9.7 demonstratives referring to things

'This' and 'that', and the plural forms 'these' and 'those', are used to refer back clearly to a thing or fact that has just been mentioned.

They can be used both as pronouns and as determiners.

• More and more money is being pumped into the educational system, and it is reasonable to assume this will continue.
• In 1973 he went on a caravan holiday. At the beginning of this holiday he began to experience pain in his chest.

Note that 'this' and 'that' are not very often used as pronouns to refer to people. When they are used like this, they are only used in front of the verb 'be'.

• 'It was here that one young prisoner was sold for a bag of corn,' said the old woman. 'That was me.'

9.8

When you use 'this' or 'these', you are linking yourself with the thing you are referring to.

• The concert began with his Second Piano Sonata. This is a work that has usually been considered as fundamentally negative.
• After you've set your goals, remember them by using a list. Anything that is worth doing should go on this list.
• Only small pines are left. Many of these have twisted and stunted shapes.
• There were great quantities of cattle at Camusfearna that year. The majority of these beasts were black.

In contrast, when you use 'that' or 'those', you are distancing yourself slightly from the thing you are referring to.

• There's a lot of material there. You can use some of that.
• There's one boss and that boss is in France.
• There were only strangers around to observe him, and not many of those.
• The rooms are inhabited by boys from twelve to sixteen years of age. The majority of those boys have reached the stage of caring for comfort and decorations.

9.9

Although 'this' and 'that' are singular pronouns, you can use them to refer back to a number of things or facts that have just been mentioned, instead of using a plural pronoun.

• Later, computer systems were brought into play to draw up attack strategies; later yet, they found themselves riding along in aircraft, submarines, and tanks. All this had its beneficial aspects.
• He had played rugby at school, had been in the army and had briefly been a professional footballer. That was thought to be to his favour when the job came up later.