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Demonstratives: This, That, These, Those

1 min
A1
CEFR A1·other

Formula

this
(this book, this house)
that
(that car, that idea)
these
(these shoes, these days)
those
(those people, those years)

Examples

Positive
This is my pen.
Negative
That is not my problem.
Question
Is this your bag? Are these your shoes?

Usage

  • •Point to people, things, or ideas
  • •"This/these" for things near you · "that/those" for things farther away
  • •Can stand alone ("This is good.") or modify a noun ("This cake is good.")

More Examples

  • This morning was beautiful.

    Time near now (today)

  • Those days are gone.

    Time far in the past

  • These flowers smell amazing.

    Plural things close by

  • That sounds great!

    Reacting to what someone said

  • Whose are these gloves?

    Asking about plural objects

Common Mistakes

  • ✗Mixing singular/plural: "this shoes" should be "these shoes".
  • ✗Using "that" for things you're holding: "that book" (in your hand) should be "this book".

Tips

  • ✓Distance + number rule: THIS (1 near), THAT (1 far), THESE (many near), THOSE (many far).
  • ✓On the phone: "This is Anna." (= I am Anna) — use "this" when introducing yourself.

Advanced Notes

Beyond physical distance, demonstratives carry discourse meaning: "this" can introduce a new idea you're about to explain, while "that" often refers back to something already mentioned ("That's exactly the problem"). In spoken English, "that" is far more frequent than textbooks suggest — "That's amazing", "That makes sense", "I knew that". Distance is sometimes psychological rather than physical: "those people over there" can imply social distance or disapproval.

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