'This' 'That' 'These' 'Those' Exercises and explanation (Demonstrative Pronouns)
This page starts with a clear explanation of what demonstrative pronouns are and then exercises to practice what you have learnt.
What are demonstrative pronouns?
A demonstrative pronoun is a word that points to a specific person, place, thing, or idea. Think of it like pointing with your finger.
Instead of saying the noun again, you use a demonstrative pronoun to point to it. There are only four demonstrative pronouns in English:
this / that / these / those
| Pronoun | Singular/Plural | Near👇 ot Far 👉 |
|---|---|---|
| This | Singular | Near👇 |
| That | Singular | Far 👉 |
| These | Plural | Near👇 |
| Those | Plural | Far 👉 |
Examples
“This is my pen”
We use “This” to show one thing near to you.
“That is my pen”
We use “That” to show more than one thing far away (not near).
“These are my pens”
We use “These” to show more than one thing that is near.
“Those are my pens”
We use “Those” to show more than one thing far away (not near).
Practice below with lots of exercises!
Exercise 1
Put the correct pronoun in the gap.
1 .
The teacher is holding one book.
“______ is our English book.”
this / that / these / those
✅ This
ℹ️ The teacher is holding one book, so we use this for one thing that is near.
2 .
The students are looking at a clock on the classroom wall.
“______ is the classroom clock.”
this / that / these / those
✅ That
ℹ️ The clock is one thing that is far away, so we use that.
3 .
Sophie has four pencils in her hand.
“______ are my pencils.”
this / that / these / those
✅ These
ℹ️ Sophie is holding four pencils, so we use these for things that are near.
4 .
Mark points to two footballs on the other side of the sports field.
“______ are our footballs.”
this / that / these / those
✅ Those
ℹ️ The footballs are far away and there is more than one, so we use those.
5 .
You are holding a photo of your family.
“______ is my family.”
this / that / these / those
✅ This
ℹ️ The photo is in your hand, so it is near.
6 .
You point to a mountain from your hotel window.
“______ is a beautiful mountain.”
this / that / these / those
✅ That
ℹ️ The mountain is far away, so we use that.
7 .
You point to mountains from your hotel window.
“______ are beautiful mountains.”
this / that / these / those
✅ Those
ℹ️ The mountains are far away, but he is pointing to more than one mountain. (plural)
8 .
The teacher shows the class four new dictionaries.
“______ are our new dictionaries.”
this / that / these / those
✅ These
ℹ️ The dictionaries are near the teacher and there is more than one.
9 .
You point to birds in a tree across the park.
“______ are beautiful birds.”
this / that / these / those
✅ Those
ℹ️ The birds are far away and there is more than one.
10 .
Your friend is holding one tennis racket.
“Is ______ your racket?”
this / that / these / those
✅ This
ℹ️ The racket is one thing that is near.
11 .
Your teacher points to a map on the wall.
“______ is a map of Europe.”
this / that / these / those
✅ That
ℹ️ The map is one thing that is farther away.
12 .
You are carrying two bags.
“______ are very heavy.”
this / that / these / those
✅ These
ℹ️ The bags are near you and there are two of them.
13 .
You see three cows on a hill.
“______ cows are eating.”
this / that / these / those
✅ Those
ℹ️ The cows are far away and there is more than one.
14 .
The teacher picks up one marker pen.
“______ is blue.”
this / that / these / those
✅ This
ℹ️ The marker pen is one thing that is near.
15 .
You point to two friends across the playground.
“______ are my classmates.”
this / that / these / those
✅ Those
ℹ️ Your classmates are far away and there are two of them.
16 .
Your mother gives you a birthday present.
“Wow! ______ is amazing!”
this / that / these / those
✅ This
ℹ️ The present is near you, so we use this.
17 .
You point to one airplane in the sky.
“______ is flying very high.”
this / that / these / those
✅ That
ℹ️ The airplane is one thing that is far away.
18 .
The teacher is holding three science books.
“______ are for today’s lesson.”
this / that / these / those
✅ These
ℹ️ The books are near the teacher and there is more than one.
19 .
You point to four students on the football field.
“______ men are on my team.”
this / that / these / those
✅ Those
ℹ️ The students are far away and there are four of them.
20 .
You are holding one ice cream.
“______ tastes delicious!”
this / that / these / those
✅ This
ℹ️ The ice cream is one thing that is near you.
