指示代詞包括: this, that, these, those。這些詞當用作定語時也稱為指示形容詞。指示代詞在句中的用法如下。
1) 作主語
This is my house. 這是我的房子。
Those are Mary's clothes. 那些都是瑪麗的衣服。
That was thirty years ago. 那是三十年前的事了。
2) 作賓語
Can you carry these? 你能提一下這些（東西）嗎？
Tom gave me this. 湯姆給了我這個（東西）。
I hope you will seriously consider this. 我希望你認真考慮這件事。
3) 作介詞賓語
Look at that! 看那個！
What do you think of this? 這個怎么樣？
We have no doubt about these. 我們對此並不懷疑。
4) 作表語
What I bought just now are these. 我剛才買的就是這些。
The winning numbers are these. 獲獎號碼是這些。
5) 作定語 (也稱指示形容詞)
That internship taught me a lot. 那份實習工作教會我許多。
These questions are difficult to answer. 這些問題很難回答。
I don't think your car is in that room. 我想你的車不在那個房間里。
[注]
a) that 可以代表剛說的事。
That's why I love you so much. 這就是為什么我如此愛你。
That's the problem! 這就是問題所在！
That's the current situation. 這就是現在的情況。
b) this 和 that 在電話中可以指人。
Who's this? 你是哪位？
This is Mary. （電話中）我是瑪麗。
c) that 和 these 可代表前面提到的名詞以避免重復。
Life today is much better than that in the old days. 現在的生活比過去好多了。
Your designs are more impressive than these. 你的設計作品比這些精彩多了。
My questions are similar to these. 我的問題和這些差不多。
玩命加載