Do you wish to learn the difference between This and That?, I guess you should most certainly learn the difference between these two words. Because These days English communication has become the key to successful career, without proper usage of words and pronunciation you might end up in a weird situation. And then comes the confusion as when to use ‘this’ and when to use ‘that’. This vs That is an interesting comparison and We teach you when to use This and when to use That.
Let’s start with understanding the words and what they mean.
‘This’ and ‘That’ are singular words. ‘This’ indicates us something physically nearby. It may also refer to the fact that something is symbolically or emotionally “close.” That can refer to something “over there” or to something that is not as symbolically or emotionally “close” as this is.
The basic difference between them is that “This” refers to a thing which is nearby or is present is vicinity, and “That” to a thing which is farther away.
Meanings of ‘This’ with Examples
Meaning 1: We tend to use ‘this’ to signify something that is close at hand and under immediate observation.
For Example: The senior executive said,” We will continue this important discussion tomorrow morning.”
Meaning 2: The second usage of ‘this’ is to signify someone or something near in place or time.
For Example: Sameer said to me,” This is the instructor I wanted you to meet.”
Meaning 3: The third usage of ‘this’ is to signify something that has been indicated in a subsequent expression.
For Example: The class teacher said,” This is what I want you to tell about vegetables; they are the best source of vitamins and minerals.”
Meanings of ‘That’ with Examples
Meaning 1: ‘That’ is used to signify a thing or a person that is at a distant location or is not in surround area.
For Example: That boy is not in our class.
Example 2: That place is a bit far from here.
Meaning 2: It is used to introduce an exclamatory clause.
For Example: Kelly said that she met the president of the student run organization at a party.
Meaning 3: Used to identify a person, an event etc. as mentioned before.
For Example: We were introduced at a party and after that we met quite often.
Note:
If an action is happening near in time we tend to use this.
If an action has been finished or is in the past we use that.
Example Sentences using ‘This’ and ‘That’
Some more examples of this and that in a sentence to show the different usage of the words’:
- This is my bike.
- This is big.
- That is our house.
- I made that.
- I want that.
- This party is boring.
- Look at this.
- This is Tom.
- That city is busy.
- This book is old.
So, I hope the difference between the words is very clear by now. For further queries and problems related to english grammar keep yourself updated with our upcoming blog posts.