ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the core material of demonstrative pronouns which students would expect to encounter in their first year of learning Japanese. English speakers choose between the demonstratives this and that, or these and those, based on an objects relative distance from their own position. On the other hand, Japanese speakers take into account not only their own position but also the listeners. Japanese demonstratives are consequently divided into three types, ko-, so-, and a-series. In the concrete context, ko-series forms are used to refer to objects or situations near the speaker. So- is used for objects just outside the reach of the speaker or near the listener. A- is for objects in an area far from both the speaker and listener. Grammar points are followed by contextualized examples and exercises which allow students to reinforce and consolidate their learning.
