指示代词主要有以下四个: this (这)、 these (这些)、 that (那)、 those (那些)。
指示代词在句中可以用作:
(1)主语:
What’s this (that) ?这(那)是什么?
That ’s yours. 那是你的。
Are these what you want? 这些是你要的吗?
Those are easy questions to answer. 那些问题好回答。
在电话上或在介绍人时 this 和 that 可以指人:
Who is this ? (在电话上)你是谁?
Was that Helen on the phone? 是海伦打电话来吗?
This is Mary. 这位是玛丽。
( 2 )宾语:
How can we do this properly? 我们怎么能把这干好?
You’ll have to pay for that . 你将为此付出代价。
Without these we can’t possibly succeed. 没有这些我们不可能成功。
Better take those with you. 最好把那些带着。
( 3 )表语:
My idea is this . 我的想法是这样的。
The winning numbers are these …中奖号码是……
(1)指示代词还可用作定语。这样用时,有的语法学家称为限定词,也有人称为指示形容词:
This house is ours. 这座房子是我们的。
I distrust that man. 我不信赖那个人。
What shall I do with these flowers?这些花怎么办?
If those clouds drift away, we’ll have a fine afternoon.如果那些乌云飘走,下午就会天晴。
这种结构可以和“ of + 物主代词”连用:
This girl of mine wrote to say that she was coming from Paris. 我的这个姑娘给我写信说要从巴黎来。
I like these books of yours. 我喜欢你的这些书。
( 2 ) that 和 those 的特别用法
that 可代表前面提到的单数可数名词或不可数名词,以避免重复;还可 代表前句所说的情况:
My seat is next to that (= the seat)of the mayor. 我的座位在市长座位旁边。
The potato crop in 1984 was inferior to that (= the potato crop)of 1982.
1984 年的土豆收成比 1982 年差。
We see him when he comes to town, but that isn’t often. 他进城时我们就见到他,不过他不常进城。(代表前句所说的情况)
those 可代表前面的复数名词,以避免重复:
His views are close to those (= the views)of the Socialist Party. 他的观点接近社会党的观点。
that 还可用于某些短语:
① that is 这就是说:
John is a New Yorker; that is , he lives in New York. 约翰是纽约人,这就是说,他住在纽约。
② that’s all 就这些,如此而已:
“How are you feeling?”“Fine, A little tired, that’s all .”“你感觉怎样?”“挺好,只是有点累,如此而已。”
That’s all for today. 今天就讲这些。
③ that’s it 你说对了:
That’s it . You’ve described exactly what I felt about the film 你说对了,你正好说出了我对这部影片的感受。
④ that’s that 情况就是这样:
I won’t marry Peter, and that’s that . 我不会嫁给彼得,情况就是这样。
⑤ that’s to say 这就是说:
Rupert and Archie lived together. That is to say , Archie lived in Rupert’s room. 鲁帕特和阿基住在一起,这就是说阿基住在鲁帕特的房间里。