Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hela]

Dear teachers,

a) Why do we use "that" and not "this" in the following example?
b) Would you use an article here or not? If not, would you please tell me why?

Client: Do you have this dress in blue, size 8?
Seller: We have it in blue, but not in that size -and there is / will be (both possible?) two weeks� delay before we get X / the new stock.

All the best

[CP]

Client: Do you have this dress in blue, size 8?
--The customer is holding the dress, so it is very near, so she says "this dress." If it were still on the rack, and the customer and saleslady were at the cash register, she would say "that dress."

Seller: We have it in blue, but not in that size -and there is / will be (both possible?) two weeks� delay before we get X / the new stock.
--The size is not something present, so the saleslady refers to it with "that." If the client had a red dress in the right size but wanted it in blue, the saleslady might say, "We have this dress in this size in blue," because she has it right in front of her, and the size is, as it were, right in front of her, too.
--The delay "will be" two weeks, predicting how long it will take to get the dress. If she says "there is" such a delay, she is saying that generally it takes about two weeks for merchandise to arrive.
_________________
You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[hela]

Thank you CP