This Monday and next Monday are both correct; however, they are applicable in different contexts. There are a lot of contradictory opinions on the use of “this” and “next.”
Most people use these two terms interchangeably, which leads to a lack of clarity. It is essential to learn how to distinguish between “this” and “next” properly as it will avoid confusion during communication.
In this case, this Monday refers to the very next Monday that occurs during the week. For example, if today is Thursday, then this Monday is just four days away.
Conversely, next Monday describes the Monday that occurs after this Monday. Therefore, next Monday occurs in the next week but one, exactly eleven days from today, if today is Thursday.
What’s the difference between this Monday and next Monday?
This Monday refers to the Monday that occurs immediately in our future. Hence, if today is Thursday, this Friday is the very next day.
For example, if a group of friends plans to have dinner this Friday on a Thursday afternoon, they expect to meet for dinner the next day (tomorrow).
Next Friday refers to the Friday that occurs directly after this Friday. Simply said, next Friday occurs in the following week after this week.
If today is Monday, next Friday will occur after eleven days, that is, in the next week and not the current week.
How do you say Monday after next week?
To accurately convey Monday after next week, we first need to figure out when that day occurs. For example, if today is Friday, this Monday is three days away, next Monday is ten days away, and Monday after next week is seventeen days away.
Therefore, we can describe Monday after next week as the third Monday from today. In simpler terms, it is acceptable to say three Mondays from now to describe the phrase Monday after next week.
Final thoughts
It is important to be cautious when using the terms “this” and “next” to describe days of the week. “This” denotes the current week starting from today and ends exactly after seven days.
“Next” occurs after the end of the current, after seven days starting from today. Non-native English speakers have an especially hard time distinguishing between these two terms.
However, communication becomes clear and concise when “this” and “next” are used under their appropriate contexts thus eliminating the margin of error.
