When do you use 'this' and 'that'?

Use 'this' for singular things near you: 'This is my book' (here). Use 'that' for singular things far from you: 'That is your car' (over there).

When do you use 'these' and 'those'?

'These' is the plural of 'this' (near): 'These are my keys'. 'Those' is the plural of 'that' (far): 'Those are your books over there'.

Can you use 'this/that/these/those' without a noun?

Yes! They work as pronouns: 'What's this?' 'That's nice!' 'These are expensive.' They also work as adjectives before nouns: 'this book', 'those cars'.

How do I introduce people with 'this' and 'that'?

Use 'this' to introduce someone near you: 'This is my friend Maria.' Use 'that' to talk about someone not here: 'That is John in the photo.'

Do we say 'this one' or 'that one'?

Yes. Use 'this one' to point to something near. 'I like this one.' (the thing here). Use 'that one' to point to something far. 'Can I have that one?' (the thing there).

What are common questions with these words?

Common questions are: 'What's this?' 'What's that?' 'What are these?' 'What are those?' Use them to ask about things you see. The answers use the same word: 'That's a clock.'

Can I use 'this' on the phone?

Yes. On the phone, use 'this' to talk about yourself. 'Hi, this is Anna.' (This means I am Anna). Use 'that' to ask about the other person: 'Is that Mark?'

Is there a time difference between 'this' and 'that'?

Yes. Use 'this' for present or near future: 'this week', 'this year'. Use 'that' for past time: 'that day last week', 'that summer when I was a child'.

CEFR A1

This / That / These / Those

Learn the essential words for pointing to objects and people. Practice using this, that, these, and those to talk about things based on distance and quantity.

Learn This, That, These, Those

What You Will Learn

Learn how to point to things near you and far away in English.

Learn this and that for one thing

Learn these and those for many things

Learn when to use near words (this/these) vs far words (that/those)

Practice asking questions like "What is this?" and "What are those?"

Pointing Words in English

Word	Distance	Number	Example
this	near (here)	singular	This book is mine.
that	far (there)	singular	That building is the school.
these	near (here)	plural	These shoes are new.
those	far (there)	plural	Those people are my friends.

This/that/these/those can be used as adjectives (before a noun: 'this book') or as pronouns (standing alone: 'This is mine'). The distance is relative to the speaker's position.

We use these words to point to things and show if they are close to us or far away.

Close to Me

✓ This book (one book in my hand)

✓ These books (books on my desk)

"This is my phone."

Far from Me

✓ That car (car across the street)

✓ Those trees (trees far away)

"That is my house."

At the Gift Shop

Look at this T-shirt! It's very nice. (use "this" for 1 thing near you)

And look at those shoes over there! (use "those" for many things far away)

I want to buy these postcards for my friends. (use "these" for many things near you)

Is that your bag near the door? (use "that" for 1 thing far away)

"We use pointing words every time we shop!"

Easy Rule to Remember

Close = This/These, Far = That/Those. The "s" at the end means more than one.

✓ This book (close, one)

✓ These books (close, many)

✓ That car (far, one)

✓ Those cars (far, many)

The Four Pointing Words

Each word has a specific use depending on distance and number.

This (One, Close)

• This is my book.

• This pen is blue.

• This coffee is hot.

These (Many, Close)

• These are my books.

• These cookies are delicious.

• These flowers are beautiful.

That (One, Far)

• That is my car.

• That building is tall.

• Look at that bird!

Those (Many, Far)

• Those are my bags.

• Those mountains are beautiful.

• Those stars are bright.

Try It

Choose the correct word:

1. "__________ is my phone." (pointing to phone in your hand)

2. "__________ are my keys." (pointing to keys on the table far away)

3. "__________ books are interesting." (books on your desk)

Check your answers

1. "This is my phone."

2. "Those are my keys."

3. "These books are interesting."

How to Use Them

See examples of how these words work in real situations.

Everyday Objects

Close Objects

This chair (I'm sitting on it)

These shoes (I'm wearing them)

Far Objects

That building (across the street)

Those trees (in the park)

"This is my desk, and that is the window."

People and Animals

People

This is my sister (next to me)

These are my friends (with me)

That is my teacher (across the room)

Those are my classmates (far away)

Animals

This is my dog (next to me)

These are my cats (near me)

That is a bird (in the tree)

Those are horses (in the field)

"This is my brother, and those are his friends over there."

Asking Questions

What is this?

(asking about one thing near you)

What are those?

(asking about things far away)

"What is this? - It's my new phone."

Want to try a This, That, These, Those quiz?

Practice with multiple choice questions

Quick Reference Guide

Remember this simple chart to help you choose the right word.

The Simple Chart

This / These

Far

That / Those

This book (close, one)

These books (close, many)

That car (far, one)

Those cars (far, many)

Good Examples

This is my chair. (I'm sitting on it)

These are my shoes. (I'm wearing them)

That is my house. (across the street)

Common Mistakes

❌ This books are interesting. (wrong)

❌ Those is my car. (wrong)

❌ What is these? (wrong)

Ready to test your This, That, These, Those knowledge?

Challenge yourself with fill-in-the-blank exercises

Practice Exercises

Try these exercises to practice what you've learned.

Exercise 1: Choose the Correct Word

Look at the picture in your mind and choose:

A book on your desk:

__________ book is mine.

(This/That)

Keys on a table far away:

__________ are my keys.

(These/Those)

Exercise 2: Make Questions

Make questions for these situations:

You see a bird in a tree far away:

Look at __________ bird!

You hold a phone in your hand:

__________ is my new phone.

You see flowers in a garden:

__________ flowers are beautiful.

Master This, That, These, Those sentence building!

Drag and drop words to form correct sentences

Common Mistakes

❌ This books are interesting.

✓ These books are interesting.

❌ Those is my car.

✓ That is my car.

❌ Look at this mountains!

✓ Look at those mountains!

❌ That shoes are mine.

✓ These shoes are mine. (if close) or Those shoes are mine. (if far)

❌ What is these?

✓ What is this? (singular) or What are these? (plural)

Practice Tips

Remember: This/These = near, That/Those = far

Point with your hand when practicing: point close for this/these, point far for that/those

Practice describing your room: "This is my bed, that is the window, these are my books, those are my shoes"

When shopping: "I like this shirt, but I don't like that one over there"

Speaking Practice

To practice your pronunciation, listen to the native speaker audio first. Then 'Record' yourself repeating what you heard, then use the 'Playback' button to compare your pronunciation with the native speaker. If you want to record yourself again, simply click 'Delete'!

This apple is fresh, but that apple over there looks old.

These are my glasses. Those are yours on the table.

What is this? It's my bike I got for my birthday.

Who are those people? They are my neighbours.

I like this cake, not that one over there.

This book on my desk is very interesting.

Those flowers in the garden are beautiful.

These keys are for the house, but those keys are for the car.

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