Topics CLEI 3: DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES

Demonstrative Adjectives

Los adjetivos demostrativos ('demonstrative adjectives') sirven para determinar la posición de las personas o cosas. Funcionan como adjetivos demostrativos cuando acompañan al sustantivo. Son:

this	este, esta, esto
these	estos, estas
that	ese, esa, eso aquel, aquella, aquello
those	esos, esas, aquellos, aquellas

Ejemplos

This book is new	Este libro es nuevo
These records are very good	Estos discos son muy buenos
That room is mine	Esa habitación es mía
Those women work here	Esas mujeres trabajan aquí

1 Concuerdan en número con el sustantivo al que acompañan y son invariables en el género.

This chair, these tables, this girl, that boy, those books...

Esta silla, estas mesas, esta chica, aquel chico, esos libros...

2 Se usa "this" para hablar de aquello que está más próximo al que habla y "that" para lo que está más alejado. En español, sin embargo, distinguimos tres niveles y no dos como en inglés.

3 A veces van acompañados por el pronombre one(s)

I like this one.

Me gusta éste.

She has chosen those ones.

Ha elegido esos.

Here are some examples with demonstrative pronouns, followed by an illustration:

This tastes good.
Have you seen this?
These are bad times.
Do you like these?
That is beautiful.
Look at that!
Those were the days!
Can you see those?
This is heavier than that.
These are bigger than those.

Do not confuse demonstrative pronouns with demonstrative adjectives. They are identical, but a demonstrative pronoun stands alone, while a demonstrative adjective qualifies a noun.

That smells. (demonstrative pronoun)
That book is good. (demonstrative adjective + noun)

Normally we use demonstrative pronouns for things only. But we can use them for people when the person is identified. Look at these examples:

This is Josef speaking. Is that Mary?
That sounds like John.

· Demonstrative pronouns (this - these / that - those)

·
Singular (this & that)

This is used to point at something close to you (this es esto / esta)
This is my laptop (I am touching it)
This radio does not work.
That is used to point at something far from you (that es eso / esa)
That jacket is not mine.
That is the best book I have read.

Plural (These / Those)

These (estos - estas) is the plural of this and it is used for close objects or people which are close
These are my favorite shoes.
These books are very old.
Those (esos - esas) is the plural of that and it is used for close objects or people which are far
Those are not my socks.
Those pictures are excellent.