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a. The selective nominal demonstratives: this, these, that, those
These demonstratives occur extensively with anaphoric function in all varieties of English. In principle, they embody within themselves three systematic
distinctions: 1. Between ‘near’ this, these and ‘not near’ that, those
2. Between ‘singular’ this, that and ‘plural’ these, those 3. Between modifier this, etc, plus noun, eg: this tree is an oak and Head this,
etc, without noun, eg: this is an oak. All these distinctions have some relevance to cohesion, in that they partially
determine the use of these items in endophoric textual reference.
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b.
NEAR AND NOT NEAR
: thisthese
VERSUS
thatthose
Both this and that regularly refer anaphorically to something that has been said before. In dialogue there is some tendency for the speaker to use this to refer
to something he himself has said and that to refer to something said by his interlocutor.
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In another case proximity is interpreted in terms of time; in this case that tends to be associated with a past-time referent and this for one in the present or future.
For example: We went to the opera last night. That was our first outing for months.
We’re going to the opera tonight. This’ll be our first outing for months.
28
Halliday and Hasan, op. cit., Ibid., p. 59-60.
29
Ibid., p.61.
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c.
SINGULAR AND PLURAL
: thisthat versus thesethose
In general this distinction follows the expected pattern: thisthat refer to count singular or mass noun, thesethose to count plural.
Otherwise, we may note simply that the plural forms may refer anaphorically not merely to a preceding plural noun, but also to sets that are plural in meaning.
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for example: ‘Where do you come from?’ said the red Queen. ‘And where are you
going? Look up, speak nicely, and don’t twiddle your fingers all the time.’ Alice attended to all these directions, and explained, as well as she could,
that she had lost her way.
Conversely the singular demonstrative may refer to a whole list irrespective of whether or not it contains items that are themselves plural:
I’ve ordered two turkeys, a leg of lamb, some cooked ham and tongue, and pounds of minced beef.-
Whatever are you going to do with all that food?
But these uses follow from the general nature of anaphoric reference items that they refer to the meanings and not to the forms that have gone before.
d. H
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