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Example sentences:
A) You can pick either this or that.
B) You can pick this or that.
Is A, B or both correct?
asked Oct 6, 2019 at 7:06
8
‘Either’ can be omitted in a positive construction such as ‘[Either] James or Mary has hidden the cakes’. In a negative construction, like ‘Neither James nor Mary has hidden the cakes’, ‘neither’ cannot be omitted.
Understanding “Either … Or” and “Neither … Nor”
Or is used between two words or phrases to show that either of two
things is possible, or used before the last in a list of possibilities
or choices.
Longmans Dictionary
If I say that you can have coffee or tea, I mean that you can have one of these, not both.
answered Oct 6, 2019 at 8:41
Michael HarveyMichael Harvey
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#1
What does this sentence mean ?
The patients were either treated with the placebo or the drug.
Does it mean that all the patients got the placebo and also the drug, or does it mean that it got the placebo only or the drug only ?
A similar sentece, although a littlebit more specific:
Thymus organ cultures were either NL4-3 infected or mock—infected. (Mock infected means that the culture is not infected, is like saying «fake infected, is done for control purposes).
What does it mean ? I am really having an hard time understanding.
Also:
Each patient was either treated with the placebo or the drug.
Does this mean the each patient tryed both the placebo and the drug, or does it mean that the patient got the placebo or the drug ?
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#2
In these contexts «either..or» is being used exclusively. It is one thing or the other, not both together.
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#3
I’m going to be more specific. It means that some of the patients, say, 6 of them were given the placebo and the rest were treated with the drug. Only one thing at a time for each patient.
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#4
The patients were either treated with the placebo or the drug.
You haven’t given us your source, but the sentence is not quite right. It should be: The subjects were given either a placebo or the drug. That’s the way that drugs are tested. Some subjects are given the drug, while others are given a placebo (something that appears to be the drug but is inactive), and the results are compared.
The determiners both, either and neither are often confused. Both means this and that. Either means this or that. Neither means not this and not that.
Can you use these words correctly?
Fill in the blanks.
1. She has eaten ………………….. of the chops.
Correct!
Wrong!
We use both to refer to two people or things.
2. Alice sends you …………………… her love.
3. ……………………….. of us were ill so we didn’t go to work.
Correct!
Wrong!
Both means this and that. Either means this or that. Neither means not this and not that.
4. I don’t like ……………………. of my Grammar teachers.
Correct!
Wrong!
Instead of not….both, we use either.
5. Rahul and Ravi …………………….. went to the party.
Correct!
Wrong!
Both means this and that.
6. ……………………… of us play cricket regularly.
Correct!
Wrong!
Both means this and that.
7. ……………………… of us went to the party.
Both
Neither
Either could be used here
Correct!
Wrong!
Both expressions are possible here with totally different meanings. Both means this and that. Neither means not this and not that.
8. I couldn’t choose between them. I liked them ……………………
Correct!
Wrong!
Both means this and that.
9. You can take ……………………… the apple or the orange. You can’t have them ………………….
either, either
either, both
both, either
Correct!
Wrong!
Either is used before the first of two alternatives.
10. I don’t think highly of ………………………… of them.
Correct!
Wrong!
Instead of not…both, we use either.
11. ……………………………… swim.
Both of us cannot
Neither of us can
Correct!
Wrong!
We do not normally use both…not. Instead we use neither.
12. I don’t want ………………………………..
either chocolate or cake
neither chocolate nor cake
both chocolate and cake
Correct!
Wrong!
Neither is a negative word. We can’t use it with not.
Answers
1. She has eaten both of the chops.
2. Alice sends you both her love.
3. Both of us were ill so we didn’t go to work.
4. I don’t like either of my Grammar teachers.
5. Rahul and Ravi both went to the party.
6. Both of us play cricket regularly.
7. Neither of us went to the party. / Both of us went to the party.
8. I couldn’t choose between them. I liked them both.
9. You can take either the apple or the orange. You can’t have them both.
10. I don’t think highly of either of them.
11. Neither of us can swim.
12. I don’t want either chocolate or cake.
Предложения с «either this or that»
So this time I asked people to look in the middle of the screen and without moving their eyes, to pay attention to either of these squares. |
Поэтому на этот раз я попросил людей смотреть в центр экрана и, не двигая при этом глазами, обратить внимание на любой из квадратов. |
Now, we also see this idea that black people are people either alternately outside of the bounds of time or stuck in the past, in a scenario where, much as I’m doing right now, a black person stands up and insists that racism still matters, and a person, usually white, says to them, Why are you stuck in the past? |
Мы также видим идею того, что чёрные люди либо вне границ времени, либо застряли в прошлом, в ситуации, когда, как я сейчас, чёрный человек встаёт и настаивает на том, что расизм всё ещё имеет значение, и человек, как правило белый, отвечает: Почему вы застряли в прошлом? |
And you have basically two solutions to this imbalance: either de-globalize the economy and turn it back into a national economy, or globalize the political system. |
Из этого дисбаланса существует два возможных выхода: либо деглобализировать экономику до национального уровня, как раньше, либо глобализировать политическую систему. |
And this isn’t anomalous, either. |
Это считается нормой. |
But I preferred, actually, the reaction of a schoolchild when I presented at a school this information, who raised their hand and said, How do we know that the person who made that number isn’t one of the 49 percent either? |
Но мне больше понравилась реакция школьника, когда я представил эти данные в школе, который поднял руку и сказал: Откуда мы знаем, что человек, подсчитавший эту цифру, не входит в те 49 %? |
To reconcile this, we need to either change our culture or change our expectations. |
Чтобы привести это к гармонии, нужно изменить либо нашу культуру, либо наши ожидания. |
This isn’t easy, either. |
Это тоже непросто. |
But along with that vision, he also tried to give us — and most people don’t know this, either — he tried to give us a partner in the form of our fiercest Cold War rival, the Soviet Union. |
И вместе с ней он попытался дать нам — хотя многие даже не представляют этого — попытался дать нам в виде партнёра ни кого иного, как нашего злейшего врага по Холодной войне — Советский Союз. |
This is either a natural ability or some basic intelligence implanted into his genetic structure. |
Это или природная способность его вида, или в его генетическую структуру вживлен простейший интеллект. |
Either they had just killed something to gain power for a spell or they were actively working with the dead right at this very moment. |
Либо здесь забили животное ради заклинания, либо прямо в этот момент активно работали с мертвецами. |
Can either of you set up a one-way exit gate covering the floor of this room? |
Способен кто — нибудь из вас установить односторонние выходные врата, покрывающие в центре управления весь пол? |
And I bet you don’t believe any of this alien exodus crap either do you? |
Уверен, что вы тоже не верите всей этой инопланетной чепухе про исход. |
From this very light long body, magazine guns projected on either side. |
Из этого длинного, очень легкого корпуса с обоих концов торчали стволы магазинных винтовок. |
None of this information is in either the latest dictionary or encyclopedia. |
Информации об этом нет ни в последнем издании словаря, ни в энциклопедии. |
I never knew I’d be like this either. |
Я никогда не думала, что смогу так полюбить. |
Do either of you deny that you were conducting an illicit affair in violation of this council’s rules? |
Кто — либо из вас отрицает, что у вас были недозволенные отношения в нарушение правил совета? |
In this business you end up either a bum, or dead |
В нашем деле почти всегда заканчиваешь бродягой или получаешь пулю в живот. |
It seemed clear that Mr. Poe would not be of any help in this situation, either. |
Поэтому было ясно, что в данном случае помощи от мистера По тоже ждать не приходится. |
Think of it as a wedding present, because it’s either this or tokens. |
Считайте это свадебным подарком, потому что подарить я могу либо это, либо какие — нибудь безделушки. |
This-this rule change in arbitration isn’t necessarily a bad thing, either. |
Эти изменения в правилах проведения арбитражного разбирательства тоже не обязательно так плохи. |
They also proposed to allow crushing of the prunes either with or without pits depending on the product to be tested as this was common practice in the industry. |
Делегация также предложила предусмотреть возможность измельчения чернослива либо с косточками, либо без них в зависимости от подвергаемого испытанию продукта, поскольку такая практика является общепринятой в отрасли. |
You can either profit by this or be destroyed. |
Либо ты этим воспользуешься, …либо будешь уничтожен. |
When either space or bandwidth is low, this can be quite annoying. |
Если дисковое пространство или ширина канала недостаточны, это может быть достаточно неприятно. |
This shall not prejudice the right of either Party to levy customs duties on animals and goods taken across the border for the purpose of commercial trade. |
Это положение применяется без ущерба для права обеих Сторон взимать таможенные пошлины с животных и товаров, перевозимых через границу в целях торговли . |
If it concerns the extent of information in the languages of the national minorities, this remark of the Committee does not stand either. |
Рассматриваемое замечание Комитета также необоснованно, если оно касается вопроса информирования на языках национальных меньшинств. |
This comprises the President of the Republic, who acts as chairman, and cabinet ministers, either with or without portfolio. |
В Совет правительства входят президент Республики, который выполняет председательские функции, и государственные министры, включая министров с портфелем и без портфеля. |
You have to try either… to split the head with this axe… or to pierce him with this pole. |
Вы должны отделить голову топором, или пронзить сердце колом. |
Either they’re the same, or this one’s bigger than this one, or this one’s bigger than that one. |
Либо они одинаковы, либо это больше, чем это, либо это больше, чем то. |
This involves a total number of 27 persons who were either the victims of or witnesses to rape or sexual assault. |
Таким образом, общее число жертв или свидетелей изнасилований или половых преступлений составляет 27 человек. |
Does this guy look familiar to either one of you? |
Выглядит этот парень знакомым кому — либо из вас? |
This didn’t turn out the way either one of us had hoped. |
Всё получилось не так, как каждый из нас надеялся. |
If this is not done early enough, there is a danger that returnee women may lose out in the competition for land, either by not getting access or being evicted. |
Если это не будет сделано на достаточно раннем этапе, возникнет опасность того, что возвращающиеся женщины проиграют в конкурентной борьбе за землю, либо не получив к ней доступа, либо лишившись прав на нее. |
The Council must come out strongly against illicit arms traffickers and countries that either facilitate this trade or turn a blind eye towards it. |
Совет должен решительно выступить против незаконных торговцев оружием и стран, которые либо пособничают такой торговле, либо закрывают на нее глаза. |
In this way, the combination of an overlay map and the 3D viewer imagery gives more information than either one by itself. |
Таким образом, комбинация карты накладываемого изображения и изображения средства трехмерного просмотра предоставляет больше информации, чем по отдельности. |
If she’d had this baby on the plains, I doubt either one would have lived. |
Если бы она рожала в прериях, сомневаюсь, что кто — то из них выжил бы. |
Since this is not obligatory, EBU suggests that the required documentation is provided by either the filler of the tank or the consignor. |
Поскольку эта функция является необязательной, ЕСРС предлагает, чтобы требуемая документация предоставлялась либо ответственным за наполнение грузового танка, либо грузоотправителем. |
This proposal, a minimal proposal, the proposal for a special coordinator for the topic, could not be accepted either. |
Но и это минимальное предложение, предложение о назначении специального координатора по данной теме, также не было принято. |
This scourge has not left the United Nations untouched either. |
Беда не обошла стороной и Организацию Объединенных Наций. |
This perspective extended to right of married women to own property while in marriage either in their individual capacity or joint ownership. |
Это касается также права замужних женщин на владение собственностью либо индивидуально, либо совместно. |
I mean, if I showed this kind of thing to Watts, he’d either steal it or laugh me out of the room. |
Я имею ввиду, если бы я показал такие вещи Уоттсу, он бы украл их или бы смеялся бы у меня за спиной. |
Looking at this picture, we should not forget the global dimension, either. |
Учитывая данную перспективу, мы не должны также забывать и глобальную ситуацию. |
Either the proposition seems so absolutely evident that the mind has no way to doubt its veracity — we call this a postulate or axiom . |
или предположение кажется настолько очевидным, что разуму не остается ничего, кроме как убедиться в его правдивости, мы называем это постулатом или аксиомой. |
The value of this parameter can be a list of packages separated by either commas or spaces, which allows it to be used easily on the kernel command line as well. |
В значении этого параметра в качестве разделителя можно использовать запятые или пробелы, поэтому также его можно указать в командной строке ядра. |
That the trial be held in any Arab country to be agreed upon, either by the existing courts or by a special tribunal instituted for this purpose;. |
Суд будет проведен в любой из арабских стран, кандидатура которой будет согласована, с привлечением либо имеющихся судов, либо специально созданного для этой цели трибунала. |
You either need a smaller ladle or a bigger crater — otherwise, you get this. |
Нужен либо меньший половник, либо большая тарелка — иначе получается вот это. |
This will be done either in UTC or local time, depending on the selection that was just made. |
Оно будет выставлено в UTC или местном времени, в зависимости от выбора, который вы недавно делали. |
This does not enable a reliable measure of growth rates and comparison either with the growth of merchandise trade or GDP. |
Это не позволяет надежно определить темпы роста и провести сопоставление с темпами роста и торговли товарами, и ВВП. |
Paul Kovitch is who our contract is with and if he finds out about this, he will either sue us or break our legs. |
У нас договор с Полом Ковичем, и если он что — то заподозрит то либо засудит нас, либо переломает ноги. |
The horizontal arrow shows in what position this device, which cannot be mounted on either side of the vehicle indiscriminately, is to be mounted. |
Горизонтальная стрелка указывает направление монтажа этого устройства, которое может быть установлено только на одной из сторон транспортного средства. |
This measure allows emergency services to gain immediate access to either tube. |
Данная мера позволяет аварийно — спасательным службам получить немедленный доступ к любой из галерей. |
there have been many thousands of spills during this period — often poorly documented and their magnitude hidden or simply unmeasured by either the companies or the government. |
в этот период было несколько тысяч разливов, зачастую они были плохо документально оформлены, их объемы скрывались или просто не определялись компаниями или правительством. |
Some say this is nonsense and that economic disaster awaits if Lebanon foolishly escalated, but what happened is not in the interest of the Gulf countries either way. |
По словам некоторых, все это — чушь, и Ливан ожидает экономическая катастрофа, если он пойдет на эскалацию, однако то, что произошло, противоречит интересам в том числе стран Персидского залива. |
Success is not guaranteed this time, either, but the chances are much higher now, because France, the United States, and the world have changed. |
Успех не гарантирован и на этот раз, но шансы гораздо выше, потому что Франция изменилась, как и США, и весь мир. |
“This is about what companies should do when the government had gone to court and gotten a court order, either a search warrant or a wiretap or a data tap.” |
— Вопрос в том, что должны делать компании, когда власть обращается в суд и получает судебное распоряжение, будь то ордер на обыск, на прослушивание телефона или на снятие информации». |
This said, a US preventive strike at Iran’s nuclear-related installations is not in the interest of either country. |
Превентивный удар США по связанным с ядерной энергией объектам Ирана не в интересах ни той, ни другой страны. |
When you are online, this file is automatically synchronized with the server so that both copies are the same, and changes made in either copy are made to the other. |
В сетевом режиме этот файл автоматически синхронизируется с сервером, в результате чего обе копии становятся идентичными: изменения, внесенные в одну копию, воспроизводятся в другой. |
This is a dangerous state of affairs for those on either side of the Atlantic who believe in the values of the enlightenment and in the constitution of liberty. |
Такое положение дел представляется опасным для тех по обеим сторонам Атлантики, кто верит в ценности просвещения и конституцию свободы. |
Proxy forces like Hezbollah are, from this perspective, a tool either for deterring aggression or for deployment when fighting begins. |
Прокси — армии, подобные «Хезболле», с этой точки зрения, являются инструментом либо для сдерживания агрессии, либо для применения на случай начала битвы. |
This adapter comes either by itself, or in a bundle with an Xbox Wireless Controller. |
Этот адаптер поставляется отдельно или в комплекте с беспроводным геймпадом Xbox. |
Technical note: In this control,’sterilized’denotes the elimination of all viable microbes from the equipment through the use of either physical (eg steam) or chemical agents. |
Техническое примечание: По отношению к данной мере контроля «стерилизация» означает удаление всех жизнеспособных микробов из оборудования либо путем физического воздействия (например, пaром), либо с помощью химических веществ. |
This grammar page gives you explanations of words like this and that, as well as determiners that go before nouns (such as each, every, all, much and many) and the pronouns one and ones.
Determiners: this, that, these, those
When we refer to things that are close to us, we use “this” (for singular and uncountable nouns) and “these” (for plural nouns).
When we refer to things that are far from us, we use “that” (for singular and uncountable nouns) and “those” (for plural nouns).
“I love this watch!”
“What about that one over there?”
“Do you like these shoes?”
“Actually, I prefer those ones in the window.”
(See our page on English nouns for more information about singular, plural and uncountable nouns.)
Other grammatical words that come before the noun are each, every, either, enough, much, many, a lot of / lots of, several, a few, a little, all, both and some and any.
“I like each of these shirts.”
“I’d like to visit every clothes shop in Milan.”
“Which shirt do you prefer? Either is fine.”
“We don’t have enough time to go to all the clothes shops.”
“I don’t have much money on me today.”
“He doesn’t have many shirts for work.”
“They have a few coats on sale.”
“I’d like several pairs of sandals for summer.”
“I want to buy all of these shirts!”
“I’d like to buy both the green shirt and the red shirt.”
Each, every and either
“Each” identifies one of a group.
“Every” refers to all the components of the whole group.
“Either” means “this one or that one”.
“Every shoe shop in this town is expensive.” ( = all the shoe shops are expensive).
“Each pair of shoes is hand-made.” (= each separate pair is hand-made)
“Which one of these jumpers do you want? Either goes well with my jeans.”
Use each, every and either with a singular countable noun.
“Each dress is beautiful.”
“Every dress is beautiful.”
Several, all and both
We can use “all” with a plural or uncountable noun.
“All the jeans are beautiful.”
We can also add (“of”) + these / possessive adjective:
“All of these shirts are beautiful.”
“All (of) his shirts are hand-made.”
You can use “both” and “several” in the same way as “all”.
“Both shirts are lovely.”
“Both of those hats suit you.”
“They have several pairs of white trousers in that shop.”
“They have several of those trousers that you like.”
Don’t use “the” before several, all, or both.
Enough and a few
“Enough” means “sufficient”. “Few” or “a few” means “not much”.
We use enough with uncountable nouns, and few / a few with plural nouns.
(Note: we can use “little” or “a little” with uncountable nouns.)
“We’ve got enough time to go to the shopping centre.”
Enough of + determiner + noun
“I’ve got enough of this type of T-shirt at home. I don’t need any more.”
“A few” means three or four, while “few” means one or two (= a smaller quantity that “a few”).
A few + plural noun
“There are a few interesting boutiques on this road.”
A few of + determiner + noun
“I want a few of these woollen scarves for winter.”
Use “little” and “a little” with uncountable nouns.
“Little” is smaller quantity than “a little”.
“We have a little time left. Lets go to M&S.” (Maybe we have twenty minutes left.)
“We have little time left before our train.” (Maybe we only have ten minutes left.)
Much, many and a lot
Use “much” with uncountable nouns, “many” with countable (plural) nouns, and “a lot of” / “lots of” with both type of nouns.
“I don’t have much money.”
“She doesn’t have many friends.”
“She has a lot of money / friends.”
In affirmative sentences
Avoid using much. Instead, use a lot of or lots of.
He has much money to spend on clothes = “He has a lot of money to spend on clothes.”
You can use many in affirmative sentences, but it sounds quite formal. Often we use a lot of or lots of instead.
He has many pairs of designer jeans = “He has lots of pairs of designer jeans.”
In negative sentences
“I don’t have much / a lot of time.”
“He doesn’t have many / a lot of shoes. ”
“She doesn’t have a lot of clothes.”
In questions
Use a lot of / lots of in questions rather than much (which sounds formal).
“Do you have a lot of money on you?”
You can use either many or a lot of / lots of in questions.
“Does he have many friends?”
“Does he have a lot of friends?”
Note: There is no difference between “a lot of” and “lots of”.
Using “one” and “ones”
We can use “one” and “ones” as a pronoun – to substitute a noun.
“How much is that bag?”
“The green one? It’s £50.”
“How much are those oranges?”
“The Spanish ones? They’re £2 a kilo.”
You can use the definite article “the” before “one” and “ones”:
“I’d like the green one.”
“I’d like the Spanish ones.”
You can also use the indefinite article “a” or “an” if there is an adjective:
“I’d like a small one.”
(But not “I’d like a small” or “I’d like a one”.)
Replace “your one”, “my one”, “his one” and “her one” etc with the possessive pronoun “mine”, “yours”, “his”, “hers” etc. For more information, see our English grammar page on pronouns and possessives.
Demonstratives and Determiners
Choose the correct answer.
Now go on to the next page to learn essential vocabulary and verbs for clothes and shoes: English Vocabulary for Clothes and Shoes
Question
Обновлено на
22 апр. 2021
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Корейский
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Английский (американский вариант)
Вопрос про Английский (американский вариант)
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Английский (американский вариант)
It’s an ultimatum, which is when you are given two choices and must decide between them. It’s when you choose to do one thing over the alternative.
Example:
“I had to either do my homework or be grounded.” Meaning you chose to do your homework instead of not doing it and getting punished as a result.
Example:
“It was either paint the walls blue or red.” Just decision making.
In your example of:
“It was either this or the army.”
That would mean you chose the other option (this) and not the army. In this context, you’re saying whatever “this” is it’s better than going into the army.
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Арабский
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Английский (американский вариант)
Практически свободно говорящий
a choice between two things
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Английский (американский вариант)
@lapoderundec either has two meanings. For this one you ask about, it means there are two (sometimes more than two) options, and a decision must be made between those options. This word “either” always comes before the options. “Either you go to war or go to jail.” You have two options, and the word “either” goes before the options. If someone asks me, Jess do you want the blue pen or the red pen? I would respond “Either or”
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Английский (американский вариант)
It’s an ultimatum, which is when you are given two choices and must decide between them. It’s when you choose to do one thing over the alternative.
Example:
“I had to either do my homework or be grounded.” Meaning you chose to do your homework instead of not doing it and getting punished as a result.
Example:
“It was either paint the walls blue or red.” Just decision making.
In your example of:
“It was either this or the army.”
That would mean you chose the other option (this) and not the army. In this context, you’re saying whatever “this” is it’s better than going into the army.
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Что значит WIFE (to a restaurant owner): If I wanted to have this terrible food, I could’ve staye…
ответ
It means that she really disliked the food that she got from the restaurant and that she felt it was a wasted trip.
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Что значит For example, the person you’re speaking with is telling you about where he/she grew up…
ответ
@keppi_keppinen
“this/that one time” means “relating to a particular occasion”
Examples:
“Hey, remember that one time you got sick at Jim’s… -
Что значит He wimped out/bugged out/wigged out/freaked out/flipped out/chickened out when she tha…
ответ
Almost all of these verbs man to lose one’s composure and become a coward in a scary situation
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Что значит Don’t ask the chef to modify this or that, invert this or that just because you are a …
ответ
«Don’t ask the chef to change the food.»
«This or that» means «stuff», «things.»
«Die-hard» means «stubborn.»
«Posh» is British English for «… -
Что значит A: Get rid of that. It’s covered in disease.
B: Tsk. Who you supposed to be, my momma…ответ
The person is telling Tappert to sleep in the attic that night. «Take the» can be used to specify where you’re sleeping.
E.g. «I’ll just tak…
- if I was in the army, I would have looked like this. это звучит нормально?
- Что значит It takes an army to service?
- Как сказать на Английский (американский вариант)? army
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Что значит do u know what’s better than 69?
it’s 88 because u get 8 twice.please explain the jo…
- Что значит rodeos ?
- Что значит bing chilling?
- Что значит golden shower?
- Что значит ‘Bombastic side eye’ and ‘criminal offensive side eye’?
- Что значит Это напрягает меня ?
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Что значит A-No, it was my fault for asking in the first place.
B-Well, if there’s any life or d… -
Что значит Ты вообще кто такой
? - Что значит Будь что будет ?
- Что значит Раз на раз?
- Что значит Это напрягает меня ?
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Что значит Besides, I already told you I’m taking the next guy.
Not sure why you’re casually fra… - Что значит From this blood is born divine children, kids with godly powers. He (or she) will be e…
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Что значит A-No, it was my fault for asking in the first place.
B-Well, if there’s any life or d… -
Что значит Ты вообще кто такой
?
Previous question/ Next question
- Как сказать на Корейский? Como se diz «Olá, poderia me dizer onde fica a estação de trem?»
- Как сказать на Английский (американский вариант)? 이놈의 지지배 를 영어로 뭐라고 하나요 ?
Что означает этот символ?
Символ показывает уровень знания интересующего вас языка и вашу подготовку. Выбирая ваш уровень знания языка, вы говорите пользователям как им нужно писать, чтобы вы могли их понять.
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Мне трудно понимать даже короткие ответы на данном языке.
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Могу задавать простые вопросы и понимаю простые ответы.
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Могу формулировать все виды общих вопросов. Понимаю ответы средней длины и сложности.
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Понимаю ответы любой длины и сложности.
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This and that в английском языке
В английской речи и в художественных текстах часто встречаются слова that и this. Разница между ними, безусловно, существует, но какая — для многих остается загадкой.
Сегодня мы рассмотрим не только употребление this и that, но и грамотное использование местоимений these и those. Разница между этими парами довольно существенна, и, понимая ее, вы никогда больше не будете путать между собой слова that, this, those и these.
This or that: правило употребления
This и that — это указательные местоимения.
This переводится как этот/эта/это.
That, соответственно, как тот/та/то.
И то, и другое местоимение указывает на ОДИН предмет (или лицо), разница между this и that состоит в том, что объекты, которые мы обозначаем этими местоимениями, находятся на разном расстоянии от говорящего.
This обозначает то, что находится рядом, неподалеку, близко.
That — то, что расположено вдалеке, удаленно от говорящего.
Например,
This cat is mine. Эта кошка — моя.
That cat is yours. Та кошка твоя.
“Кошка” — это слово в единственном числе. Выбор this или that зависит именно от того, ГДЕ конкретно находится эта кошка. Та, что лежит возле моих ног — this cat. Та, что далеко от меня — that cat.
Когда мы говорим об удаленности объекта, речь идет не только о пространстве (физическое местоположение объекта — далеко или близко от говорящего), но и о времени.
Например:
That was awesome! I had a wonderful time!
Это было великолепно! Я чудесно провел время!
Действие имело место в прошлом, рассказчик сейчас вспоминает о приятно проведенном времени и употребляет местоимение that. Обратите внимание, на русский мы скорее всего переведем that как “это”, а не как “то” — в силу особенностей стилистики русского языка. Для нас разница между “этот” и “тот” в данном контексте незначительна. Но она принципиальна для английского языка. Употребить this в этом случае будет ошибкой.
Таким образом, рассказывая об отдаленных по времени событиях (действиях в прошлом), мы используем местоимение that.
This и that в живой речи
Часто путают this и that в диалогах, например, в телефонном разговоре.
Если вы представляетесь в беседе, используйте this:
— Hello. This is Mary.
Если вы задаете вопрос, уточняете, кто с вами говорит, используйте that:
— Is that Julia?
Сравните:
— Is that George?
— No, this is Mike.
These и those: разница и употребление
Помимо this и that часто можно встретить еще одну пару указательных местоимений: these-those. Правило их употребления звучит так: если предметов много, а не один, мы меняем this на these, а that на those.
These — эти
Those — те
These cats are mine. Эти кошки — мои.
Those cats are yours. Те кошки — твои.
Как видно, оба местоимения those, these указывают на множество объектов (кошек несколько). В чем между ними разница? These и those, так же, как и пара this–that, обозначают предметы, которые находятся на разном расстоянии от говорящего.
These — предметы близко (эти)
Those — предметы далеко (те)
Таким образом, выбирая подходящее местоимение, мы всегда смотрим только на два аспекта:
1. Количество предметов/лиц (сколько — один или много)
2. Их удаленность от говорящего (здесь или там)
Пара this–these используется в случае, если предмет/предметы — рядом с говорящим. Пара that–those употребляется, если объект или объекты далеко от говорящего.
Произносим правильно: these or this
Вы наверняка сталкивались с тем, что в живой речи трудно услышать разницу между these и this. Поэтому их часто путают и в речи, и на письме. Оба местоимения произносятся похоже, и в разговоре не всегда можно уловить, что же все-таки прозвучало — these или this. Как произносить these и this правильно:
This произносится кратко, при этом s на конце звучит как “с”, глухо.
А вот these произносится с долгим звуком “и” (как в русском «НИИ»), а на конце звучит “з”, а не “с”.
Если вы сами будете правильно произносить эти местоимения, то и в чужой речи услышите между ними разницу.
Как правильно употреблять this, that, these, those в предложении
Указательные местоимения this/that/these/those могут употребляться вместе с существительным либо без него. Взгляните:
Без существительного:
This is your last chance to see him.
Это твой последний шанс повидаться с ним.
С существительным:
This meeting is your last chance to see him.
Это собрание — твой последний шанс повидаться с ним.
Если указательные местоимения стоят в начале предложения, и после них нет определяющего существительного, то, как правило, далее следует глагол to be в форме единственного или множественного числа:
This is / These are/ That is/ Those are
This is a cat. — Это кошка.
These are butterflies. — Это бабочки.
That is a train. — Это поезд.
Those are cucumbers. — Это огурцы.
И this, и that выполняют здесь функцию подлежащего и переводятся как “это”.
Указательные местоимения без существительных могут появляться в различных частях предложения:
Which trousers would you choose, these or those?
Какие брюки ты бы выбрал, эти или те?
What is that?
Что это там?
Если указательное местоимение предшествует существительному, его функция — указать на конкретный объект:
This cat has drunk our milk. — Эта кошка выпила наше молоко.
В данном случае местоимение this уточняет, что именно эта кошка, а не какая-то другая, выпила все молоко.
Любое из четырех указательных местоимений может сопровождаться существительным:
This flower smells great. — Этот цветок пахнет великолепно.
That man is very angry. — Тот человек очень злой.
These tickets cost too much. —Эти билеты стоят слишком дорого.
Those presents are from my friend. — Те подарки — от моих друзей.
Каверзный вопрос “Что это?”
Когда вы задаете вопрос “Что это?”, вы можете столкнуться с трудностью. Ведь, произнесенный по-русски, вопрос “Что это?” одинаково звучит, сколько бы объектов ни было и где бы они ни находились. Взгляните:
Из-за того, что по-русски вопрос во всех четырех ситуациях звучит одинаково, многие путаются, как же правильно спрашивать по-английски: “Что это?”.
Ориентируйтесь на удаленность объекта и количество объектов. Определили? Теперь выбирайте подходящее местоимение и соответствующую форму глагола to be.
Указательные местоимения и one
Иногда после указательных местоимений можно встретить слово one. А то и ones. Что это такое?
Случается, что для сохранения красоты речи нужно избежать повторения существительного. Например:
This T-shirt is too expensive. That T-shirt is cheaper.
Эта футболка слишком дорогая. Та футболка дешевле.
Повторение слова “футболка” здесь не оправдано. Зачем? В русской речи мы скорее сказали бы так: “Эта футболка слишком дорогая. Та — дешевле”. Каждому понятно, что “та” = “та футболка”.
В английском языке происходит нечто похожее. Так же, как и в русском, мы избавляемся от дубля слова T-shirt. Но если в русском языке можно оставить местоимение “та” в гордом одиночестве, то в английском мы должны подобрать для существительного заменитель. Эту функцию берет на себя слово one. Взгляните:
This T-shirt is too expensive. That one is cheaper.
Эта футболка слишком дорогая. Та дешевле.
Так как речь идет об одном предмете, мы использовали указательное местоимение в единственном числе — that. После местоимений that/this правило предписывает использовать слово one.
Если же мы говорим о множестве предметов и используем местоимения these и those, то в качестве замены существительного мы будем использовать ones.
These glasses are awful! Pass me those ones, please.
Эти очки ужасные. Передай мне те, пожалуйста.
Распространенная ошибка: не надо пытаться переводить one и ones. Ни как “один”, ни как “одни”, ни как-либо еще. В данном случае one/ones — это кирпичик, который позволяет грамотно строить предложение с точки зрения структуры, на русский язык ни one, ни ones в подобных предложениях не переводятся.
Теперь вы знаете, когда нужно использовать указательные местоимения this, that, these, those и можете грамотно строить свою речь. Читайте другие статьи Puzzle English и совершенствуйте свой английский!
This vs. That
This and that are singular. This indicates something physically nearby. It may also refer to something 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.
Examples:
This dog is mine.
This is mine.
That dog is hers.
That is hers.
These vs. Those
These and those are the plural equivalents of this and that.
Examples:
These babies have been smiling for a while.
These are mine.
Those babies in the nursery have been crying for hours.
Those are yours.
Than vs. Then
Use than to show comparison. Then answers the question when. It also means in that case or therefore.
Examples:
I would rather go skiing than rock climbing.
First we went skiing; then we went rock climbing.
If it snows, then we’ll go skiing.
Pop Quiz
1. This/these tables need to be cleaned before customers arrive.
2. Please clean this/that table in the corner.
3. These/those clothes in the other room need to be folded.
4. That/those toaster burned my bagel.
5. We reached the summit of the mountain and then/than collapsed.
6. I would rather starve then/than eat oysters.
Pop Quiz Answers
1. These tables need to be cleaned before customers arrive.
2. Please clean that table in the corner.
3. Those clothes in the other room need to be folded.
4. That toaster burned my bagel.
5. We reached the summit of the mountain and then collapsed.
6. I would rather starve than eat oysters.
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Last updated:
April 9, 2023
Almost every time you use your finger to point at something, you’ll need to use a demonstrative pronoun.
This and that are among the most common demonstrative pronouns, but there are more!
Read on to learn all about different demonstrative pronouns and how to use them.
Contents
- Why Learn Demonstrative Pronouns?
- What Is a Demonstrative Pronoun?
-
- What Is a Pronoun?
- What Is a Demonstrative?
- So, What Is a Demonstrative Pronoun?
- Demonstrative Pronouns vs. Demonstrative Adjectives
- How to Use Demonstrative Pronouns
- 7 English Demonstrative Pronouns
-
- This
- That
- These
- Those
- Such
- None
- Neither
- Summary: All About Demonstrative Pronouns
- English Demonstrative Pronoun Exercises
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Why Learn Demonstrative Pronouns?
Learning how to recognize and use demonstrative pronouns is very important, for several reasons:
- We hear demonstrative pronouns all the time in daily conversations, movies and TV shows, books and songs. So learning them means you will be able to understand more of your favorite English media.
- Demonstrative pronouns make speaking English easier. By using words like this and that instead of repeating the name of a noun, we sound more natural.
- Knowing demonstrative pronouns is essential to getting high scores on English proficiency tests.
What Is a Demonstrative Pronoun?
What Is a Pronoun?
First thing is first, what is a pronoun?
You may already know that a pronoun is a word that substitutes (replaces) a noun, or any other part of the sentence functioning as a noun.
Let’s use this sentence as an example:
This little boy is very clever.
This little boy is a noun phrase that’s the subject of the whole sentence. We can replace this little boy with the word he to get the sentence:
He is very clever.
In this sentence, the word he is a pronoun.
Let’s take a look at a few more examples with pronouns:
Mary and I go shopping every Tuesday. → We go shopping every Tuesday.
My dad wants to buy those shoes. → He wants to buy them (or those).
John went to Tom’s place to take care of the dog. → He went to Tom’s place to take care of it.
What Is a Demonstrative?
On the other hand, a demonstrative is a word we use to refer to objects or people, and their distance in space or time in relation to a speaker.
In other words, a demonstrative is a word we use to point or refer to things or people that can be near or far from us (in time or in space, as you will see later).
One example of a demonstrative can be seen in the sentence:
This car costs too much.
In this case, the word this is a demonstrative.
So, What Is a Demonstrative Pronoun?
Put all the information about pronouns and demonstratives together, and you get that a demonstrative pronoun is a word that replaces a noun phrase and indicates whether it is near or far in time or space.
The noun phrase may have been mentioned before, or be understood from context.
Whatever the case, the demonstrative pronoun takes the place of the noun phrase, which is known as the antecedent. An antecedent is a person or object being replaced by a pronoun.
Let’s look at some examples:
This is delicious.
As readers, we do not know what this means, but the person saying the sentence and the people around him will understand what he is talking about because he is eating it.
Let’s say that he is eating a cookie. Therefore, the word this refers to the cookie.
In this sentence, the cookie is the antecedent.
Here’s another example:
Please, put these in the fridge.
Let’s say the person speaking is holding bananas. They don’t need to say the word bananas because they are holding them. In other words, it is obvious that they are talking about bananas.
In this sentence, the word bananas is the antecedent because it’s what the pronoun these is referring to.
Finally, demonstrative pronouns also tell us about the number (singular or plural) of the noun, but they do not change with gender (masculine or feminine):
Do you want this? (This is singular and refers to a thing or a person that is close.)
Are those yours? (Those is plural and refers to things or people that are far.)
Demonstrative Pronouns vs. Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstratives can be adjectives or pronouns.
This, that, these and those are actually the most common demonstrative pronouns, but they can also be used as demonstrative adjectives.
So how are demonstrative pronouns different from demonstrative adjectives?
This table sums it up:
Demonstrative Pronoun | Demonstrative Adjective |
---|---|
Replaces a noun | Modifies a noun |
Stands alone | Followed by a noun |
«I love this.» | «I love this bag.» |
There are only two rules you have to remember:
1. Demonstrative adjectives modify a noun, so there’s always a noun afterwards.
For example:
That pizza looks delicious.
Dad, can we get these puppies?
They were very happy all those years.
2. Demonstrative pronouns replace the noun and always stand alone.
In other words, they don’t have a noun following them:
That looks delicious.
Dad, can we get these?
Those were happy years.
Easy, isn’t it?
How to Use Demonstrative Pronouns
Normally, replacing a noun phrase with a demonstrative pronoun is not very challenging (difficult).
After so many years of teaching English, I have learned that the best way to see the main English demonstrative pronouns is by putting them in a table:
Singular | Plural | |
---|---|---|
Near | this | that |
Far | these | those |
The most important thing to take into account is the number of the noun:
- If the noun is singular, use either this or that.
- If the noun is plural, use either these or those.
The next step is to determine whether the noun is near or far from the speaker:
- If it is near, you will have to use this or these.
- If it is far, you will use that or those.
Here are some examples:
This is fantastic! (Singular, near)
Those were the days! (Plural, far)
That was very nice of you. (Singular, far)
I love these, but I will buy those. (Plural, near, then plural, far)
7 English Demonstrative Pronouns
Now that the basics are clear, let’s have a look at each pronoun separately.
Many learners do not know there are other demonstrative pronouns aside from this, that, these and those, but don’t worry, they are equally easy to master.
This
Our first pronoun is this. It refers to an antecedent that is both singular and close to the speaker:
This is amazing!
This is Mary and this is Julia.
John gave me this for you.
I’ll have this and this.
In all the examples, this can mean anything from a dress to a person. The use of this in these sentences tells us the antecedent is singular and close to the person talking.
That
The pronoun that refers to a singular antecedent, but in this case, it is far from the speaker, either in space or time:
That is a suspicious guy.
That was the week I met Sonia.
Do you really want to buy that?
This is Mary, and that over there is Michael.
These
The pronoun these is the plural counterpart (someone or something that has the same function) of this.
We use it when the antecedent is close to the speaker and plural:
These are beautiful. Thank you!
I’ll have these, please.
These are amazing. Where can I buy them?
These are troubled times.
Those
This pronoun refers to antecedents that are both far from the speaker and plural. It is the plural counterpart of that:
Those are big houses.
I have decided to buy those.
Those were so dirty I had to throw them away.
Those were the best years of my life.
Such
My students are always surprised when I tell them there are more than just four demonstrative pronouns.
One of these “surprising” pronouns is such.
Dictionaries define such as “someone or something of the kind that has been previously mentioned or is about to be mentioned.”
This definition can help us understand that such refers to nouns or noun phrases (antecedents), so it should not be a big surprise that it is a demonstrative pronoun.
Such is a special kind of pronoun, though.
It does not change with gender or number, and it can be used to refer to masculine, feminine, singular and plural antecedents:
Such was his determination that he did not sleep for three days.
We can’t do anything. Such is life.
Such were the rules, sorry!
Such are his ways. (This is how he does things.)
None
The demonstrative pronoun none is really a shortened form of not one, and it means exactly that: not one, not any.
Despite including the number one in it, none can be used with both singular and plural antecedents:
There is none left. (Referring to something singular and normally uncountable such as water, flour or ketchup.)
There are none left. (Referring to a plural antecedent such as books, glasses or apples.)
Here is a trick that may help you remember none easily: it is the only demonstrative pronoun that cannot be a demonstrative adjective.
This means a sentence where none is directly followed by a noun will always be incorrect.
For example, you would never say: “None university accepted him.” Instead, you would say: “No university accepted him.”
However, these sentences work:
None of the universities accepted him.
None of the kids were happy.
Neither
You have probably used neither many times when you wanted to say that you did not want any of two possible options. In these cases, nor usually appears in the sentence as well:
Neither John nor Mary was ready to go.
However, when neither functions as a demonstrative pronoun, it likes to do its job alone:
Neither of them is mine.
I will take neither. (I will not take any of these two.)
Neither will work properly after this. (Neither this one nor that one will work properly after this.)
Neither is also easy to remember because it is the only demonstrative pronoun that is always singular, which means that the verb will always be singular.
For example, this sentence is correct:
Neither of the answers is correct.
This sentence is incorrect:
Neither of the answers are correct.
Summary: All About Demonstrative Pronouns
English demonstrative pronouns are easy to understand and even easier to learn.
They are used in a very straightforward (simple) way, and while they can be used to refer to almost any noun phrase, you should remember there are a couple of rules they have to follow.
On the one hand, this and these are used for antecedents that are close to the speaker, while on the other hand, that and those are used for antecedents that are far from the speaker.
In addition, you should not forget that such, none and neither are also demonstrative pronouns. They may not be used as often as the previous four, but they are also very useful and important.
English Demonstrative Pronoun Exercises
Now that you have learned the demonstrative pronouns in English, why not practice them some?
Here you have five of my favorite English demonstrative pronouns exercise pages:
- Curso-Inglés: You will find two exercises on demonstrative pronouns at the end of the page, right after the grammar explanations.
- English Exercises: Here you have a fun exercise on demonstrative pronouns. Learn how to introduce The Simpsons’ main characters!
- Your Dictionary: On this site, you will find a short quiz to check what you have learned in this post. You will need to have a clear understanding of the difference between subject and object for this one.
- Perfect English Grammar: Here’s a challenge for you! There are 20 sentences in this exercise. Can you tell if this/that/these/those are adjectives or pronouns in each of them?
And that’s all for today, my friends!
Stay curious, and as always, happy learning!
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This or that?
There are many different ways of using “this” and “that”. Both words are often used in similar contexts but in different ways. In this article, we will explore the various applications of “this” and “that”
We use “this” to refer to people, things, situations and experiences that are more close to the speaker or very close in time. “This is paired with single or uncountable nouns.
We use “that” to refer to people and things, situations and experiences that are more distant to the speaker, either physically or in time. They are often paired with single or uncountable nouns.
- Determiner (People or Things)
- (Experience)
Determiner (People or Things)
Structure: This + noun
Example:
- This shoe is red in colour. (I might be holding the shoe)
- This man next to me is really good looking. (He might just be beside me)
Structure: That + noun
Example:
- That guitar is fantastic but expensive. (That guitar is quite far away from me)
- That man standing at the door looks like a thief. (That man is not near me)
Experience
- This holiday is awesome (Suggests that you are still having a holiday and you make this remark)
- That holiday was fantastic (Suggests that the holiday has finished and you make this remark)
- “This” is my first attempt vs “That” was my last attempt.
Time phrases
- I will see you this evening. (Suggest time is near e.g going to happen soon)
- Remember that evening when we met for drinks. (Suggest time is far e.g quite some time in the past)
Mentally / Emotionally
This category can be rather complex. However, if we stick to the concept of “this” (near) and “that” (far), it should be easy.
Example:
- I really like this girl in my class. (A positive and favourable emotion. It seems I want to get “nearer” to this girl.)
- I did not have an affair with that woman. (Suggests “distancing”. I want to have nothing to do with that woman. )
Introducing a new topic
We use this to refer to a new topic. The reference topic could be a word, phrase or clause.
Example:
- This fall, there will be a myriad of new TV dramas debuting on the CW network.
- The mugger suddenly pulled out this big knife and wielded it at me.
Relating to something that has recently been mentioned
- Facebook has recently introduced a new video call function. This function will enable Facebook users to communicate with their friends and loved ones.
Shared knowledge
We often use “that” to refer to shared knowledge when telling a story or explaining something:
- You know that old barber on the corner? Well, they’re going to close down temporarily for renovation.
Situation
- 4 employees were asked to leave this week. This might set off an unprecedented number of terminations.
- 4 employees were asked to leave last month. That might have set off an unprecedented number of terminations.
4 employees were asked to leave “This”/”That” is the situation.
I leave you now with this dialogue. Try to figure out the different uses of “this” and “that”.
Dialogue
Ivan: Could you give me that book on the table over there?
Sergio: Do you mean this book here?
Ivan: Yes, that book.
Sergio: Here you are. Oh, could you give me that magazine too on the table over there?
Ivan: This one? Sure, here you are.
Ivan: Hey Sergio, do you know who this actress is on the magazine cover?
Sergio: No, I do not know who that actress is.
Ivan: Do you remember that actress who acted in the movie “Miss Congeniality”?
Sergio: Oh yes! That is Sandra Bullock.
Ivan: I met her face to face before and took a picture with her. That was one of the happiest days of my life.
Sergio: Good for you. I am going to meet my nephew now. I see you this evening?
Ivan: Sure thing.
More for you:
When to Use THIS and IT in English?
When to Use THIS (THESE) and THAT (THOSE) in English!