Demonstrative Pronouns in EnglishA2

Learn how to use demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those) to point precisely in everyday English with clear examples and practice.

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English

Prerequisites

Pronouns

Overview

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Demonstrative Pronouns in EnglishA2

Translations

Prerequisites

Overview

Forms

Multiple Choice

Reference

Listening

Time And Style

Multiple Choice

Closure

Prerequisites

Complementary Modules

Practical Applications

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