Adjectives; Demonstrative

Transcripción

1 Adjectives; Demonstrative I. Introduction The demonstrative adjectives in English are this, that, these, and those. They are used to point out specific people or things. In Spanish the demonstrative adjectives are ; Masculine Feminine este esta this singular ese esa that aquel* aquella* that estos estas these plural esos esas those aquellos* aquellas* those * aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas are used to indicate more distance and can often be translated as that / those (over there) Demonstratives are used to indicate things in relation to three different areas of space. Este Indicates an object that is in the same space as the person who refers to it. Ese Indicates an object that is in a particular space in close proximity to where the person refering to it is. Aquel Indicates an object that is in a particular space further away from where the person refering to it is.

2 Example ; Qué gato te gusta más? Which cat do you prefer? Este gato? Ese gato? Aquel gato? This cat? That cat? That cat over there? II. Time We often use demonstrative adjectives when we are talking about time. 1. Este, esta, estos, estas Este, esta, estos, estas are used when we are refering to the present and also to the immediate future and not too distant past ; Este verano me voy en Italia. This summer i'm going to Italy on holiday. Estas Navidades me voy a la montaña. This Christmas i'm going to the mountains. Estos últimos días me he sentido cansado. I've felt tired these last few days. 2. Ese, esa, esos, esas Ese, esa, esos, esas are used to refer to things in the past or in the present ;

3 Del 5 al 12 de agosto no trabajo y esa semana me voy de vacaciones. I'm not working from the 5 th to the 12 th August and i'm going on holiday that week. El 8 de enero fui a tu oficina pero no te he visto ese día. I went to your office on the 8 th January but I didn't see you on that day. 3. Aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas Aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas are used to refer to something in the distant past. Aquel día fue el mejor de mi vida. That was the best day of my life Aquellas vacaciones de los años ochenta fueron inolvidables. Those holidays in the 80's were unforgetable. When it's clear which person or object we are talking about we can leave it out of the sentence. If it is the case then we must remember to write an accent over the - e to indicate that it is a pronoun. Esta camiseta es demasiado grande pero ésa no. This T- shirt is too big but that one isn't. Cuál es tu apartamento? Ésa de la derecha? Which is your flat? That one on the right?

4 III. Neuter demonstratives There are three other demonstrative adjectives in Spanish and these are called the neuter demonstratives ; 1. esto eso aquello These are always singular and are never used with a person or object because these always have a gender and a neuter doesn't. We use the neuter for when we are talking about something but when we don't know it's name, or the name isn't important or when we aren't talking anything in particular (for example a fact, a situation, something that somebody has said etc.) Quieres un..? Cómo se dice eso en español? Would you like a.? How do you say this in Spanish? Puedes limpiar todo esto? Could you clean all this? No me gustó la película pero no sé porque digo eso. I didn't like the film but I don't know why i'm saying this. Remember we can't use a neuter for a person, we have to use the masculine or feminine form instead. Quién es ése? Es mi hermano. Who's this? He's my brother.

5 Quiz 1. Me gusta... libro. 2. Me gustan... zapátos revista es muy aburrida. a) ese b) esa c) aquellos d) aquellas montaña es muy alta. a) aquel b) aquella c) aquellos d) aquellas edificios son muy altos. a) aquel b) aquella c) aquellos d) aquellas 6. Prefiero... naranjas. 7. Recuerdas... días? a) ese b) esa c) esos d) esas 8. Recuerdas...? a) ese b) esa c) esto d) esas

6 9. No quiero... bolígrafo. 10. No quiero.... a) ese b) esa c) esto d) estos