Practice
Demonstrative adjectives: this, that, these, and those
You are holding one receipt and looking at two bags across the room. English gives you four short words to point clearly: this receipt, that bag, these notes, and those bags.
Choose this, that, these, or those before a noun by checking whether the noun is singular or plural and whether it feels near or farther away.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
these and those /ðiːz ænd ðoʊz/
The short answer
Use this for one nearby noun and these for nearby plural nouns. Use that for one noun farther away and those for plural nouns farther away. The distance can be physical, or it can come from the conversation.
These instructions are on the desk beside me.
Why it works: These points to several instructions that feel near the speaker. Instructions is plural.
5 more examples
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This key opens the office door beside us.
This points to one key that is near the speaker and listener.
Not this:
Those keysopen the storage room across the hall. What changes: Those points to more than one key that feels farther away. -
That apartment has a balcony facing the park.
That identifies one apartment the speaker is viewing or discussing from a distance.
Not this:
These apartmentshave balconies facing the park. What changes: These is plural, so it needs more than one apartment. -
These reports need signatures before noon.
These points to several reports that are available in the current situation.
Not this:
This reportneeds a signature before noon. What changes: This is singular, so it identifies one report. -
Those lights on the hill belong to the radio tower.
Those points to several lights that are far from the speaker.
Not this:
That lightnear the gate is still on. What changes: That is singular, so it identifies one light. -
This week's schedule is different from last week's schedule.
This can point to the current week, which feels close in time to the speaker.
Not this:
Those meetingsfrom last winter were shorter. What changes: Those can point to events that feel distant in time as well as space.
Read the full guide
Find the noun after the pointing word. If there is one item, choose this or that. If there is more than one item, choose these or those. After that, ask whether the noun is near the speaker or treated as farther away. This simple order helps when all four forms seem possible.
Check the number first
Start with the noun. Use this or that before one noun. Use these or those before a plural noun. This number check removes two choices before you think about distance.
This map shows one walking route.
Map is singular, so this is possible. For more than one map, use these or those.
Choose a word for several nearby tickets: ___ tickets.
Use these tickets because tickets is plural and nearby.
Use this and these for what feels near
Use this with one nearby noun and these with nearby plural nouns. The noun may be in your hand, on the same table, or part of the current topic. Near does not always mean physically close.
These chairs by the window are free.
These points to several chairs that the speaker treats as near.
Complete the phrase for one phone in your hand: ___ phone.
Use this phone because phone is singular and near.
Use that and those for what feels farther away
Use that with one noun farther away and those with plural nouns farther away. You may be looking across a street, remembering an earlier time, or referring to something outside the current focus.
That bridge across the river is very old.
That identifies one bridge that is not near the speaker.
Choose a word for several buildings across the river: ___ buildings.
Use those buildings because buildings is plural and farther away.
Put the pointing word before the noun
A demonstrative adjective comes directly before its noun. Say this plan or those questions. Do not add the or a before the noun, because the demonstrative already identifies it.
Those questions need clear answers.
Those identifies the questions, so the phrase does not need the.
Which phrase is standard: the this plan or this plan?
Use this plan. This already identifies the one plan you mean.
Use time and conversation as context
The same near and far idea can work with time and ideas. This morning usually feels close to now. Those years can describe a more distant time. In a discussion, this point can introduce the idea you are making now.
This problem needs an answer before we continue.
This points to the problem currently being discussed, even if nobody can touch it.
Choose the word for several memories from a distant time: ___ memories.
Use those memories because memories is plural and the time feels distant.
Separate adjectives from pronouns
When a noun follows this, that, these, or those, the word is a demonstrative adjective. When no noun follows, it can be a demonstrative pronoun. Compare this document with This is the document I need. The first this describes document. The second stands alone.
Those files are ready, but these are still open.
Those describes files. These has no noun after it, so it stands for files.
In this sentence, which word has a noun after it: These folders are ready?
These has the noun folders after it, so it is a demonstrative adjective.
Before you go
Remember this
Choose this or that with one noun. Choose these or those with a plural noun. Then decide whether the noun feels near or farther away in the situation, time, or conversation. Keep the demonstrative adjective directly before the noun.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Demonstrative adjectives: this, that, these, and those"
What are demonstrative adjectives?
Demonstrative adjectives are this, that, these, and those when they come before a noun. They point to the specific noun the speaker means. In this key, this is a demonstrative adjective because key follows it.
This key opens the office door beside us.
When should I use this and these?
Use this with one noun that feels near, such as this chair. Use these with plural nouns that feel near, such as these chairs. The noun's number decides whether you need the singular or plural form.
Those keys open the storage room across the hall.
When should I use that and those?
Use that with one noun farther away, such as that building. Use those with plural nouns farther away, such as those buildings. The distance may be physical, in time, or part of the speaker's viewpoint.
That apartment has a balcony facing the park.
Can I use the before this or those?
No. Use one determiner before the noun. Say this plan or those questions, not the this plan or the those questions. This, that, these, and those already identify the noun for the listener.
These apartments have balconies facing the park.
What is the difference between a demonstrative adjective and pronoun?
A demonstrative adjective has a noun after it, as in those files. A demonstrative pronoun stands without a following noun, as in Those are ready. Check whether the next word is the noun being pointed to.
These reports need signatures before noon.