Les démonstratifs en anglais : grammaire anglaise / définition

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Les démonstratifs

On distingue deux adjectifs démonstratifs this et that qui peuvent être aussi employés pour remplacer une personne, un objet ou une idée.
• this (singulier), these (pluriel) s'emploient pour exprimer la proximité dans l'espace ou dans le temps.
• that (singulier), those (pluriel) s'emploient pour exprimer l'éloignement dans l'espace ou dans le temps.
These whales are very beautiful. Ces baleines sont très belles.
This is Luna. Voici Luna.
Are these your monkeys? Est-ce que ce sont vos singes?
in this country dans ce pays (où nous nous trouvons)
these days ces jours-ci, de nos jours

in that country dans ce pays (où nous ne sommes pas)
Look at that plane. Regarde l'avion (là-haut dans le ciel).
Is that what Philip really thinks? Est-ce vraiment ce que pense Philip?
in those days à cette époque
Selon le contexte, d'autres démonstratifs peuvent être utilisés :
• the
I was a waiter at the time. J'étais serveur à cette époque là.
at the moment à ce moment
The girl is a thief. Cette fille est une voleuse.
• such employé seul ou accompagné d'un nom :
Such was his reaction. Telle a été sa réaction.
Such is their decision. Telle est leur décision.
He hasn't read such a good book in years. Cela fait des années qu'il n'a pas lu un livre aussi bon (que celui-ci).
Exercice 1
Kevin: new restrictions are a bit much.
Susie: new restrictions? I didn't know there were new restrictions.
Kevin: Haven't you heard? The company just imposed new restrictions.
Susie: can't be good. Restrictions are never positive.
Kevin: No, Susie. Restrictions are usually very negative, and well, very restrictive.
Kevin: These 1 new restrictions are a bit much.
Susie: What 2 new restrictions? I didn't know there were any 3 new restrictions.
Kevin: Haven't you heard? The company just imposed some 4 new restrictions.
Susie: That 5 can't be good. Restrictions are never positive.
Kevin: No, Susie. Restrictions are usually very negative, and well, very restrictive.
1 These: This is the best choice here. Because it is not directly specified what 'restrictions' Kevin is talking about, we use 'these' to describe them. In this particular construction, 'those' would also be an acceptable choice if the restrictions weren't 'new' or recent in time.
1 This: Because 'restrictions' is a plural noun, we cannot use the singular demonstrative 'this'.
1 Which: Because Kevin is not asking a question here, but making a statement, we cannot use 'which' here.
1 Whose: Because Kevin is not asking a question here, but making a statement, we cannot use 'whose' here
2 What: This is the best choice here. Because Susie is asking a question, we use 'what' here to correctly pose the question about the general subject 'restrictions'. Note that before nouns 'what' and 'which' can be used interchangeably to ask questions about people or things.
2 Who: 'Who new restrictions' is grammatically incorrect. 'Who' is used to ask about people, not general subjects such as 'restrictions'.
2 That: Because Susie is asking a question, we cannot use 'that' here.
2 Mine: 'Mine new restrictions' is grammatically incorrect. 'Mine' is a pronoun used to indicate possession.
3 any: This is the best choice here. Susie uses 'any' to say that there are 'no' new restrictions. We use 'any' in place of 'no' or 'none' when the sentence is already in the negative.
3 all: 'All' is grammatically incorrect here.
3 none: 'None' is grammatically incorrect here.
3 no: 'No' is grammatically incorrect here. Using it forms a double negative.
4 some: This is the best choice here. 'Some' is used to indicate that there are 'a certain number' of new restrictions. The term describes the amount or quantity of restrictions recently put into place.
4 any: We cannot use 'any' in this construction, because the sentence does not carry any negation. We must use 'some'. 'Any' is used only in negative constructions, or in interrogative corrections when the answer is unknown.
4 few: 'Few' is grammatically incorrect here. To use it in this construction, we would need to use the article 'a' to precede it.
4 a: 'A' is the singular, indefinite article, which cannot be used with a plural subject such as 'restrictions'.
5 That: This is the best choice here. Susie is using 'that' to refer to the company imposing new restrictions, a subject which was introduced earlier in the dialogue. 'That' is often used as a substitute for ideas and entire statements and always refers to something said in the past.
5 Such: 'Such can't be good' is grammatically incorrect. We could say, however: 'Such restrictions can't be good'.
5 Which: 'Which can't be good' is a sentence fragment and does not make sense in this context.
5 What: This is incorrect. 'What can't be good' would have to be a question, and Susie is making a statement.
Exercice 2
Toby: Can I have one of over there please?
Shopkeeper: What, right here?
Toby: No no, one, next to the cigarettes over there.
Shopkeeper: Oh I see. I'm afraid you have to be over 18 years of age to buy particular magazine in my hand.
Toby: Oh!
Toby: Can I have one of those 1 over there please?
Shopkeeper: What, these 2 right here?
Toby: No no, that 3 one, next to the cigarettes over there.
Shopkeeper: Oh I see. I'm afraid you have to be over 18 years of age to buy this 4 particular magazine in my hand.
Toby: Oh!
1 those: Toby is referring to 'one' object within a group of many. We use the plural demonstrative 'those' even though Toby is referring to one object within the group. Because the objects Toby is indicating are distant from him (over there), we use 'those' rather than 'these'.
1 that: Toby is choosing between many items available in the shop, and 'that' signifies one possible item. We must use a plural demonstrative here.
1 the: 'The' is an article, and must be followed by a noun, for example 'the book'.
1 this: Toby is choosing between many items available in the shop, and 'this' signifies one possible item. We must use a plural demonstrative here.
1 these: Toby is referring to some items which are far away from him and 'this' refers to items which are close in proximity to the speaker.
2 these: The shopkeeper is referring to a group of items which are close in proximity to him, as indicated by his phrase 'right here'. Therefore we use the plural demonstrative pronoun 'these'.
2 that: The shopkeeper is referring to many items, which were introduced in the previous sentence. If the shopkeeper had been referring to only one item, he would have asked 'that one?', not 'that'.
2 this: The shopkeeper is referring to many items, which were introduced in the previous sentence. If the shopkeeper had been referring to only one item, he would have asked 'this one?', not 'this'.
2 those: The shopkeeper is referring to a group of items which are close to him. 'Those' refers to a group of items which are far away or distant.
3 that: Toby is now referring to one item in particular, and uses the phrase 'next to the cigarettes over there', which indicates that the object is distant from him. Therefore we use the singular demonstrative adjective 'that' to refer to it.
3 these: Toby's use of the word 'one' indicates that he is referring to a single object. Therefore we cannot use the plural demonstrative term 'these'.
3 this: Toby is pointing to an item which is far away from him (over there), therefore we cannot use the term 'this', which refers to objects which are close in proximity to the speaker.
3 those: Toby's use of the word 'one' indicates that he is referring to a single object. Therefore we cannot use the plural demonstrative term 'those'.
4 this: The shopkeeper is now specifically referring to one particular magazine which is close to him (in my hand), and the singular demonstrative adjective 'this' is necessary.
4 such: 'To buy such particular magazine' is grammatically incorrect. However we could say 'to buy such a magazine as this would be illegal'.
4 that: The phrase 'in my hand' indicates that the object referred to is close in proximity. Therefore we cannot use the demonstrative term 'that' which indicates singular objects which are distant spatially.
Exercice 3
When red car here reaches blue car there, then we will know who has the faster car.
When this 1 red car here reaches that 2 blue car there, then we will know who has the faster car.
1 this: The word 'here' indicates that we are referring to an object which is close in proximity to the speaker. Because there is 'one' car, we use the demonstrative term 'this', which refers to a singular object close in proximity to the speaker.
1 that: Because the car is close in proximity to the speaker (indicated by the term 'here') we cannot use the demonstrative 'that'. We might say 'that car over there', which would indicate that the car is distant spatially. 'That' is used to refer to single objects which are distant in time or space.
1 these: 'These' refers to a group if items, and cannot refer to the singular noun 'car'.
1 those: 'Those' refers to a group if items, and cannot refer to the singular noun 'car'.
2 that: Because we are referring to a single object (a car) which is distant spatially (there), we use 'that' to describe it.
2 this: Because the term 'there' indicates something distant, we cannot use the demonstrative adjective 'this', which indicates a single object in close proximity to the speaker.
2 these: Because the speaker refers to just one 'car', we cannot use the plural demonstrative term 'these' here.
2 those: Because the speaker refers to just one 'car', we cannot use the plural demonstrative term 'those' here.
Exercice 4
Fill in the blanks below with the appropriate demonstrative term.

Horatio: All of perfume bottles here need to be labeled.
Freddie: All of the bottles? I thought over by the door were special?
Horatio: Oh yes, don't touch group of bottles, they're part of my private stock.
Fill in the blanks below with the appropriate demonstrative term.

Horatio: All of these 1 perfume bottles here need to be labeled.
Freddie: All of the bottles? I thought those 2 over by the door were special?
Horatio: Oh yes, don't touch that 3 group of bottles, they're part of my private stock.
1 these: Horatio's phrase 'here' indicates that the bottles he is referring to are close in proximity. In this sentence, we must use the plural demonstrative term 'these', which refers to plural objects which are close in time or space to indicate the 'bottles'.
1 those: We cannot use 'those' in this sentence. The demonstrative term 'those' refers to plural objects which are distant in time or space. In this sentence, 'here' indicates that the bottles are close to the speaker.
1 this: We cannot use 'this' in this sentence, which refers to singular objects or ideas, to indicate a plural noun such as 'bottles'.
1 that: We cannot use 'that', which refers to singular objects or ideas, to indicate to plural nouns such as 'bottles'.
2 those: We use 'those' here to refer to the plural subject 'bottles', which was introduced in the previous sentence. The demonstrative term 'those' refers to plural objects which are distant in time or space. We use 'over there' to talk about something that is not near us. Another example: Why are you sitting over there on your own, Bruno? You can eat your lunch with me if you like!
2 these: We cannot use 'these' to refer objects which are distant in time or space. In this sentence, the phrase 'over there' indicates that the bottles are distant from the speaker spatially.
2 this: We cannot use the demonstrative pronoun 'this' to refer to the plural noun 'bottles'. 'This' is used to refer to singular objects in close proximity to the speaker in time or space.
2 that: We cannot use the demonstrative pronoun 'that' to refer to the plural noun 'bottles'. 'That' is used to refer to singular objects which are distant from the speaker in time or space.
3 that: We use 'that' to refer to Horatio's bottles which are distant from him spatially, as indicated by the prepositional phrase 'by the door'. Note that the noun 'group' is singular even though it refers to a plural subject (bottles), and therefore we use 'that' rather than 'those'.
3 this: Horatio's phrase 'by the door' indicates that the group of bottles he is referring to are distant from him spatially, therefore we cannot use the demonstrative term 'this', which refers to objects or ideas which are close in proximity.
3 these: 'These' refers to plural subjects. Because the noun 'group' is singular, we cannot use 'these' to describe it.
3 those: 'Those' refers to plural subjects. Because the noun 'group' is singular, we cannot use 'those' to describe it.
Exercice 5
Fill in the blanks below with the appropriate demonstrative adjectives:

this | that | these | those | such

Bob: What's hippie doing over there, across the street?
Horatio: I don't know, but it doesn't look like he's coming way. He seems just to be standing over there.
Bob: I don't like hippies. Maybe we should use cans of mosquito spray I have in my pocket to scare him.
Horatio: Yes, let's do that! matches over there on the shelf might help too.
Fill in the blanks below with the appropriate demonstrative adjectives:

this | that | these | those | such

Bob: What's that 1 hippie doing over there, across the street?
Horatio: I don't know, but it doesn't look like he's coming this 2 way. He seems just to be standing over there.
Bob: I don't like hippies. Maybe we should use these 3 cans of mosquito spray I have in my pocket to scare him.
Horatio: Yes, let's do that! Those 4 matches over there on the shelf might help too.
1 that: Because Bob says 'over there', we know he is talking about something distant, and we use 'that' to refer to singular objects that are distant from us. Because the verb 'to be' is in the third person singular form, we know to use the singular demonstrative adjective 'that'.
2 this: The verb 'to come' indicates an object or person moving towards the speaker. 'This' is a word used to describe a single object, person, or idea in close proximity to the speaker, and is needed here to express the idea of the old man approaching.
3 these: Because Bob says that the 'cans of mosquito spray' are in his pocket, we know that they are close to him. Since there is more than one can, we use 'these' to refer to the plural noun 'cans'. 'These' is used to refer to multiple objects, people or ideas which are in close proximity to the speaker (in time or space).
4 Those: Because Horatio says 'over there', we know he is talking about something distant, and we use 'those' to describe multiple objects, people, or ideas that are distant from us. We use the plural demonstrative 'those' because the subject (matches) is plural. Matches are small wooden sticks with sulfur tips used for starting fires.

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