Understanding the Usage of This, That, These, and Those
Learn how to accurately refer to objects or things with pronouns and determiners based on proximity or distance from the speaker.
Pronouns:
- This refers to singular objects or things near us:
- This is my favorite T-shirt.
- This is a cat.
- These refers to plural objects or things near us:
- These are my favorite T-shirts.
- These are my cats.
- That refers to singular objects or things far from us:
- That is my phone.
- That is my brother.
- Those refers to plural objects or things far from us:
- Those are my phones.
- Those are my brothers.
Determiners:
Determiners provide additional information before nouns. Here's how we use them:
- This and that are used with singular and uncountable nouns:
- Please give this pencil to John.
- This music makes me happy.
- I’ll buy that book.
- That beef is so raw.
- These and those are used with plural nouns:
- These performances are amazing.
- Have a look at these sentences.
- I love those beautiful memories.
- Don’t touch those plants. They’re dangerous.
Understanding the usage of this, that, these, and those helps in accurately describing the proximity or distance of objects or things in conversation or written text.