Demonstratives: this/that/these/those
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In short
Use this/that/these/those to point at things and say if they are near you or far from you. This and these mean near (here, now); that and those mean far (there, then, finished).
The rule
Demonstratives do two jobs:
- Determiner - before a noun: this book, those cars.
- Pronoun - alone, with no noun after it: This is nice. What are those?
They tell you two things at the same time:
- Number: singular or plural.
- Distance: near the speaker or far from the speaker.
| Near (here / now) | Far (there / then) | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | this | that |
| Plural | these | those |
When you use them with a noun, the noun follows directly: this apple, these apples, that man, those men. The form must match the noun’s number: singular noun -> this/that; plural noun -> these/those.
Common everyday uses:
- Pointing: Look at that bird! I like these shoes.
- Introducing people: This is my friend Sam. These are my parents.
- On the phone: Hello, this is Anna. Who’s that? (You say this for yourself, that for the other person.)
- Referring back to an idea you just said or heard: That’s a good idea. That’s why I’m tired.
To avoid repeating a noun, use one (singular) or ones (plural): I like this one. The red ones are mine. Not that one - this one. A demonstrative pronoun can also be narrowed by a phrase after it instead of by a noun - you do not need ones as well: These are mine; those on the shelf are yours. Those of us who cycle leave earlier.
Forms & patterns
| Pattern | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Determiner + noun | this car / that car | these cars / those cars |
| Pronoun (alone) | This is good. / That is good. | These are good. / Those are good. |
| Pronoun + phrase | What’s that in the box? (in a statement, say the one in the box) | these on the shelf / those near the door |
| With one/ones | this one / that one | these ones / those ones |
| Short form (pronoun + be) | that’s = that is | (no common short form for these/those) |
Useful question forms:
- What’s this? / What’s that? (one thing)
- What are these? / What are those? (more than one thing)
Examples
| English | Note |
|---|---|
| This coffee is hot. | Singular noun, near the speaker. |
| These keys are mine. | Plural noun, near the speaker. |
| Can you see that house on the hill? | Singular, far away. |
| Look at those birds in the sky! | Plural, far away. |
| This is my sister, Mia. | Introducing a person who is near. |
| Hello, this is Anna. Who’s that? | On the phone: this = me, that = you. |
| That’s a great idea! | Referring back to something just said. |
| I don’t want the blue cup - I want this one. | one replaces “cup” to avoid repeating it. |
Common mistakes
- I like these car. -> I like this car. - singular noun needs this/that, not these/those.
- Look at this birds. -> Look at these birds. - plural noun needs these/those.
- What is those? -> What are those? - plural demonstrative takes a plural verb.
- Is this John? (on the phone, asking about the other person) -> Is that John? - the person far away on the line is that, not this.
- I want the red one. (about many) -> I want the red ones. - use ones for plural.
Tips
- Memory hook: this and these go with here; that and those go with there.
- Count first, then choose: one thing = this/that; more than one = these/those.
- On the phone, you are always this (This is Anna) and the other person is that (Who’s that?).
- Use that’s to react to ideas: That’s true. That’s why. That’s a good question.