Understanding how to point things out in English is a fundamental skill for everyday communication, especially in professional settings. Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns — this, that, these, and those — help you indicate where something is located in relation to the speaker. Mastering these four words will make your descriptions clearer and more precise.
How do you choose between this, that, these, and those?
The choice depends on two factors: distance and number.
- This — one thing that is near the speaker: "This computer." [0:27]
- These — more than one thing that is near: "These glasses." [0:38]
- That — one thing that is far from the speaker. [1:02]
- Those — more than one thing that is far. [1:10]
Pay special attention to pronunciation. This and these sound different because of the vowel length and the final consonant sound. Practice saying them aloud: this uses a short vowel, while these stretches the vowel and ends with a /z/ sound [0:48].
What is the difference between demonstrative adjectives and demonstrative pronouns?
This distinction is simpler than it sounds. When a demonstrative comes before a noun and describes it, it works as an adjective. When it replaces the noun entirely, it works as a pronoun.
How do demonstrative adjectives work in sentences?
Demonstrative adjectives always appear right before the noun they modify.
- "These files are confidential." — You have many files in the room, but you are talking about the ones near you [1:18].
- "Those pens are running out of ink." — The pens you mean are far away, not the ones close to you [1:39].
- "I got this laptop yesterday." — You are holding or sitting next to the laptop you bought [1:57].
Notice how each demonstrative tells the listener which specific item you mean based on its location.
How do demonstrative pronouns replace nouns?
Once the noun has been mentioned or is clearly understood from context, you can drop it and let the demonstrative stand alone as a pronoun [2:11].
- Instead of "These glasses belong to my colleague," simply say: "These belong to my colleague." [2:25]
- "Can you pass me that?" — The object is far from you, and the listener already knows what you are referring to [2:37].
- "I need this to change the slides." — You are holding the item, so no extra noun is necessary [2:42].
How can you practice demonstratives in real life?
A great exercise is to take a picture of your working space — whether at home or in the office — and describe it using as many demonstrative adjectives and pronouns as possible [2:52]. For example:
- "This is my desk."
- "These notebooks are for meetings."
- "That monitor over there needs a new cable."
- "Those belong to my teammate."
Try mixing adjectives and pronouns in the same description so you get comfortable switching between them. Share your sentences and keep practicing — the more you use demonstratives in context, the more natural they will feel.
