This, That, These, Those
These demonstratives point to things by number and distance. This/these are for things near you; that/those are for things farther away.
Level A1
Nouns & Determiners
Summary
- These demonstratives point to things by number and distance. This/these are for things near you; that/those are for things farther away.
Structure
this/that + singular noun | these/those + plural noun
Examples
- This book is mine.
- That mountain is very far away.
- These shoes are too small.
- Look at those birds in the sky.
Common mistakes
- • Saying 'this books' instead of 'these books' — this is singular.
- • Mixing distance, e.g. using 'this' for something across the room instead of 'that'.
Related
More nouns & determiners
Plural and Quantifiers: Some / Any
A1
Use 'some' in positive sentences and offers/requests, and 'any' in negatives and most questions. They work with plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns.
Plural Nouns
A1
Most English nouns add -s to show more than one. Nouns ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, or -x take -es, and a noun ending in consonant + y changes y to -ies.
Countable and Uncountable Nouns
A2
Countable nouns can be counted and have plural forms; uncountable nouns name things we see as a mass and have no plural. The distinction controls which determiners and verbs you can use.
Possessive 's
A1
Add 's to a noun to show ownership or relationship. For plural nouns already ending in -s, add only an apostrophe.
There Is and There Are
A1
Use 'there is' and 'there are' to say that something exists or is present. The verb agrees with the noun that follows: singular takes 'is', plural takes 'are'.