"That is", "this is", "it is"

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.
Can I use either "that", "this", or "it" my sentence?

"They have never been on the Baikal Lake but it's their big dream. That/this/it is a place they want to see with their own eyes."

 

[GoesStation]

"They have never been to Lake Baikal, but that's their big dream. It's a place they want to see with their own eyes."

 

[Rachel Adams]

"They have never been to Lake Baikal, but that's their big dream. It's a place they want to see with their own eyes."

Why is it wrong to use "that" or "this" in "It's a place they want to see with their own eyes"? Can I omit "own"?
It is not wrong use "that" in "that's their big dream" would it be wrong to say "this is" or "it is" instead of "That's their big dream"?

 

[Yankee]

Any one would work.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Don't jump to conclusions. GS did not say they were wrong.

I know he didn't say that. I thought they were wrong. They all have the same meaning, don't they?

 

[Rollercoaster1]

Hello.
Can I use either "that", "this", or "it" my sentence?

"They have never been on the Baikal Lake but it's their big dream. That/this/it is a place they want to see with their own eyes."

I would say 'This is the place they want to see...' when I am standing there, or I am pointing at a picture of Baikal Lake, and would say 'That is the place....' when I am standing afar from the lake and pointing at it.

 

[Rachel Adams]

I would say 'This is the place they want to see...' when I am standing there, or I am pointing at a picture of Baikal Lake, and would say 'That is the place....' when I am standing afar from the lake and pointing at it.

They can all be used but in different situations, as far as I understand. If I am in my country and want to say it is a place I want to visit it's probably not wrong but would a native speaker use either "this" or "that"?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

They can all be used but in different situations, as far as I understand. If I am in my country and want to say it is a place I want to visit it's probably not wrong but would a native speaker use either "this" or "that"?

If you're at the lake when you say it, you can say this or that. You can also use either one if you're pointing to a picture of it or pointing to it on a map.

So if I'm at my computer in the US looking at a picture of the lake, I can point to it and use either this or that. Both would be correct and mean the same thing.

If you can't point to the lake or something that represents it, don't use this. Use that.

 

[Rachel Adams]

If you're at the lake when you say it, you can say this or that. You can also use either one if you're pointing to a picture of it or pointing to it on a map.

So if I'm at my computer in the US looking at a picture of the lake, I can point to it and use either this or that. Both would be correct and mean the same thing.

If you can't point to the lake or something that represents it, don't use this. Use that.

That's exactly the situation I was asking about. I cannot point to it but I am talking about it. I don't have an actual image but a mental one. Using "it" would be as wrong as "using "this"? "That (it?) is a place I want to visit". Or as the original sentence "That (it) is a place they want to see."

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

That's exactly the situation I was asking about. I cannot point to it but I am talking about it. I don't have an actual image but a mental one. Using "it" would be as wrong as "using "this"? "That (it?) is a place I want to visit".

I guess we're not being clear enough. In this sentence:

"That/this/it is a place they want to see with their own eyes."

. . . if you're at the lake or pointing at a picture or other reference to it, you'll probably want to say "This is."

. . . and if you're not, you'll probably want to say either "That's" or "It's."