Question
20 January
- Portuguese (Brazil)
-
English (US)
Question about English (US)
What is the difference between them and those and is it a matter of region and accent or is it a matter of being informal throughout the US? ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
What is the difference between them and those and is it a matter of region and accent or is it a matter of being informal throughout the US? ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
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20 January
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- English (UK)
- English (US)
In some dialects of English, "them" can be used the same way that "those" can. In Standard English this isn't correct, but other versions of English allow it, hence why you heard "just like them old stars" in a song.
I'll also point out that songs can mess with standard grammar a lot more than we would normally in speech. Sometimes a song's lyrics are because of the dialect of the singer/writer, and sometimes it's just because they wanted a specific effect and so changed the grammar slightly — it's called "poetic license".
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- Portuguese (Brazil)
São pronomes! É obrigatório uso em todos países que falam inglês.
- English (US)
In other words, if talking about people, use the word them. If talking about objects use the word those. 1. “I know them boys from school.” 2. “Those shoes are so pretty!” 3. “I love those pictures!” 4.”It was them! Those boys over there!
- Portuguese (Brazil)
@evaheihallo But I heard in a song the following phrase "and just like them old stars" and in that sentence the "them" don't mean people you'd know how to tell me why?
- English (US)
@vitoriass12354 THOSE can act as either a pronoun or an adjective.
Check out the following examples:
1. Where did you get THOSE sunglasses? (Here, THOSE is used as an adjective describing WHICH sunglasses.)
2. THOSE are amazing sunglasses! ( THOSE is used as a simple pronoun acting as the subject of the sentence.)
Actually, we don't normally have trouble with THOSE...But with THEM? Now that's another story:
THEM is always used as a pronoun...never as an adjective...Notice the following correct uses of THEM:
1. I want to go with THEM to Lake Waccamaw. (THEM is used as a simple pronoun acting as the object of the preposition
of "with.")
2. George told THEM that it would soon be hog killing' weather. (Again, THEM is a pronoun acting, this time, as the direct object.)
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Related Questions (More Answers Below)
- English (UK)
- English (US)
In some dialects of English, "them" can be used the same way that "those" can. In Standard English this isn't correct, but other versions of English allow it, hence why you heard "just like them old stars" in a song.
I'll also point out that songs can mess with standard grammar a lot more than we would normally in speech. Sometimes a song's lyrics are because of the dialect of the singer/writer, and sometimes it's just because they wanted a specific effect and so changed the grammar slightly — it's called "poetic license".
Highly-rated answerer
- Portuguese (Brazil)
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