English demonstratives are tiny words with big jobs. They point to people and things, and they also tell us whether something is near, far, singular, or plural. Simple? Yes. Easy to misuse? Also yes. English enjoys keeping learners slightly annoyed.
For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to use this, that, these, and those in real-life English. By the end, you should be able to choose the right word fast, say it naturally, and avoid the most common mistakes.
If you want extra practice after reading, try the English Vocabulary Test or check your level with the English Placement Test CEFR.
Quick Meaning
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| this | “thiss” | one thing near me; one person or thing | This is my phone. | Use with singular nouns. |
| that | “thatt” | one thing farther away; one person or thing | I like that jacket. | Use with singular nouns. |
| these | “theez” | more than one thing near me | These are my keys. | Plural of this. |
| those | “thohz” | more than one thing farther away | Are those your shoes? | Plural of that. |
Simple rule: this / these usually point to something near you, and that / those usually point to something farther away. Near and far can be physical distance, time, or even emotional closeness. English likes to be practical and a little sneaky.
The Basic Rule
| Pattern | Meaning | Example | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| This + singular noun | one thing near you | This book is interesting. | Singular = one. |
| That + singular noun | one thing farther away | That restaurant is popular. | Can also mean “the one you mentioned.” |
| These + plural noun | more than one thing near you | These apples are sweet. | These = plural. |
| Those + plural noun | more than one thing farther away | Those cars are expensive. | Those = plural. |
Remember this: this/that are for one thing, and these/those are for more than one. That’s the grammar part. The distance part is just the bonus.
Useful Real-Life Uses
| English | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| This is… | “this iz” | used to introduce someone or something near you | This is my friend Ana. | Very common in introductions. |
| That is… | “that iz” | used to introduce someone or something farther away | That is our hotel. | Often shortened to That’s. |
| These are… | “theez ar” | used to introduce plural things near you | These are my notes. | Plural verb: are. |
| Those are… | “thohz ar” | used to introduce plural things farther away | Those are the mountains. | Plural verb: are. |
| this one | “this wun” | one thing near you | I want this one, not that one. | Useful when comparing two things. |
| that one | “that wun” | one thing farther away | Can I have that one? | Very natural in shops and restaurants. |
| these ones | “theez wunz” | plural things near you | I like these ones better. | Common in speech, but sometimes just these is enough. |
| those ones | “thohz wunz” | plural things farther away | Put those ones on the shelf. | Also common in speech, though those may sound cleaner. |
In natural English, people often drop the noun if it is already clear. For example: “I like this” or “I prefer those.” The meaning is still clear because the context does the heavy lifting. Nice of context, really.
Near And Far: Physical Distance
Use this and these when something is close to you. Use that and those when something is farther away.
| Situation | Example | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|
| near, one thing | This cup is mine. | You can almost touch it. |
| far, one thing | That cup is yours. | It is not close to you. |
| near, more than one | These chairs are new. | Plural + close. |
| far, more than one | Those chairs are broken. | Plural + farther away. |
In a store, you might say, “I’ll take this one” while pointing at a shirt on the table. If the shirt is on a different rack across the room, “I’ll take that one” is the natural choice.
Time Uses: This Week, That Day, These Days, Those Years
Demonstratives can also talk about time, not just space. In this case, “near” often means current or recent, and “far” often means past or less immediate.
| Expression | Meaning | Example Sentence | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| this morning | the morning of today | I studied English this morning. | Use for the current day. |
| that day | a day in the past | I still remember that day. | Common in stories and memories. |
| these days | now; nowadays | These days, I drink less coffee. | Very common in everyday speech. |
| those days | a period in the past | Those days were busy. | Often used with nostalgia or memory. |
| this year | the current year | I want to travel more this year. | Current time = this. |
| that year | a year in the past | That year was hard for many people. | Often tells a story. |
Small warning: time expressions with that can sound emotional or reflective. “Those days” often means “the past I remember,” not just “some old days.” Language has feelings. Rude, really.
Demonstratives With Verbs
When this, that, these, or those are the subject of the sentence, the verb changes with singular or plural form.
| Pattern | Example | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| This is + singular noun | This is my bag. | This is singular. |
| That is + singular noun | That is my bus. | That is singular. |
| These are + plural noun | These are my shoes. | These is plural. |
| Those are + plural noun | Those are our neighbors. | Those is plural. |
Do not say “These is” or “That are.” The demonstrative and the verb need to agree. English grammar likes harmony, even if it does not always act like it.
Common Conversation Patterns
| English | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What’s this? | “wuhts this” | asking about one near object | What’s this? Is it a tool? | Very common question. |
| What’s that? | “wuhts that” | asking about one farther object | What’s that? It looks strange. | Often used with pointing. |
| What are these? | “wuht ar theez” | asking about multiple near objects | What are these? Are they snacks? | Plural question. |
| What are those? | “wuht ar thohz” | asking about multiple far objects | What are those? I can’t see clearly. | Plural question. |
| Is this yours? | “iz this yorz” | asking if one near thing belongs to someone | Is this yours? I found it on the desk. | Useful in real life. |
| Are those yours? | “ar thohz yorz” | asking if multiple far things belong to someone | Are those yours? They’re by the door. | Common and natural. |
Common Mistakes And Fixes
| Wrong | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| This are my keys. | These are my keys. | Keys is plural, so use these and are. |
| Those is my backpack. | That is my backpack. | Backpack is singular, so use that and is. |
| I like that shoes. | I like those shoes. | Shoes is plural, so use those. |
| This are expensive. | This is expensive. | This is singular. |
| These book is mine. | This book is mine. | Book is singular, so do not use these. |
Quick memory trick: if you can count one thing, use this or that. If you have more than one, use these or those.
Pronunciation Tips
- this has a soft th sound. Put your tongue lightly between your teeth. Do not bite it like English is your enemy.
- that uses the same soft th sound.
- these ends with a voiced z sound: “theez.”
- those also ends with a voiced z sound: “thohz.”
- In fast speech, people often say this is like “this-iz” and that’s instead of “that is.”
Yak wisdom: Singular words wear one shoe. Plural words wear two. Grammar may be weird, but the shoes help.
American And British English Notes
For demonstratives, American and British English are mostly the same. The main difference is not the grammar, but the style around it. In both varieties, people use this, that, these, and those in the same basic way.
One useful note: in both American and British English, you may hear that one or those ones in spoken language, even though sometimes the noun can be dropped if it is already obvious.
Practice
Choose the correct word: this, that, these, or those.
- _____ is my sister over there.
- _____ are my new glasses.
- _____ dog next to me is friendly.
- _____ mountains in the distance are beautiful.
- _____ morning was very busy.
Answers:
- That is my sister over there.
- These are my new glasses.
- This dog next to me is friendly.
- Those mountains in the distance are beautiful.
- This morning was very busy.
Now try changing the sentence from singular to plural.
- This book is interesting. → These books are interesting.
- That car is fast. → Those cars are fast.
- This apple is sweet. → These apples are sweet.
Quick Reference Summary
| Word | Use For | Example |
|---|---|---|
| this | one thing near you | This pen is mine. |
| that | one thing farther away | That pen is yours. |
| these | more than one thing near you | These pens are mine. |
| those | more than one thing farther away | Those pens are yours. |
For more word practice, a boring-but-useful dictionary can help a lot. Try the Cambridge Dictionary for clear examples and pronunciation help.
Yak takeaway: use this/these for near things and that/those for far things. Singular gets this/that; plural gets these/those. Tiny words, big job, surprisingly easy once they stop trying to be mysterious.
