‘These’ is a demonstrative pronoun. Demonstrative pronouns are used to point to specific things and can indicate proximity in relation to the speaker. In this case, ‘these’ refers to multiple items that are close in distance or time. It contrasts with ‘those’, which refers to items that are farther away.
For example, in the sentence ‘These apples are fresh,’ the word ‘these’ indicates a specific group of apples that are near to the speaker. Understanding the function of ‘these’ as a demonstrative pronoun helps in identifying how it fits into communication, especially when distinguishing between different nouns or items.