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Usage of that and those

English Language & Usage Asked on July 18, 2021

Which is the current usage of that and those in the below-mentioned scenario?

Bar(s) that have been purchased by the customer.

How can this be the right sentence when that generally is used to refer singular objects?

Or

Bar(s) those have been purchased by the customer.

2 Answers

"That" as referent applies to both singular as well as plural items. "Those" is exempted from such cases. For this reason, "Bars those have... " is incorrect.

The distinction arises when they are used as demonstrative pronouns and demonstrative adjectives.

Thus, That is my pen; Those are my pens.

and

That apple looks juicy; Those apples look juicy.

Correct answer by user392935 on July 18, 2021

That and those are determiners or demonstratives, similar to definite articles but even more definite, if you like. Not just the chair, but that chair. Not just any clothes, but those clothes.

However that can also be a relative pronoun. As Oxford has it,

Used instead of ‘which’, ‘who’, ‘whom’, or ‘when’ to introduce a defining clause, especially one essential to identification.

That's* what is being used in this case: the defining clause identifies the bars you're talking about — the bars which have been purchased by the customer.

If that can be replaced by which, then it's a relative pronoun. Those is not a relative pronoun, so if which is appropriate then those is not.

It doesn't help that Oxford at least appears not to recognise that fact, and searching for those leads directly to that, when the words are not simply singular/plural variants.


*That here is an ordinary pronoun.

Answered by Andrew Leach on July 18, 2021

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