Lesson

This/that/these/those

Demonstrative determiners

≈ 15 min 8 block(s)

Text

This / That / These / Those

Demonstratives (this, that, these, those) point to people, things, or ideas. They show distance (near or far) and number (singular or plural). They can be determiners (before a noun) or pronouns (replace a noun).

  • Use this / these for things that are near or being introduced now.
  • Use that / those for things that are farther away or already mentioned.
  • Use this/that with singular nouns; these/those with plural nouns.

Table

Demonstratives: this / that / these / those

Demonstrative Use Example
this singular, near; determiner or pronoun This report needs your signature.
that singular, far or previously mentioned; determiner or pronoun That client called this morning.
these plural, near; determiner or pronoun These figures show our quarterly growth.
those plural, far or previously mentioned; determiner or pronoun Those issues were resolved last month.

Tip

Key rules for demonstratives

Remember the basics:

  • Determiner: this/that/these/those + noun (e.g., this proposal, those emails).
  • Pronoun: this/that/these/those replace the noun (e.g., This is urgent. Those are complete.).
  • This/these = near or present; that/those = far or previously mentioned.
  • Use this/that with singular nouns and these/those with plural nouns.

Think: this/these = near & singular/plural; that/those = far & singular/plural

Example

Examples in context

This report needs your signature.

That client called this morning.

These figures show a quarterly increase.

Those issues were resolved last month.

Tip

Common mistakes

Learners often make predictable errors with demonstratives. Watch out for:

  • Mixing singular/plural: using 'this' with plural nouns or 'these' with singular nouns.
  • Incorrect verb agreement after demonstrative pronouns (e.g., 'These is' instead of 'These are').
  • Confusing determiner vs pronoun: omitting the noun when a determiner is required or using a demonstrative pronoun when a noun is needed.
  • Using 'this/that' with uncountable nouns in unnatural contexts without checking meaning.

Check number (singular/plural) and whether a noun is needed after the demonstrative.

Quiz

Choose the correct sentence:

Hint: Check the demonstrative and the verb for plural/singular agreement.

Quiz

Complete: _____ are the three proposals we received.

Hint: The verb 'are' tells you the subject is plural. Are the items near or far?

Quiz

Choose the best completion: '_____ is the client we spoke about last week.'

Hint: Consider distance or previous mention and singular/plural form.

Key Points

Vocabulary

this

determiner / pronoun CEFR A1 //ðɪs//

used to indicate a singular item that is near or being introduced

This report needs your approval.

Vocabulary

that

determiner / pronoun CEFR A1 //ðæt//

used to indicate a singular item that is farther away or previously mentioned

That client requested a meeting by phone.

Vocabulary

these

determiner / pronoun CEFR A1 //ðiːz//

used to indicate plural items that are near or being introduced

These figures reflect the new pricing policy.

Vocabulary

those

determiner / pronoun CEFR A1 //ðoʊz//

used to indicate plural items that are farther away or previously mentioned

Those emails were archived last week.

GrammarPoint

demonstrative (pronoun/determiner)

grammar_point CEFR B1 //dɪˈmɒnstrətɪv//

a word that points to something and indicates proximity and number (this/that/these/those)

As a determiner: this project; as a pronoun: This is overdue.

Vocabulary

proximity (near/far)

noun CEFR B2 //prɒkˈsɪməti//

the concept of nearness or remoteness used to choose between this/these and that/those

Use proximity to decide which demonstrative fits best in a sentence.