Demonstratives: This, That, These, Those | A1 Grammar

Overview

Demonstratives are words that point to specific nouns. English has four: this, that, these, those. They signal two things simultaneously: distance (near or far) and number (singular or plural). They can be used as determiners (before a noun) or as pronouns (replacing a noun).

1. The Four Demonstratives

	Singular	Plural
Near	this	these
Far	that	those

2. Distance — Near vs. Far

"Near" and "far" refer to physical distance, but also to time (close in time = near; distant in time = far).

Demonstrative	Distance / Time	Example
this	near me now	This book on my desk is new.
that	far from me	That building over there is a hospital.
these	near me now, plural	These shoes are comfortable.
those	far from me, plural	Those clouds look dark.

Time examples:

This week is very busy. (the current week)

That summer was unforgettable. (a past summer, distant in time)

These days, everyone has a smartphone.

Those were difficult times.

3. As Determiners (Before a Noun)

Used directly before a noun to modify it.

This car is expensive.

That restaurant is excellent.

These students are hardworking.

Those mountains are beautiful.

4. As Pronouns (Replacing a Noun)

Used alone, without a noun following them.

A: "Which bag do you want?" B: "This one." / "That." / "These." / "Those."

This is my brother. (introducing someone)

That was a great idea! (referring to something just said)

Are these yours? (pointing at objects)

5. On the Phone

Hello? This is Anna. (speaker identifies herself)

Is that John? (asking who the other person is)

6. Comparison Table

Feature	This	That	These	Those
Number	Singular	Singular	Plural	Plural
Distance	Near	Far	Near	Far
Verb agreement	is	is	are	are

7. Common Mistakes

Mistake	Correction	Explanation
These book	This book	"Book" is singular → use this
This books	These books	"Books" is plural → use these
Those car is fast	That car is fast	Singular noun → use that
That are mine	Those are mine	Plural pronoun → use those
This is my friends	These are my friends	Plural subject → use these

8. Real-World Examples

This is delicious! What did you put in it?

These are the documents you need to sign.

Look at those stars — they're amazing.

I remember that day like it was yesterday.

This year has been very productive.

Summary

Word	Number	Distance	Example
this	Singular	Near	This pen is mine.
that	Singular	Far	That tree is old.
these	Plural	Near	These keys are heavy.
those	Plural	Far	Those people are happy.

Demonstratives (this, that, these, those)