This, That, These, Those — Learn How to Use Demonstratives in English

Rose Sensei
Oct 19
3 min read

Updated: Dec 7

Ever wondered when to say this or that, these or those? These little words are called demonstratives, and they help us point to things — both near and far.

We use them every day when shopping, showing photos, or even talking about food on the table.

👉 “This cake is delicious!”👉 “Those cookies look amazing.”

Learning demonstratives is an easy way to make your English sound more natural — and they work closely with Articles (a, an, the) too.

🔗 Before you start, check out our related grammar guide:Articles: A, An, The (and Zero Article!)

Together, articles and demonstratives make your English sound natural and clear!

A woman in a striped shirt points at a whiteboard listing "this, that, these, those" under "Demonstratives." Speech bubbles surround her.

🪄 What Are Demonstratives: This, That, These, Those?

Demonstratives tell us which thing or person we’re talking about.

They show number (singular/plural) and distance (near/far).

Distance	Singular	Plural
Near	this	these
Far	that	those

🧩 Grammar in Context

At a Market

👨‍🌾 Seller: These mangoes are from Thailand.

👵 Customer: Oh! They look so fresh. What about that basket over there?

👨‍🌾 Seller: Those are from the Philippines — a bit sweeter.

👵 Customer: I’ll take these ones, please.

🧄️ Quick Comparison Table

Near	Far
This book	That book
These shoes	Those shoes

✋ When to Use “This” and “These”

Use this (singular) and these (plural) for things that are near you — in distance or time.

Examples:

This coffee smells amazing. ☕️
These cookies are still warm. 🍪
I love this song! 🎶

🧠 Tip: We often use this / these when something feels personal, immediate, or close to us.

👈 When to Use “That” and “Those”

Use that (singular) and those (plural) for things that are far away — in distance or time.

Examples:

That café across the street looks lovely. ☕️
Those dresses in the window are on sale. 👗
I miss that summer we spent in Italy. 🇮🇹

🧠 Tip: Use that/those for something more distant or less connected to the present moment.

💬 Examples in Real Life

👜 At a shop

This dress is cheaper than that one.
These shoes are on sale.

☕ In a café

This coffee smells wonderful!
Could you pass me that croissant, please?

✈️ When travelling

This city is beautiful.
Those mountains are so high!

📸 Talking about photos

This picture was taken last weekend.
Those selfies bring back memories.

🗣️ Quick Pronunciation Tip

“This” /ðɪs/ and “these” /ðiːz/ sound similar — but remember the vowel difference: short /ɪ/ in this, long /iː/ in these

Try saying them aloud:👉 “This pen, these pens.”

🧠 Mini Quiz: Choose the Right Demonstrative!

Try these! Choose the correct word.

_______ is my favourite bag.
_______ are your keys on the table.
Look at _______ rainbow!
_______ shoes don’t fit me anymore.

Answers:

This
Those
That
These

🗣️ Common Mistakes

🚫 Wrong: These bread is fresh. ✅ Right: This bread is fresh.

🚫 Wrong: That are beautiful! ✅ Right: Those are beautiful!

🚫 Wrong: I like these one. ✅ Right: I like this one.

🌟 Grammar Tip: Demonstratives + Articles

We usually don’t use articles (a, an, the) with demonstratives because they already point to a specific thing.

✅ This book is interesting.

❌ The this book is interesting.

But we can use them with other modifiers:

e.g. This little café is lovely.

🔗 Related Grammar Lessons

🎥 Watch & Learn

🎨 Coming soon:

“This, That, These, Those – Learn with Everyday Examples”

Learn how to use these words naturally in daily conversations.

🔗 Subscribe to our YouTube series Grammar Made Simple for clear and fun English lessons!

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