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This is a pen vs That is a pen

Both are correct, but are used in different contexts. 'This is a pen.' is used when the pen is close to the speaker, while 'That is a pen.' is used when the pen is farther away from them. The choice between 'this' and 'that' depends on the proximity of the object being referred to.
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Explained by Miss E.
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: June 18, 2024

This is a pen

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English. It is used when the object is close to the speaker.

Use 'this is a pen' when you are referring to an object that is close to you. 'This' indicates proximity to the speaker.

Examples:

  • This is a pen I use for writing.
  • This is a pen that I bought yesterday.

Alternatives:

  • Here is a pen
  • I have a pen here
  • Take this pen
  • Look at this pen

That is a pen

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English. It is used when the object is farther away from the speaker.

Use 'that is a pen' when you are referring to an object that is not close to you. 'That' indicates distance from the speaker.

Examples:

  • That is a pen on the table.
  • Can you pass me that pen?
  • Yes, that is (a pen). でいいのですか? なんか全てYes,it is. のような気もしますが、 「 それ」と考えないほうがいいのでしょうか? もしくは(a pen)が省略されているわけでは ないのですか? 宜しくお願いいたします。 通報する. 回答数5; 気になる数0.
  • (Bíró's patent, and other early patents on ball-point pens often used the term "ball -point fountain pen," because at the time the ball-point pen was considered a type of fountain pen, that is, a pen that held ink in an enclosed reservoir. ) ...
  • Combo - a writing instrument that is a pen on one end and a pencil on the other end. Sometimes called a 'banker's pen'. Cork - the material used for seals in various filling mechanisms like piston and plunger fillers. Crescent Filler - when a lock ...
  • Let's look into translating the sentence, "That is a pen," into Japanese. Japanese uses subject-object-verb word order. This means that the copula and all other verbs come last in the sentence, after the object. If we were to form the English ...

Alternatives:

  • There is a pen
  • I see a pen there
  • Grab that pen
  • Look at that pen

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