Determiners Questions Medium
The demonstrative determiners 'this' and 'that' are used to indicate the proximity or distance of a noun in relation to the speaker.
'This' is used to refer to something that is close to the speaker in terms of space or time. It is used for singular nouns that are nearby or immediate. For example, "This book is interesting" implies that the book is close to the speaker.
'That' is used to refer to something that is farther away from the speaker in terms of space or time. It is used for singular or plural nouns that are more distant or remote. For example, "That car is expensive" implies that the car is not close to the speaker.
Both 'this' and 'that' can also be used to refer to something that has been previously mentioned or is known to both the speaker and the listener. In this case, they function as pronouns. For example, "I have a dog. This is my dog" or "I saw two birds. That one was flying high."
It is important to note that the choice between 'this' and 'that' depends on the context and the relative distance of the noun being referred to. 'This' is used for closer proximity, while 'that' is used for greater distance.