Definition & Meaning of "demonstrative adjective"

What is a "demonstrative adjective"?

A demonstrative adjective is an adjective used to indicate specific nouns and to show their relative position in space or time. The main demonstrative adjectives in English are "this," "that," "these," and "those." "This" and "that" are used for singular nouns, while "these" and "those" are used for plural nouns. For example, in the sentence "This book is interesting," the adjective "this" points to a specific book that is close to the speaker. In contrast, "Those shoes are stylish" uses "those" to refer to shoes that are farther away. Demonstrative adjectives help clarify which particular items are being referred to, making communication more precise.