'this/that' and 'these/those'

This/that/these/those used as adjectives or as pronouns have many different uses. For examples [> App 7].

Subject pronouns replacing demonstratives

Demonstratives are replaced by it or they in short responses when the thing or things referred to have been identified [compare > 13.19n7]: Is this/that yours? Yes, it is (Not *Yes, this/that is*) Are these/those yours? Yes, they are. (Not *Yes, these/those are*) He/she can replace this/that when the reference is to people: This/That is Mrs/Mr Jones She's/He's in charge here

Indefinite pronouns

Form of indefinite pronouns

Compounds of some, any, no and every
some- any- no- every-
someone anyone no one everyone
somebody anybody nobody everybody
something anything nothing everything