Demonstrative pronouns

Use demonstratives only as adjectives that modify a noun.

Demonstrative words such as "this" and "that" refer to specific objects or examples or to ideas that were expressed previously. Demonstratives distinguish the item under discussion from other similar items.

Demonstratives can be used as adjectives that qualify noun phrases or as pronouns. The following example shows "this" used as both an adjective and a pronoun:

• Adjective: "Follow this route"
• Pronoun: "Follow this"

In your content, use demonstratives only as adjectives. Make sure that "this" or "that" are followed by a noun phrase that identifies the item you are discussing.

Standing alone, a demonstrative used as a pronoun can't be understood without additional context that is not part of the sentence. In the previous example that shows "this" used as a pronoun, "this" could refer to a route or it could refer to an idea that the writer has expressed previously. Identifying the exact noun phrase or idea that a demonstrative pronoun refers to can be difficult for translators. Demonstrative pronouns increase the chance of inaccuracies in the translated content.

This, that, these, those

Use these words only as adjectives followed by nouns, so that it’s clear what you are referring to.

Don’t use "this," "that," "these," and "those" as pronouns.

note

Starting sentences with constructions like "This means that," "This is because," "This is a problem," or similar violates the guideline not to use "this" as a pronoun. Restructure your writing to avoid these constructions.

You can determine whether one of these words is being used as a pronoun by checking whether it is followed by a noun phrase. If it is not, then it is being used as a pronoun. To fix this issue, add the appropriate noun phrase after the pronoun to transform it into an adjective. In some cases, restating the noun phrase can make the content clearer.

Incorrect	Correct
Open the Report folder, and then open index.htm in a web browser. This shows a summary of the coverage results from the tests.	Open the Report folder, and then open index.htm in a web browser. The index.htm file shows a summary of the coverage results from the tests.
Grid snapping keeps objects aligned and evenly spaced. This is an important part of just about every level design workflow.	Grid snapping keeps objects aligned and evenly spaced. Alignment is an important part of just about every level design workflow.
The benefit of this is that a convex mesh collider can collide with other mesh colliders so you can use this feature when you have a moving character with a suitable shape.	The benefit of convex mesh colliders is that they can collide with other mesh colliders. You can use this feature when you have a moving character with a suitable shape.
All GameObjects share a set of controls in the Inspector window that relate to the GameObject’s status within the scene. These can be controlled via the GameObject’s scripting API.	All GameObjects share a set of controls in the Inspector window that relate to the GameObject’s status within the scene. These settings can also be controlled via the GameObject’s scripting API. Alternatively, rewrite the sentence to be more concise. The GameObject’s status within the scene can be controlled via either the scripting API or the status controls in the Inspector window.
If you have multiple scenes open, the settings that are used for rendering and the NavMesh are the settings from the active scene. This means that if you want to change the settings of a scene,...	If you have multiple scenes open, the settings that are used for rendering and the NavMesh are the settings from the active scene. As a result, if you want to change the settings of a scene,...
Even when using non-compatible objects, Unity renders the scene properly. This is because compatible objects...	Even when using non-compatible objects, Unity renders the scene properly. This behavior is because compatible objects... Alternatively, rewrite the sentence to avoid the “this is because” construction: Because compatible objects use the SRP Batcher code path and non-compatible objects use the standard SRP code path, Unity renders the scene properly.