this, that, these, those
These words point at things. The choice depends on distance (near or far) and number (one or more).
| near | far | |
|---|---|---|
| singular | this book | that book |
| plural | these books | those books |
Other uses
- Time: this week (now), that day (in the past).
- On the phone: This is Anna. Is that Tom?
- Reacting: That’s great!
Examples
- This coffee is very good.
- Who are those people?
- These shoes are too small.
- That’s a good idea.
- Those were the days!
Common mistakes
- ✗ That shoes are expensive.✓ Those shoes are expensive.A plural noun that is far away needs those instead of that.
- ✗ I want these cake.✓ I want this cake.Cake is singular, so the near word is this rather than these.
- ✗ Look at that people.✓ Look at those people.People is plural, so the far word must be those.
- ✗ This are my friends.✓ These are my friends.The plural of this is these, and it goes with are.
- ✗ Do you see these book over there?✓ Do you see that book over there?A singular thing that is far away takes that, not these.