Demonstratives are words that point to specific people or things. They tell us which person or object we are referring to, and they also show how far the person or object is—near or far. Test yourself here:
Was this too hard? Study the article below and do the exercises at the bottom of the page.
What are Demonstratives?
There are four main demonstrative determiners in English: this, that, these, those. Demonstratives show distance (near or far) and number (singular or plural).
| Demonstrative | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| this | singular, near | This book is interesting. |
| that | singular, far | That car is expensive. |
| these | plural, near | These shoes are new. |
| those | plural, far | Those birds are noisy. |
They always come before a noun. Check the diagram below for better understanding.
Determiner or Pronoun?
Words like this, that, these, and those can be used as determiners or pronouns, depending on how they function in the sentence.
| Use | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Determiner | This book is amazing. | Comes before a noun (modifies book) |
| Pronoun | This is amazing. | Stands alone (replaces a noun) |
| Determiner | I don’t like those shoes. | Describes the noun shoes |
| Pronoun | I don’t like those. | Replaces the noun shoes |
If a noun follows the word, it’s a determiner. If it stands alone, it’s a pronoun.
Here are some more examples to learn the difference between a determiner and a pronoun:
These are good films. (pronoun) → These films are good. (determiner)
Those are great restaurants. (pronoun) → Those restaurants are great. (determiner)
Exercises on Demonstratives
Other exercises – Demonstrative Determiner and Pronouns mixed
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