6.2 Demonstrative Pronouns

6.2 Demonstrative Pronouns

1. What Do They Mean?

   • "Celui" and its forms mean "this one"/"that one"/"the one" or "these"/"those"/"the ones".
     • Use them for pointing something out or indicating a preference.

2. What Are They?

   • Celui - masculine singular - this one/that one/the one
   • Celle - feminine singular - this one/that one/the one
   • Ceux - masculine plural - these/those/the ones
   • Celles - feminine plural - these/those/the ones

3. As with demonstrative adjectives, "-ci" and "-la" can be added after a form of celui to distinguish between people or objects that are closer or father away.

   • Celle-ci = an object that is closer
     • Celui-la = an object that is farther away

4. Forms of celui can also be followed by a relative clause to mean "the one(s) that" or "the one(s) whose"

   • Forms of celui cannot stand alone and must be followed by -ci or -la.

5. A prepositional phrase can also follow a demonstrative pronoun.

6. Adjectives that modify forms of celui must agree with them in gender and number. Past participles should agree with forms of celui when appropriate.

7. You can use "celui-la" or "celle-la" to refer to someone in a familiar or scornful way.

8. Ceci and cela are also demonstrative pronouns.

   • Ceci - draws attention to something that is about to be said.
     • Cela - refers to something that has already been said.
   • Ceci and cela have a literary tone to them. In everyday French, use ce or ca.
     • Ce before forms of etre
     • Ca before other verbs.

9. "C'est" can be used in many constructions.

   • C'est + name - identifies a person
   • C'est + article/adjective + noun - identifies a person or thing
   • C'est + disjunctive pronoun - identifies a person
   • C'est + adjective - describes an idea or expresses an opinion
   • Infinitive + c'est + infinitive - draws an equivalency between two actions.

10. A demonstrative pronoun followed by ci or la = latter and former, respectively.