Demonstrative adjectives show which noun you are talking about by pointing to its location relative to the speaker. They help listeners identify specific things. This guide covers the main demonstrative adjectives and how to use them in English.
Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives come before a noun and signal whether the noun is near or far from the speaker or listener. The main ones are this, that, these, and those.
| Demonstrative Adjective | Usage | |
|---|---|---|
| this | for a singular noun near the speaker | |
| these | for a plural noun near the speaker | |
| that | for a singular noun farther from the speaker | |
| those | for a plural noun farther from the speaker |
Use with Singular Nouns
Use this to point to a single thing close to you, and that for a single thing more distant. Demonstrative adjectives must come directly before the noun to clearly show which item you mean.
Use with Plural Nouns
Use these for plural things near you, and those for plural things farther away. The choice between these and those helps listeners imagine the items' location relative to you.
Examples
Demonstrative Adjectives vs. Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative adjectives modify a noun and appear before it, while demonstrative pronouns replace the noun entirely. For example, this in "this book" is an adjective, but this in "this is mine" is a pronoun.
Summary
Demonstrative adjectives are this, that, these, and those, and they must appear before the noun they point to. Use this/these for things near the speaker and that/those for things farther away to guide listeners' attention.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025