It will be useful for a novice English speaker to deal with the frequently used demonstrative pronouns that and this in English. If you deal with their use at the very beginning, this will avoid frequent misconceptions and errors in the future. So what are their differences and similarities?
That or this? Where and how?
In English, everything is not the same as in our native language. There the pronouns that indicate this and that can answer the questions "who?" So what?". And they complement and define the sentence. And they can even become, if necessary, an independent part of speech.
Despite the fact that they play one common role, the difference between that and this is noticeable.
This is this, this, this.
That, that, that.
Translated into Russian, both pronouns define one subject (or one person).
The significant difference between this and that is only how far away this subject or person is from the speaker. To be more precise, this is that which is near or close to the speaker, and that is that which is far away from us.
This bird is mine. - This bird is mine.
That bird is yours. “That bird is yours.”
What word to choose - this or that? It all depends on where exactly this bird is located. The one sitting on my shoulder will be this bird. The one that is far from me on a tree branch is that bird.
Also, the difference between this and that will be when we talk about the remoteness of the object. But this is not about space, as in the previous example, but about time.
For example: That was funny! I had a wonderful time! - This was spectacular! I had a wonderful time!
If the narrator, recalling the summer, speaks of the past tense, he pronounces the pronoun that.
These and those. The difference and use of multiple pronouns
Just as the difference between this or that is found, there are also differences in the plurals of these and those.
Remember when pronouns change their form:
With many objects, we change the form: this to these, and that to those.
These are these; Those are those.
These apples are mine. These apples are mine.
Those apples are yours. Those apples are yours.
Both pronouns indicate that there are more than one apple. The difference between these and those in the plural, as in the singular, is obvious. But that's not all. Distance also plays an important role.
These are these items close.
Those are those objects far away.
Therefore, when choosing a pronoun, we pay attention to the following:
1. How much (one or many).
2. Distance (here or there).
But this is not the only difference between this and that. It will be impolite in colloquial speech to point someone to someone with no purpose to introduce him to someone.
For example: This is our gardener. - This is our gardener (there is a disrespect for the gardener here)
Mom, this is Jon, my friend. Mom, dad, this is John, my friend.
In the first case, it is considered impolite to contact the gardener, and in the second, John's acquaintance with his mother. In this vein, the difference between that and this will be obvious to the Englishman.
How to use this, that, these, those in a sentence
As mentioned above, singular and plural pronouns can go in conjunction with words that answer the questions "who?" So what?".
Also, if this or that is at the beginning of a sentence, and after them a noun that defines, then the verb to be should be behind them. If the singular is then is, if the plural is are.
This is. This is a cat. - It's a cat.
These are. These are dogs. - These are dogs.
That is. That is a car. - That car.
Those are. Those are tomatos. - That's the tomatoes.
Both this and that in these sentences play the role of the subject and are translated as “this”.
That and this without nouns can be seen in different sentence forms:
Which dresses would you give, these or those? - What dress to give you: this or that?
Who is that? - Who is it over there?
If there is a word in front of the demonstrative pronoun answering the questions "who?" and “what?”, then it specifies an object or person:
This cat has drunk our milk. - This cat drank our milk.
In this example, the pronoun this clarifies that this particular cat, and not some other, drank all our milk.
The above examples show the difference between that and this.
For Russian-speaking, the translation of “this” will be more familiar and pleasant. Indeed, we don’t usually say “that”.
And although for us the difference between this and that does not play a special role, but it will be crucial for a native speaker of English. Therefore, to avoid error, it is better to use this.
How to pronounce: these or this
In spoken English, it is difficult to distinguish between these and this, they seem almost identical to us by ear. Therefore, it is important to immediately understand how to speak clearly for residents of the UK and the USA.
This is said at lightning speed, while the s at the end sounds like a Russian “s” - deaf. But these are best pronounced with a long, drawn-out “and” sound. And in the end, it’s important to hear “z” solid, not “s.”
But how to distinguish? The answer is simple: if you learn from the very beginning to correctly pronounce these pronouns, then in a conversation with the interlocutor you will also clearly hear what is the difference between that and this.
Anyone who strives to improve the English language, first of all, can begin to do this by understanding where and how to apply such simple words as this and that. After all, you cannot do without them. Very often, almost everywhere, they are found in English expressions. And, of course, it’s best to do this with real native English speakers.