Definition / Explanation
Demonstratives help us point to people or things. We choose the word by distance and number: this/these for things near us, and that/those for things farther away. We also use singular forms for one thing and plural forms for more than one. These words are very common in conversation when we show, choose, or identify things.
Key Rules
- Use this for one thing near you.
- Use that for one thing farther away.
- Use these for more than one thing near you.
- Use those for more than one thing farther away.
- Use them before a noun or alone: This is nice. / This bag is nice.
Examples
- This is my seat.
- That house is very old.
- These shoes are new.
- Those boys are in my class.
- I like this song.
- Who are those people?
Common Mistakes
- ❌ This shoes are dirty. -> ✅ These shoes are dirty.
- ❌ That are my keys. -> ✅ Those are my keys.
- ❌ These is my friend. -> ✅ This is my friend.