This, That, These, Those
📌 Lesson Contents
🎯 Lesson goal
In this lesson you will learn to use this, that, these and those 📖, the main demonstratives in English. You will see how to tell singular from plural and near from far 🧠, with clear and quick examples, and at the end you can test yourself with the quiz at the bottom of the page! 🚀
🌟 What are demonstratives?
Demonstratives are words that point to people or things. They show how far away they are (in space or in time) and how many there are (singular or plural).
| Demonstrative | Number | Distance | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| this | Singular | Near | This is my phone. 📱 |
| that | Singular | Far | That is your car. 🚗 |
| these | Plural | Near | These are my books. 📚 |
| those | Plural | Far | Those are her shoes. 👟 |
🧩 Quick guide – This / That / These / Those
| Word | Meaning | Uso | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| this | this one (here) | Singular, near | This is my bag. 👜 |
| that | that one (there) | Singular, far | That is his house. 🏠 |
| these | these (here) | Plural, near | These are new shoes. 👟 |
| those | those (there) | Plural, far | Those are your glasses. 👓 |
📌 Remember:
- This / These ➔ Near
- That / Those ➔ Far
- This / That ➔ Singular
- These / Those ➔ Plural
✅ How do we use them in sentences?
All the forms are followed by a singular or plural verb, depending on the subject:
- This / That ➔ use with is (singular verb).
This is my friend. / That is a good movie. - These / Those ➔ use with are (plural verb).
These are fresh apples. / Those are my keys.
❓ Frequently asked questions
- Can I use these/those with singular nouns?
❌ No. These and those are used only with plurals. - Can I use this/that without a noun?
✔️ Yes! You can use them alone when the situation is clear (they work as pronouns).
E.g. What is this? – It’s my pen.
E.g. What are those? – They are her shoes.
❌ Common mistakes to avoid
| Mistake ❌ | Correct ✅ |
|---|---|
| This are my friends. | These are my friends. (The verb ‘are’ needs a plural.) |
| Those is my brother. | That is my brother. (The verb ‘is’ needs a singular.) |
| That books are new. | Those books are new. (‘Books’ is plural.) |
Gap Fill & Translation Exercises
Test yourself! In the first 15 sentences, fill in the correct demonstrative (this, that, these, those). In the last 5, write the sentence in English from the clue (A1 level).