Demonstrative pronouns point to a specific person, object, or idea by showing distance from the speaker. The forms are this and that in the singular, and these and those in the plural, with choice controlled by number and by whether the referent is near or far. In English, demonstratives can act as pronouns or as determiners, so they are closely related to Pronouns and to Determiners.

This and these usually refer to something near, while that and those usually refer to something farther away. Singular forms match one referent, and plural forms match more than one referent, so agreement depends on number rather than gender or person. In short answers and stand alone references, a demonstrative can replace a noun phrase entirely, which makes it a true pronoun.

Idea	Example
this for singular near referent	This is mine.
that for singular far referent	That was great.
these for plural near referents	These are mine.
those for plural far referents	Those books are old.
pronoun replaces a noun phrase	Which ones? Those.

Demonstratives can point to objects, people, or ideas, not only to nouns you can see. The meaning depends on the speaker, the listener, and the situation, so deixis is central to how demonstratives work. Because of that context dependence, the same form can feel more direct, more distant, more emotional, or more abstract depending on how it is used.

Idea	Example
points to an object nearby	This hurts.
points to a person farther away	That is my brother.
points to an idea	This matters.
depends on speaker context	Put that there.
can show contrast	This, not that.

Demonstratives also combine with time expressions such as this morning, that day, these days, and those years. In informal speech, that may extend to abstract or general reference more broadly than the distance contrast alone suggests. In clause structure, that can also be a complementizer, as in I know that, so it should not be confused with demonstrative that.

Idea	Example
this with a near time expression	This morning was cold.
that with a farther time expression	That day was unforgettable.
these with repeated present time	These days are busy.
those with distant past time	Those years felt long.
that as complementizer not demonstrative	I know that she left.

Demonstrative pronouns form a four part system built on number and distance. They can replace nouns, refer to concrete and abstract things, and shape contrast in both speech and writing. Their meaning depends on context, and that context can include space, time, attitude, and sentence structure.

Idea	Example
singular near form is this	This is new.
singular far form is that	That is enough.
plural near form is these	These are ready.
plural far form is those	Those were helpful.
context gives meaning to the form	This means a lot.