Grammar · Pointing and place
これ, それ, あれ
これ / それ / あれ / どれ
Three distances, not two. これ is near me, それ is near you, あれ is away from both of us. どれ is the question word that completes the set.
The mistake to avoid
English collapses それ and あれ into 'that'. Getting this right immediately makes you sound less like a textbook.
Examples
これは何ですか。
これは なんですか。
What is this?
あれは駅です。
あれは えきです。
That over there is the station.