それ

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: それ stands directly for a thing and takes particles, as in それを.
• Basic usage: It refers to an object near the listener or mentioned earlier.
  • それを少し借りてもいいですか。 asks to borrow that object for a short time.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Changing perspective in a reply
  • If someone asks about an object in the listener's hand using それ, the listener can respond with これですか because the object is now on their own side. The demonstrative can change when the speaker changes.
• Naming the object again
  • To name the type of object instead of using それ, choose the prenominal form in a phrase such as その自転車. Distinguish this from a form that takes a particle without naming the object.