Stage 1 · The copula — です and pointing
これ・それ・あれ・どれ
this / that / that over there / which
これ = near me, それ = near you, あれ = away from both. These stand alone as pronouns.
Examples
これは辞書です。
これはじしょです。
This is a dictionary.
あれは何ですか。
あれはなんですか。
What is that over there?