It is well known that adjectives are a part of speech that describe or modify nouns. For example, in the statement, “The red apple looks very inviting” the word ‘red’ is an adjective as it describes the noun ‘apple’. Demonstrative adjectives are used to show the location of the noun with reference to the speaker or writer. It also indicates the number of the noun referred to i.e. whether the noun is in the singular number or plural.
The demonstrative adjectives indicate a specific item in relation to the speaker as in the sentence where the speaker points to a specific dish on the table and asks, “What do you think of this dish?"You may reply by saying “I don’t like that dish”. Further, the demonstrative adjective also indicate where they are with respect to the speaker. The demonstrative adjectives this and these are used when the object referred is nearer to the speaker. Example: ‘I want this cot to be moved up into the attic.’ That and Those, on the other hand, are demonstrative adjectives which are used to refer to something that is at a distance from the speaker. Example: ‘Those toys have to be given away for charity.’The demonstrative adjective is always followed by the noun being which is being referred to as in the example: I love those chocolates.
This, that, these, those are called demonstrative adjectives. Yon and yonder are demonstrative adjectives which are no longer in popular usage. The two types of demonstrative adjectives are: a) Singular demonstratives-this, that. b) Plural demonstratives-these, those
A demonstrative adjective modifies a noun and answer the question “which” regarding the nouns they modify. Examples:
A demonstrative pronoun known as independent demonstratives stand on their own by replacing a noun: Examples: