In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 42 in the category of DETERMINERS/demonstratives is defined as:
‘this’ with time and date words to refer to the past.
Speaking test example:
When did you go to London?
I went this year.
TLC, Male, Italy, B1
A search in iWeb for:
_VVD this_D _NNT1
1 SAID THIS WEEK 5943
2 ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK 3344
3 PUBLISHED THIS WEEK 2113
4 SAID THIS YEAR 1454
5 SAID THIS MORNING 1314
6 MADE THIS YEAR 1095
7 REPORTED THIS WEEK 1016
8 PUBLISHED THIS MONTH 892
9 ANNOUNCED THIS MORNING 837
10 ARRIVED THIS MORNING 823
11 HAPPENED THIS WEEK 765
12 PLAYED THIS SEASON 714
13 STARTED THIS WEEK 646
14 PUBLISHED THIS YEAR 638
15 HAPPENED THIS YEAR 635
16 STARTED THIS YEAR 630
17 WON THIS YEAR 613
18 DIED THIS WEEK 583
19 SAID THIS MONTH 581
20 LAUNCHED THIS WEEK 572
21 HELD THIS YEAR 520
22 DIED THIS MORNING 506
23 RECEIVED THIS YEAR 468
24 BEGAN THIS WEEK 465
25 MADE THIS WEEK 452
26 SAW THIS YEAR 442
27 PLAYED THIS YEAR 437
28 OPENED THIS WEEK 428
29 KNEW THIS DAY 427
30 LAUNCHED THIS YEAR 426
_VVD * this_D _NNT1
1 WOKE UP THIS MORNING 4235
2 SAID EARLIER THIS WEEK 1416
3 SAID EARLIER THIS MONTH 1123
4 ANNOUNCED EARLIER THIS YEAR 1000
5 SAID EARLIER THIS YEAR 988
6 PUBLISHED EARLIER THIS YEAR 948
7 ANNOUNCED EARLIER THIS MONTH 778
8 LAUNCHED EARLIER THIS YEAR 691
9 ANNOUNCED EARLIER THIS WEEK 604
We‘ve discovered over 350 in the last 14 years, including the small planet, announced earlier this week, which has a radius just twice the size of the Earth.
This is not the best example because ‘announced’ is more complex since it is a past participle = “It was announced”
10 DIED EARLIER THIS YEAR 554
11 CAME OUT THIS YEAR 489
12 GOT UP THIS MORNING 471
13 CAME OUT THIS WEEK 452
14 REPORTED EARLIER THIS MONTH 452
15 REPORTED EARLIER THIS WEEK 413
16 REPORTED EARLIER THIS YEAR 387
17 PUBLISHED EARLIER THIS MONTH 351
18 PARTICIPATED IN THIS YEAR 342
19 OPENED EARLIER THIS YEAR 324
20 DIED EARLIER THIS MONTH 293
_VVD * * this_D _NNT1
1 SAID . THIS YEAR 884
2 SAID . ” THIS YEAR 702
3 SAID : ” THIS YEAR 485
4 PASSED AWAY EARLIER THIS YEAR 341
5 CAME OUT EARLIER THIS YEAR 314
6 SAID . THIS WEEK 259
7 SAID . ” THIS TIME 211
8 TOOK PART IN THIS YEAR 199
9 TRIED AGAIN . THIS TIME 158
10 TOOK PLACE EARLIER THIS MONTH 151
11 TOOK PLACE EARLIER THIS YEAR 141
12 TRIED AGAIN , THIS TIME 121
13 WANTED TO TAKE THIS TIME 118
14 SAID . THIS TIME 114
15 MOVED AGAIN , THIS TIME 104
16 MANAGED TO GET THIS YEAR 101
17 SAID , ” THIS YEAR 97
18 TOOK PLACE EARLIER THIS WEEK 94
19 WOKE UP EARLY THIS MORNING 87
20 GOT IT RIGHT THIS TIME 86
A2 vocabulary:
arrived, earlier, happened, held, moved, passed, received, tried, won
B1:
announced, came out, got in, managed, published, reported, season
EXPERT EXAMPLES:
I admit I had a smidgeon of trouble coming up with this week’s column.
*our grammar is hidden under more complex grammar.