What does these mean?
These is the plural demonstrative counterpart of this. As a determiner, it precedes a plural noun, as in these results; as a pronoun, it stands alone and refers to people or things already identified, as in These are ready. The choice of these generally points to items that are relatively near the speaker or relevant to the listener’s present situation, although context and contrast with those can determine the reference. It is standard in formal writing and everyday speech and can refer to either concrete objects or abstract ideas. Although the form looks unlike the singular this, the two belong to the same grammatical and historical family: English once had a plural demonstrative distinct from the singular, and the modern form developed from that older system. Learning these and this together helps with agreement and with understanding whether a phrase points to one thing or several.
A plural demonstrative determiner that identifies multiple people, things, or ideas and modifies a plural noun.
"These systems are designed to work together."
It must be followed by a plural noun or an ellipsis understood in context.
A plural demonstrative pronoun referring, without a following noun, to people, things, or ideas that are known or have been mentioned.
"These are the documents requested by the client."
Used alone, it takes a plural form and is commonly contrasted with the singular this.
These began as an English plural form distinct from this, so the everyday word preserves a small piece of grammatical history.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does these come from?
These developed from the Middle English plural demonstrative thes, which continued the plural forms of Old English þes or þās. The modern vowel and final consonant resulted from developments in the Middle English form, including its shift toward /iːz/. It belongs to the same Germanic demonstrative system as this, that, those, and then.
How these is actually used
The word is standard in formal writing and everyday speech. It is plural, agrees with a plural noun when used as a determiner, and can refer to both concrete entities and abstract concepts.
Easily confused with these
These usually refers to more immediate people or things, while those commonly refers to more distant ones, though context can determine the distinction.