Demonstratives - This, that, these, those

What are demonstratives?

Demonstratives are words that show which person or thing is being referred to. In the sentence:

'This is my brother',

'this' is a demonstrative
The demonstratives in English are this, that, these, and those

Demonstrative pronouns vs demonstrative adjectives

A distinction must be made between demonstrative adjectives (or demonstrative determiners) and demonstrative pronouns (or independent demonstratives).
A demonstrative adjective modifies a noun:

This apple is good. I like those houses. (This modifies 'apple' and those modifies 'houses')

A demonstrative pronoun stands on its own, replacing rather than modifying a noun:

This is good. I like those. (This and those don't modify any nouns they stand alone and replace other nouns)

Use of demonstratives

Demonstratives differ according to:

• distance: near or far,
• or number: singular or plural.

Possessive Adjectives

What are possessive adjectives?

Possessive adjectives - my, your, his, her, its, our, your, their - modify the noun following it in order to show possession.
Examples:

• I'll get my bag.
• Is this your luggage?

Possessive adjectives are often confused with possessive pronouns.
Examples:

• Your bike is blue. (your is an adjective which modifies bike)
• Mine is yellow. (mine is a pronoun which functions as the subject of the verb is)

Examples

Subject Pronouns	I	you	he	she	it	we	you	they
Possessive Adjectives	my	your	his	her	its	our	your	their

Examples:

• Why didn't you clean your room?
  (your modifies the noun room)
• Mary doesn't like her dress.
  (her modifies the noun dress)
• The chameleon can change its color.
  (its modifies the noun color)

Definite and indefinite articles

What is an article?

Basically, articles are either definite or indefinite. They combine to a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun.

• The definite article is the.
• The indefinite article is a / an.

The indefinite article a or an:

The article a / an is used when we don't specify the things or people we are talking about:

• I met a friend.
• I work in a factory in New York.
• I borrowed a pencil from a passenger sitting next to me.

The indefinite article a is used before a consonant sound:

• a dog.
• a pilot
• a teacher.
• a university

NOTE:
Although 'university' starts with the vowel 'u', it is not pronounced as such. It is pronounced as a consonant sound /ju:.niv3:.si.ti/
The indefinite article an is used before a vowel sound:

• an engineer.
• an elephant.
• an athlete

Determiners

What are determiners?

A determiner is used to modify a noun. It indicates reference to something specific or something of a particular type. This function is usually performed by articles, demonstratives, possessive determiners, or quantifiers.

Determiners vs pronouns

Determiners are followed by a noun.

• The man
• This book
• Some people

Subject pronouns ( I , you , he , etc.) and possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, etc.) cannot be determiners because they can never be followed by a noun.

Types of determiners

Articles

The definite and indefinite articles are all determiners.

• Definite article - the
• Indefinite article - a or an (a is used before a consonant sound; an is used before a vowel sound.)

Examples:

Close the door, please.
I've got a friend in Canada.

Demonstratives

There are four demonstrative determiners in English and they are: this, that, these and those

Like

We use the First Conditional to talk about future events that are likely to happen.

You probably know that the verb like can be followed by either the -ing form or by an infinitive.

• I like going to the cinema
• I like to see all the latest movies.

Often these two forms mean exactly the same thing but there can be a difference between them. When we use like to there is an ide that we think is is a good idea, even if not pleasant, and it is probably a regular action.

• I like to visit the dentist twice a year.
• I like my children to be in bed by nine.
• I like to keep fit.

We use would like to to make polite offers and requests.

• Would you like to have lunch one day next week?
• I'd like to have your opinion.

Used as a preposition, like often means 'similar' or 'typical'..

• Like me, you probably are a bit shocked by his behaviour.
• What is Harry like? Is he conceited?
• You look like you need to sit down.
• I want to do something exciting - like bungee jumping.
• It is just like him to be late.

In informal American English, like is used to mean 'as if'. (Some people think it is 'incorrect'  but you will certainly hear it a lot.)

• I feel like I am a princess.
• It was like I was back in the sixties.

Don't confuse that with feel like meaning 'a desire to do someting'.

• I feel like going out for a meal.
• I don't feel like driving any more today.

Unusually for a preposition, like can have the adverbs quite or rather in front of it.

• It is quite like old times.
• It is rather like it was before we had computers.

Let

We can use let to mean to rent out a house.

• We moved to Australia and let our house in London.
A major use of let is for talking about ‘allowing’ and ‘permission’.

• My mother let me come.
• I let her leave early.
One pattern is let followed by an OBJECT followed by a BARE INFINITIVE

• She let me have the last one.
• You must let us know when you are coming to New York.
• I didn’t let my friend drive my car.
• Why did you let Jane do that?
Another pattern is let followed by an OBJECT followed by a COMPLEMENT

• Let me past.
• The police aren’t letting anybody out of the building.
• Don’t let him get away.
• Why did you let him in?
Notice that we can use reflexive pronouns to talk about what we allow ourselves to do.

• I let myself be influenced by her.
• She let herself out.
• I didn’t let myself be talked into it.
• Did you let yourself in?
Notice that we do not make a contraction out of let us when asking for permission.

• Let us help you.
• Let us pay for this.
• Let us buy that.
• Let us take the risk.
We use let’s when we are making a suggestion.

• Let’s go to the cinema.
• Let’s stay at home.
• Let’s not argue. (formal)
• Don’t let’s argue. (informal)
Compare these

• Let us watch TV, please. (asking for permission)
• Let’s watch TV. (a suggestion)
There are many fixed expressions, idioms and phrasal verbs using let.
Let alone means ‘much less’

• I’ve never been to Africa, let alone Ghana.
• I’ve never met any actor, let alone Brad Pitt.

for to mean ‘because’

We can use for to mean ‘because’. We only use this in very formal English.

• The divers have to be careful for a sudden change in conditions could be dangerous.
• Read the instructions carefully for you will only get one chance to enter the information.

We can use for to talk about a purpose or a reason.

• What did you that for?
• What is that for?
• Thank you for your letter.
• I don’t have enough money for the ticket. 
• I need treatment for my bad back.

For can mean that you are in favour/favor of something.

• He is for the idea of cutting taxes.
• I am for this change in the way we do things.
• You need to stand up for what is right.

We can use for with expressions of time and distance.

• I walked for miles.
• I waited for a long time.
• We will be away for the next week.

Sometimes we can omit the for completely in these expressions without changing the meaning.

•  I walked miles.
• I waited a long time.

With the present perfect, for refers to a length of time. Since refers to the starting point.

• I have studied English for seven years.
• I have studied English since I was 12.

For

We can sometimes use for + ing to talk about the purpose of a thing. When we do, it means the same as to + infinitive.

• What is that for? It is for opening envelopes
• This bell is for calling the waiter.
• This bell is to call the waiter.

When we talk about the purpose of somebody's actions, we cannot use for + ing.

• I went there to ask for help.
• You will have to queue a long time. to get tickets.

However, it is sometimes possible to use for + noun for this.

• I went there for help.
• You will have to queue a long timefor tickets.

We can also use for + object + infinitive to talk about a purpose.

• I gave her a notebook for her to write down new English words she found.
• They sent a form for me to sign.

We also use the pattern for + object + infinitive in sentences after is or was.

• The plan is for us to get to Barcelona by lunchtime.
• The objective was for them to get the work finished by the end of last month.
  

About

We can use about to mean ‘concerning’

• I have heard all about it.
• There is nothing we can do about it.
• The great thing about her is that she never gives up.

We can use about to mean ‘approximately’. We can also use around for this but about is less formal.

• About six hundred people were present.
• About half the people agreed.
• Come round at about six.

We can use How about and What about to make suggestions.

• What about asking Tom?
• How about leaving that for the time being?
• What about a break?

We can also use What about ( but not How about) for more genuine questions.

• What about the workers? Have you thought about them?
• What about the dog? What do we do with her?

We use about and on to talk about the subject of a discussion. We use on for more formal situations..

• They talked about the bad economic situation.
• He gave a lecture on the economy.

About can mean ‘here and there’.

• She is always out and about.
• He sits about doing nothing.
• They go about interviewing the public.

Just about means ‘almost’.

• I have just about finished.
• I have had just about enough of him and his patronizing tone.
• The money we get will just about pay for the new equipment.

Be about to means that something is on the point of happening.

• I am about to change jobs.
• He is about to give in his resignation.
• Please listen carefully. i am about to say something important

Here are some useful expressions using about

no doubt about

• There is no doubt about his ability but he doesn’t work well with other people

bring about change

• We need to bring about change quickly or the company will go bankrupt.

everybody is talking about it

• Everybody is talking about the argument they had.

be asked about

• I am often asked about how I became so successful.

speak to them about

• You need to speak to them about this and make sure they never do it again.

anything I can do about it?

• Is there anything I can do about my financial situation?