Near/far and singular/plural in one grid: this/these (here), that/those (there); phone English (this is Anna)
I can point near and far with this/that/these/those and introduce people and myself on the phone.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
This is my colleague Sarah, and those are her famous brownies.
This is my colleague Sarah, and those are her famous brownies.
Hi, this is Mike from the garage - your car is ready.
Hi, this is Mike from the garage - your car is ready.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Two axes - distance and number:
| near (here) | far (there) | |
|---|---|---|
| singular | this cup | that mountain |
| plural | these cups | those mountains |
Uses: pointing (This is my desk), introducing people (This is my friend Tom), on the phone (Hi, this is Anna; say I'm Anna only when you introduce yourself to a stranger), and reactions (That's great! That sounds fun.).
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice Exercisesthis/these merged in speech
Short [ɪ] vs long [iː] + voiced z
I am X on the phone
Phone introductions: This is X
This is my colleague Sarah, and those are her famous brownies.
This is my colleague Sarah, and those are her famous brownies.
this for introducing, those for far plural.
Hi, this is Mike from the garage - your car is ready.
Hi, this is Mike from the garage - your car is ready.
Phone identification: this is + name.
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Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises