"Have you paid tax on those goods?" Asked the customs officer in charge of taxation as he touched the cargo. "These goods are not mine," protested the trader, pointing to the goods the officer had seized. "Isn't this your passport?" Asked the officer, holding out a passport. "This is not my passport," said, here is mine.
Step-by-step explanation:
- "Those" is used because the goods in question are physically distant or not directly present.
- "These" is used to refer to the goods nearby, which the trader is pointing at.
- "This" is used for the passport held out by the officer, which is also nearby and being physically presented.
- "This" is repeated to clarify that the second passport is not the trader's, and he has his own ("here is mine").