This And That

[sandyRoe]

A foreign friend asked me if they were interchangeable words, while I said they were I'm not sure I was correct.

[naomi24]

From the internet:

 

//The word 'this' is used to point to a singular person or object that is close to you. On the other hand, 'that' is used to point to a singular person or an object which is farther away from you.//

[Smowball]

What Naomi said lol.

[Neveracrossword]

There are occasions when they are interchangeable, occasions when they are not. For the former,  Chambers definition of 'this' says - denoting a person, thing,idea...already mentioned or about to be mentioned.

For 'that' - indicating the thing, person, idea... already mentioned or about to be mentioned.

[barry1010]

If I've got an apple in one hand and a banana in the other I might ask, do you want this or that?

If I ask my wife if she wants to go to 'that Pam's house' she knows I don't want to go and will make an excuse if she feels the same 

[Neveracrossword]

Barry1010, that made me chuckle - mainly because my friend has a daughter whose name is, apparently, That Joanne. That (!) is how she is always referred to in conversation. 

[Atheist]

This is here, and that is there.

[barry1010]

Neverac, round here it's 'our'.  Our Jane, our Peter, our mom...

[Neveracrossword]

Barry, thanks. The 'that' is definitely not complimentary, I'm not sure if your 'our' has the same connotations!

[barry1010]

You are right, of course.  Our gives belonging

[johnny.5]

if I was offered this or that being two different apples 

I could ask

"what's the difference between that one and that one?"

or

"what's the difference between this one and that one?"

or 

what's the difference between that one and this one?

or 

"what's the difference between this one and this one?"

[johnny.5]

which one ?