• The general rules:
►As demonstrative
adjectives, this
(and these)
indicate proximity, that
(and those)
indicate distance.
►Proximity and distance are defined in terms of space, time, sequence
or sentence structure.
Example:
This book is mine, that book is yours.
“One”
is sometimes used as a pro-form, to avoid repeating a noun.
This book is mine, that one is yours
or even (if the context
makes it quite clear what is being referred to)
This one is mine, that one is yours.
► This (these) and that (those) can also be
used as demonstrative
pronouns:
This is mine, that is yours.
When
the expressions are modified by a prepositional phrase, this and that tend to be
replaced by the one
(or by this one, that one):
This book is mine,
but the one (that one) on
the table is yours.
We cannot say: This
book is mine, but that on the table is yours.
Other
examples:
Look
at these
paintings: this one is
by Rembrandt.
Look at those
paintings: the one in
the corner is by Monet.
Possessive
structures:
►
First note this important rule:
this and these are never followed by of:
for example, we can not
say:
My
apple was ripe, this of my sister was not.
In
possessive structures, usage depends whether we are dealing with
attribution or possession:
With attribution
the only normal structure with
demonstrative pronouns is to use that
of or those
of:
His reputation was bigger than
that of Elvis.
While
Japan’s development was rapid, that of Singapore
was even faster.
The
title of his first book was “Blue Waves”, that of
the second was “Deep Oceans”.
With non-count nouns, “one”
is never
used.
With possession:
The most common structure, particularly in spoken English,
is to use .....’s (one(s)).
For
example:
My books are new, John’s (ones) are
old.
Not:
My books are new, those of John are old
Our shirts are white: the other team’s ones are
red.
That of / those of
tend to be only used in formal
contexts, particularly written
English:
The first tourist's papers were
in order, but those of the remaining tourists were not.
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