demonstrative adjectives

Language

2022

We explain what are demonstrative adjectives, which ones are in Spanish and examples in sentences. Also, demonstrative pronouns.

Demonstrative adjectives distinguish one object from similar ones.

What are demonstrative adjectives?

In grammar, the adjectives demonstrative are those words accompanying a noun and allow adding a deictic meaning (deixis), that is, to single it out or specify it, differentiating it from other similar or possible references. We must not confuse them with demonstrative pronouns, with which they share this grammatical purpose to some degree.

Thus, in the Spanish language there are three possible series of demonstratives: "this", "that" or "that", which vary according to the degree of proximity of the object with respect to the speaker, which is known as "degree of deixis ”, That is, degree of proximity or distance, whether physical and real, or figurative and abstract. For example: "is House", "that man "or"that partner".

At the same time, and since they act as determiners or companions of a noun or a noun, demonstrative adjectives usually agree with the noun in gender and in number. Furthermore, they almost always precede it in the sentence chain. These adjectives never have an accent.

What are the demonstrative adjectives?

As we have seen, demonstrative adjectives can be classified into three different series:

  • The highest degree of proximity: east. The first series implies a degree of closeness or immediacy with respect to the speaker, and includes the forms: this, is, are Y these. For example: "this book", "this woman" or "these documents".
  • A lower degree of proximity: that. The second series implies a first degree of distance, less than the third degree of demonstratives, and includes the forms: that, that, those Y those. For example: “that dog”, “that house” or “those regions”.
  • The greatest degree of remoteness: that. The third series implies a greater degree of physical, temporal or any other kind of separation, and includes the forms: that, that, those Y those. For example: “that building”, “that time” or “those times”.

Sentences with demonstrative adjectives

Here is a list of prayers that use these demonstrative adjectives:

  • We must be careful in this part.
  • Are you coming home this weekend?
  • All these trophies were won by playing basketball.
  • Those pants fit you better than that skirt.
  • Did you see how that dog growled at me?
  • Those children are in danger.
  • Nobody in this country wants to pay those taxes.
  • Do you take this book with you or do you prefer that edition?
  • That time was the best of my life.
  • At that time smoking was not prohibited.
  • This paragraph is contradicted by that sentence.
  • Those memories kept him from sleeping.
  • There was no law in that country.
  • We'll see what to do when that time comes.
  • That tradition will be discontinued this coming year.

Demonstrative pronouns

Traditionally, in Spanish, a distinction has been made between demonstrative adjectives and demonstrative pronouns, despite the fact that they coincide in form and purpose, and they were distinguished with the use of the tilde (in the case of some pronouns). However, since 2012 the RAE considered this standard as optional.

Demonstrative pronouns do not accompany the noun, but rather replace it within the sentence, allowing greater economy and ease of use. idiom.

However, in form they are identical to adjectives: this, is, these, are, that, that, those, those, that, that, those, those, with the addition of neutral forms this, that Y that, which do not have an accent and serve as discursive wildcards to refer to practically anything.

Similarly, the relationships of proximity and distance, physical or figurative, that we explain for demonstrative adjectives are maintained in the case of pronouns, as well as the agreement of gender and number with respect to the noun they replace. Some examples of this are:

  • I didn't bring my book, can I borrow this one?
  • Is this really your mother?
  • This reminds me that I have something for you.
  • And who are these?
  • Those are your personal items.
  • Of all the women in the world, you had to like just that one.
  • Whose is all that?
  • Those were better times.
  • What a beautiful sight that was.
  • Do you remember what we talked about?
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