this

In this sense 'this' often refers to something that has not yet been mentioned — the content follows in the same sentence or the next utterance. Common in formal writing, speeches, and announcements.

When 'this' is used with a day of the week (this Monday, this Friday), it refers to the nearest upcoming day with that name. With seasons or longer periods, it refers to the current or most recent one.

This sense is almost always used in informal spoken English or personal storytelling. Unlike sense 1, the person or thing is being mentioned for the first time and the listener does not already know about it.

This sense often appears in structures comparing 'this' with 'that' or 'the other'. It depends on physical pointing or context that makes the contrast clear. Distinguish from sense 1, which does not involve comparison.

Distinguish from sense 1 (NEAR IN SPACE OR TIME): sense 1 requires physical or temporal closeness to the speaker; sense 2 works even when the referent is distant, as long as it was previously named in the discourse. Common in academic and formal writing to maintain reference without repeating a noun phrase.

Fixed formula: 'This is…' is the standard way to introduce people in English. Unlike sense 1, it does not point to physical proximity — the person being introduced may be standing next to you or on the phone. In phone calls, 'This is [name]' is used by the speaker identifying themselves, not the listener.

Often accompanied by a physical gesture (pointing, holding up). The difference from sense 1 (NEAR IN SPACE OR TIME) is the speaker's communicative goal: sense 4 is about directing the listener's attention, while sense 1 is about identifying which referent is meant. Many sentences could fit both senses depending on context.

Distinguish from 'last' (past time period) and 'next' (future time period). 'This' covers the current time period that includes the moment of speaking. For near future within the current period, 'this' can be used with 'weekend' or 'afternoon' even for parts that haven't happened yet.

The structure 'this + noun + of + possessive pronoun (yours, his, hers, theirs)' is the signature pattern. The speaker's attitude (positive or negative) comes from context and tone — the structure itself signals emotional involvement, not the type of feeling. Common in informal spoken English. Not used with simple 'my/your/his' as determiner — 'this my dog' is ungrammatical; use 'this dog of mine' instead.

Only used in informal spoken narratives, not in writing. The thing or person introduced with 'this' must play a role in the rest of the story — if it is mentioned only once, use 'a' or 'some' instead.

The referent of 'this' in this sense is usually understood from the context — the speaker may point to a messy room, a pile of paperwork, or a stressful life situation. It is common in phrases like 'put an end to this' and 'get through this'.

In introductions, 'this' stays singular even if you are introducing more than one person ('These are my friends'). The verb agrees with the noun that follows: 'This is my sister' but 'These are my parents.'

This sense is informal and mainly British. It functions like 'so' or 'already' but with a stronger emotional colour — surprise, frustration, or emphasis. The adjective must express a scalable quality (late, long, hard, big, many). Not used with non-gradable adjectives (❌ 'this impossible').

Distinguish from sense 1 (NEARBY PERSON OR OBJECT): sense 1 looks back or points to something already present; sense 2 points forward to something not yet stated. This is called a cataphoric use. The information that follows is always the content being introduced — the speaker treats it as a single unit: 'this' = 'the following statement or idea.'

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 refers to any nearby item; sense 3 is specifically about the speaker's present location or the current moment in time. A useful test: if you can replace 'this' with 'now' or 'here' and the sentence still works, it is sense 3.

This sense almost always appears in a contrastive context with 'that' — either explicitly ('this or that') or implicitly (the speaker is selecting from options). The difference from sense 1 is the comparative frame: sense 1 simply points to something present; sense 4 selects it as the nearer or more relevant item out of two or more alternatives.

This is a classical 'anaphoric' use of 'this' where it refers back to the more recently mentioned item out of two. In many contexts, 'this' can be ambiguous — it may refer to either the nearer item in space or the more recent one in discourse. When precision is needed, formal English uses 'the latter' instead. Distinguish from sense 4: sense 4 contrasts items by physical or attentional closeness; sense 5 contrasts by order of mention in the text or speech.