Grammar › Nouns & Determiners › This, That, These & Those
This, That, These & Those
This, that, these and those point to things by distance and number:
- Near — this (one), these (more than one).
- Far — that (one), those (more than one).
They can come before a noun (this car) or stand alone (This is nice). Singular: this/that; plural: these/those.
this, that, these, those
Point by distance (near/far) and number (one/more than one).
| Near | Far | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | this (this book) | that (that car) |
| Plural | these (these shoes) | those (those birds) |
They work as determiners (before a noun) and as pronouns (alone).
When to use each
1. Near — this / these
- This phone is mine. These biscuits are delicious.
2. Far — that / those
- That building is very old. Look at those clouds.
3. As pronouns (no noun)
- This is my sister. Whose keys are those?
⚠️ Match the number: this/that + singular, these/those + plural.
this shoes→ these shoes.
Common mistakes
1. Singular demonstrative with a plural noun. this books → these books.
2. Plural demonstrative with a singular noun. those car → that car.
3. Wrong distance. this house over there → that house over there. Pro tip: near = this/these, far = that/those; one = this/that, many = these/those.
✏️ Practice: This, That, These & Those
1. ___ book in my hand is really good.
2. Look at ___ birds in the sky over there.
3. ___ shoes I'm wearing are new.
4. Can you see ___ house on the hill?
5. ___ is my sister, Anna. (introducing someone next to you)
6. Whose keys are ___ on the far table?
7. I love ___ song that's playing right now.
8. ___ days, everyone used a paper map. (distant past)
9. Correct this: 'This apples are sweet.'
10. Which pair is NEAR + PLURAL?
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between this and that?
'This' points to something near you; 'that' points to something further away: this cup (in my hand) vs that cup (across the room).
When do I use these and those?
They are the plurals: 'these' for near things (these keys), 'those' for far things (those mountains).
Can they be used without a noun?
Yes, as pronouns: This is delicious; Whose are those? I'll take these.
Do they work for time too?
Yes: 'this week/morning' means now or soon; 'those days/years' points to a more distant time in the past.
👩🏫 For teachers
CEFR objectives for “This, That, These & Those”:
- Can use this/these (near) and that/those (far) correctly (CEFR A1).
- Can match singular (this/that) and plural (these/those) to the noun.
- Can use demonstratives as determiners and as pronouns.
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