Cover Page of
The Mayfield Handbook of Technical & Scientific Writing
Table of ContentsWriting TimelineIndexHelpCredits

Section 11.4.1.1

Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives are special adjectives or determiners used to identify or express the relative position of a noun in time or space. A demonstrative adjective comes before all other adjectives in the noun phrase. Some common demonstrative adjectives are this, that, these, and those.


The results of research done with high-altitude aircraft flights showed significant amounts of ozone being destroyed outside the main hole, suggesting that the area of ozone loss may be considerably greater than once thought. Furthermore, this same research revealed that ozone destruction begins earlier in the year than expected.

--C. Donald Ahrens, Meteorology Today (modified)


Use this/that with singular nouns and these/those with plural nouns.


Unacceptable

Although not everything is known about the reactions that take place among hydrocarbons and other gases, it is believed that this reactions disrupt the normal mechanism for ozone removal, and so the concentration of ozone is able to increase.

Acceptable

Although not everything is known about the reactions that take place among hydrocarbons and other gases, it is believed that these reactions disrupt the normal mechanism for ozone removal, and so the concentration of ozone is able to increase.

--C. Donald Ahrens, Meteorology Today


You can sometimes use demonstrative adjectives as demonstrative pronouns.


These tools are delicate. [demonstrative adjective]

These are delicate. [demonstrative pronoun]


However, take care that you do not create broad pronoun reference.

Reference Link Text
## Demonstrative Adjectives ##
Reference Link Text

[ Home | Table of Contents | Writing Timeline | Index | Help | Credits]