These ones?

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zzzzjones

#70961 Sun, 30 Jan 05 07:39 AM

What is the plural of the demonstrative pronoun "this one" .... these? or these ones?

zzzzjones

Joined on Sun, Jan 30 2005

New Member (03)

Plurals, Nouns, Pronouns

just the truth

#70966 Sun, 30 Jan 05 09:14 AM

Both & are commonly used in speech. For more formal situations and SWE, isn't commonly used.

just the truth

Joined on Mon, Dec 27 2004

Regular Member (849)

Casi

#70982 Sun, 30 Jan 05 11:24 AM

Technically, it's "these".

Casi

Joined on Sat, Sep 25 2004

Regular Member (547)

just the truth

#70985 Sun, 30 Jan 05 12:12 PM

Technically, it's "these".

"technically", contains within, the concept, the feeling at the least, that there is something that is based on science. That demands much more than a smile, Casi.

just the truth

CalifJim

#71026 Sun, 30 Jan 05 04:57 PM

From a lifetime of observation I can make the following conclusions:

In the U.S. among the educated, often urban and suburban population, and among the younger people the plural of "this one" is "these".

Among the uneducated, or inner city, or rural, or older population, the plural of "this one" is "these ones".

Among the very rural and impoverished, the plural of "this one" (pronounced "thissun") is "theasons" (rhymes with "reasons").

Choose for yourself who you want to imitate. Smile [:)]

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (17,794)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

Plurals

zzzzjones

#71048 Sun, 30 Jan 05 06:57 PM

These responses are all good, insightful, and helpful... sort of the answers I anticipated. An answer that I also anticipated that is missing, however, is one that I thought I learned in my freshman college English course many years ago: "these ones" is reduntant... therefore, "these" is the only correct form (assuming the rule against reduntancy is to be respected.... obviously not always the necessary custom, especially in ordinary speech patterns and when there is deemed some special need for effect or emphasis). Bottom line is that I thought there, perhaps, was a grammar rule that suggested which form was correct. Apparently, there is not... it is just usuage and custom.... and, maybe, pure fashion tending to help identify the differing generations and those with different educational backgrounds. At least, in the USA. I am curious if the consensus is the same for other English speaking areas.

zzzzjones

Grammar

CalifJim

#71070 Sun, 30 Jan 05 09:38 PM

"these ones" is redundant

Well, yes, but then "this one" is equally redundant, isn't it?

Smile [:)]

Or is it that "this" and "that" alone are used to refer to abstract ideas and situations, whereas "these" and "those" are not used that way?

In that case, the function of "this" and "that" as abstractions and their function as pointers to particular instances of physical things can only be kept separate if we have "this" AND "this one", "that" AND "that one". On the other hand, the same cannot be said of "these" and "those"; they are always used as particular intances of things, so there's no need for separation into a "these" form and a "these ones" form -- same for "those" and "those ones".

To be consistent, there should be a "this" and a "that" for the more abstract or general use and "this one", "that one", "these ones", "those ones" for the more specific references, but the evolution of language is not always as neat as it could be!

Smile [:)]