This, That, These & Those
A1 · BeginnerDeterminers & QuantifiersThis, that, these and those all point to something — the choice depends on two simple questions: is it close or far away, and is it one thing or more than one?
What you'll learn
- This/these for something near you, that/those for something farther away
- This/that for one thing, these/those for more than one
- Introducing yourself on the phone with 'this'
- Using that/those to look back at time or something already mentioned
The core idea
This, that, these and those all mean 'the thing I'm pointing to' — the four words split along two independent questions: how close is it (near vs far), and how many are there (one vs more than one)?
Near and far
Use this/these for something physically or conceptually close to you. Use that/those for something farther away.
"This photo in my hand" is close — this. "That building across the street" is far — that.
"These shoes I'm wearing" are close — these. "Those birds in the sky" are far — those.
One thing or more than one
This and that are for one thing. These and those are for more than one — the noun that follows must be plural, and so must any verb agreeing with it.
"This shoe is mine." (one shoe) vs. "These shoes are mine." (more than one)
"That car is fast." (one car) vs. "Those cars are fast." (more than one)
Two special uses worth knowing
On the phone, English speakers introduce themselves with this, not I: 'Hi, this is Sarah.' That would sound strange there.
That and those can also point back to time or to something already mentioned, not just physical distance: 'Those were the good old days' looks back at the past; 'That's a great idea' refers to something someone just said.
Real English
Watch out
Shoes is plural, so it needs the plural demonstrative these, not this.
Stars is plural and far away, so it needs those.
Something you're actually holding is close to you, so it takes this, not that.
English always introduces the speaker on the phone with this, never that.
Real life — Answering the phone
"Hello?"
"Hi, this is Marco from the dentist's office. Is this Ms. Chen?"
"Yes, this is she. Is everything okay with my appointment?"
"Yes, I just wanted to confirm you're still coming in on Thursday."
Practice
Exercise 1 · Sort by near or far
0 / 4 sorted
Exercise 2 · Choose the correct word
___ is my sister, Anna. (she's standing right next to you)
Exercise 3 · Choose the correct word
___ are my keys. (on the table right in front of you)
Exercise 4 · Choose the correct word
Look at ___ mountains over there!
Exercise 5 · Choose the correct word
Can you pass me ___ book on the shelf across the room?
Exercise 6 · Choose the correct word
Hi, ___ is Anna speaking.
Exercise 7 · Choose the correct word
I love ___ shoes you're wearing right now!
Exercise 8 · Complete the sentence
Complete: ___ is my new phone. (you're holding it) (one word)
Exercise 9 · Complete the sentence
Complete: ___ were the good old days. (looking back at the past) (one word)
Exercise 10 · Build the sentence
Exercise 11 · Fix the mistake
Fix the mistake:
Quick challenge
Five quick questions to check what stuck.
Question 1 / 5
Score: 0/0
___ is my new laptop. (you're holding it right now)
You learned
- This/these point to something near you; that/those point to something farther away.
- This/that are for one thing; these/those are for more than one.
- The noun (and verb) after these/those must be plural.
- On the phone, introduce yourself with this: 'Hi, this is Sarah.'
- That/those can also point back to time or to something already said, not just physical distance.
Related grammar lessons
Much vs Many
Learn when to use much and many — many with plural countable nouns, much with uncountable nouns, and why 'a lot of' usually sounds more natural in positive statements.
Some vs Any
Learn when to use some and any — some for affirmative statements, offers and requests; any for negatives, questions, and 'whichever one' meanings.
Few and Little
Learn few/a few and little/a little — few and a few for countable nouns, little and a little for uncountable nouns, and how adding 'a' flips the meaning from negative to positive.
All, Every & Each
Learn the difference between all, every and each — all treats a group as one whole, every generalizes about each member, and each emphasizes individuals one by one.