Demonstrative pronouns are words that replace nouns while pointing to people, objects, places, events, or ideas. English has four primary demonstrative pronouns: this and that for singular references, and these and those for plural references. Distance can be physical, temporal, emotional, or conversational.
Key Facts at a Glance
- This identifies one nearby or currently relevant person, object, event, or idea.
- That identifies one more distant, earlier, less immediate, or mentally separated reference.
- These identifies multiple nearby or currently relevant references.
- Those identifies multiple distant, earlier, less immediate, or mentally separated references.
- A demonstrative pronoun stands independently, while a demonstrative determiner comes before a noun.
- Demonstrative pronouns must agree with their meaning in number: singular forms take singular verbs, and plural forms take plural verbs.
What Are Demonstrative Pronouns?
A demonstrative pronoun replaces a noun phrase and directs the listener or reader toward a particular referent. In “This is fragile,” the word this functions independently and may refer to a cup, package, device, or idea visible from context. The noun does not appear after the pronoun.
The term combines two grammatical functions. Pronoun describes the replacement of a noun phrase, while demonstrative describes the pointing or identifying function. Demonstratives therefore answer an implied question such as “Which object?”, “Which people?”, or “Which situation?”
English demonstratives encode two core features:
- Number: singular or plural.
- Deictic distance: near or far relative to the speaker’s viewpoint.
The distance does not need to be measurable in metres. A speaker can use that for a past event, a previous argument, or an idea the speaker rejects. The surrounding context determines the exact reference.
Which Four Forms Should You Memorize?
The four primary English demonstrative pronouns are this, that, these, and those. The following grid gives the standard relationship between number and distance.
| Demonstrative | Number | Typical distance | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| this | Singular | Near or immediate | “This is my passport.” |
| that | Singular | Far, past, or less immediate | “That was an expensive mistake.” |
| these | Plural | Near or immediate | “These are fresh strawberries.” |
| those | Plural | Far, past, or less immediate | “Those belong to the museum.” |
The grid is a starting rule, not a complete interpretation system. This can refer to something physically distant if the speaker treats it as the current topic, while that can refer to something nearby if the speaker wants psychological or conversational distance.
How Do Number and Distance Work?
Demonstrative pronouns combine grammatical number with the speaker’s viewpoint. Use this or that for one referent, and use these or those for two or more referents; then choose near or far according to physical position, time, discourse focus, or attitude.
Singular Forms: This and That
This commonly points to one object near the speaker or one matter under immediate discussion.
- “This is the key I found.”
- “This tastes unusually sweet.”
- “This is the question we must settle.”
That commonly points to one object farther away, one earlier event, or one idea treated as less immediate.
- “That is the building we visited.”
- “That was a difficult winter.”
- “I disagree with that.”
The distinction is often relative rather than absolute. A person holding a phone may say “This is broken” about the phone, but may say “That is broken” while discussing the same phone as an example in a technical report.
Plural Forms: These and Those
These points to multiple nearby items or multiple matters currently active in the conversation.
- “These are the files for Monday.”
- “These are the results we expected.”
- “These need to be refrigerated.”
Those points to multiple distant items, earlier examples, or ideas separated from the current position.
- “Those are the mountains beyond the town.”
- “Those were the rules in 1998.”
- “Those are the claims the report rejects.”
Plural demonstratives require plural verbs when they act as subjects. The forms “these is” and “those was” are incorrect in standard English when the demonstrative refers to multiple items.
How Does Temporal Distance Change the Meaning?
Temporal distance allows demonstratives to point through time rather than physical space. English speakers often use this for a current period and that for a completed or psychologically separated period.
| Time reference | Common form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current day | this | “This morning has been busy.” | The morning is current or still psychologically active |
| Completed day | that | “That morning was unusually cold.” | The speaker recalls a past morning |
| Current period | these | “These days, prices change quickly.” | The present era or recent period |
| Earlier period | those | “Those days are gone.” | A completed or remembered period |
The choice is not governed by a fixed clock. A speaker at 11:00 a.m. may say “this morning,” while someone recounting the same morning at night may say “that morning.” The speaker’s current viewpoint controls the demonstrative.
Can Demonstratives Show Emotional or Conversational Distance?
Demonstratives can express attitude as well as location. Speakers often choose that or those to distance themselves from a proposal, belief, person, or unpleasant experience, while this or these can signal involvement and immediacy.
Compare the following sentences:
- “This plan could reduce delays.”
- “That plan would create three new problems.”
- “These achievements matter to the team.”
- “Those excuses do not answer the question.”
The demonstrative does not independently create approval or disapproval. Vocabulary, intonation, and context supply the attitude. In professional writing, readers may interpret repeated that as neutral reference, so editors should not assume that every distant form sounds hostile.
How Can You Choose the Correct Form?
Choose a demonstrative pronoun by identifying the referent, counting it, locating it relative to the viewpoint, and checking whether the sentence remains clear. The four-step method works for physical objects and for abstract references.
- Identify the referent. Decide which person, object, event, or idea you mean.
- Count the referents. Use a singular form for one referent and a plural form for more than one.
- Assess distance. Ask whether the referent is nearby, current, previously mentioned, past, or psychologically separated.
- Check agreement and clarity. Confirm the verb form and replace the demonstrative if a reader could identify more than one possible referent.
For example, imagine two boxes on a desk and one box across the room:
- One nearby box: “This is the blue box.”
- One distant box: “That is the blue box.”
- Several nearby boxes: “These are the blue boxes.”
- Several distant boxes: “Those are the blue boxes.”
The most useful practical rule is to prioritize clarity over a rigid physical-distance interpretation. A demonstrative that technically fits distance but leaves the reader uncertain is a poor choice.
How Do Demonstrative Pronouns Differ From Demonstrative Determiners?
Demonstrative pronouns stand alone, whereas demonstrative determiners occur directly before a noun. Many school grammars call the second category “demonstrative adjectives,” but demonstrative determiner is more precise because the word determines reference rather than describing a quality such as color or size.
| Feature | Demonstrative pronoun | Demonstrative determiner | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noun after the word | No noun follows | A noun follows | “That is useful” versus “That tool is useful” |
| Grammatical role | Noun phrase head | Determiner within a noun phrase | “These are mine” versus “These documents are mine” |
| Replacement | Replaces the noun phrase | Identifies the noun | “Those are damaged” versus “Those cables are damaged” |
| Verb pattern | Often functions as subject or object | The following noun controls agreement | “These are ready” versus “This equipment is ready” |
A simple substitution test can identify the category. If the word is followed immediately by a noun, it is functioning as a determiner in that phrase:
- Pronoun: “I prefer this.”
- Determiner: “I prefer this model.”
- Pronoun: “Those are expensive.”
- Determiner: “Those repairs are expensive.”
The same spelling can perform either function. Grammar depends on the word’s role in the sentence, not on its appearance.
Can Demonstrative Pronouns Refer to Abstract Ideas?
Demonstrative pronouns can refer to abstract ideas, arguments, events, findings, and entire situations. Physical distance is unnecessary when the speaker uses a demonstrative to organize discourse or signal whether an idea is current, previous, expected, or rejected.
Examples include:
- “The server failed twice. This is unacceptable.”
- “The committee rejected the proposal. That surprised the staff.”
- “The figures are incomplete, and these are not enough to support a conclusion.”
- “The earlier assumptions were unrealistic. Those cannot guide the new model.”
A demonstrative may refer to a whole preceding clause, but the reference should be unmistakable. In “The supplier missed the deadline, and that caused a shutdown,” that most naturally refers to the missed deadline or the event described in the first clause.
Demonstratives can also point forward, a pattern called cataphoric reference:
- “This is the main problem: the records are incomplete.”
- “Those are the conditions we must meet: secure storage and daily backups.”
Forward reference is useful in presentations and formal explanations, but the noun or explanation should appear quickly. Long gaps make the reader work too hard.
Why Do Demonstratives Become Ambiguous?
Demonstrative pronouns become ambiguous when the context contains multiple possible antecedents or when a broad word such as this refers to an entire paragraph without naming its subject. Ambiguity matters most in contracts, instructions, research, medical communication, and technical documentation.
Consider:
“The technician replaced the sensor and recalibrated the controller. This caused the alarm to stop.”
The word this could refer to replacing the sensor, recalibrating the controller, or both actions. A clearer version names the cause:
“Recalibrating the controller caused the alarm to stop.”
What Is the Best Repair for an Unclear Reference?
Use a precise noun phrase when a demonstrative could point to two or more meanings. The repair may identify an action, result, document, person, or condition.
| Ambiguous wording | Likely problem | Clearer revision |
|---|---|---|
| “The account was locked after three attempts. This caused delays.” | “This” could mean the lock or the attempts | “The account lock caused delays.” |
| “The policy changed in June. That affected staff.” | The scope of “that” is broad | “The June policy change affected staff.” |
| “The report contains errors. These must be fixed.” | The errors are not identified | “The calculation errors must be fixed.” |
| “We tested two batteries and replaced one. Those failed.” | “Those” conflicts with singular action | “The tested batteries failed.” |
A practitioner’s rule is simple: if a reader must reread the previous sentence to determine the referent, add a noun.
Why Is Sentence-Initial This Risky in Formal Writing?
Sentence-initial this is risky when it refers to a complex previous statement instead of a clearly named noun. Academic and technical editors often recommend a “this plus noun” construction, such as “This result,” “This limitation,” or “This change,” because the added noun exposes the intended relationship.
Compare:
- Less precise: “The sample was small. This suggests caution.”
- More precise: “The small sample size suggests caution.”
- Also clear: “This limitation suggests caution.”
The bare demonstrative is not automatically wrong. It becomes weak when the antecedent is broad, distant, or disputed. Good editing does not eliminate every standalone demonstrative; it removes references that make the reader infer the writer’s intended category.
Why Do Speakers Say “This Is…” on the Telephone?
Telephone speakers use this to identify themselves and often use that in a question about the person on the other end. The convention treats the caller’s voice as the current speaker and the other voice as the distant conversational participant.
Standard examples are:
- “Hello, this is Priya.”
- “May I speak with Daniel?”
- “Who is that?”
- “Is that the customer-support desk?”
The phrase “I am Priya” is grammatically correct, but “This is Priya” is the conventional telephone introduction in many varieties of English. The convention developed from identifying a person at the other end of a communication channel, not from physical distance that the participants can see.
Modern mobile calls sometimes produce more variation. A person may say “Is this Jordan?” when the number or voice is uncertain, because this identifies the person currently being addressed as the conversational target.
What Mistakes Cause the Most Confusion?
The most frequent errors involve number agreement, noun omission, unclear antecedents, and confusing a demonstrative with a personal pronoun. Correcting the underlying reference usually fixes both grammar and meaning.
Mistake 1: Number Mismatch
Incorrect:
- “These is my keys.”
- “Those was the old files.”
- “This are the documents.”
Correct:
- “These are my keys.”
- “Those were the old files.”
- “These are the documents.”
The demonstrative form and the verb must match the number of the intended referent. A nearby noun does not always control the choice; meaning does.
Mistake 2: Confusing This With These
This refers to one item, while these refers to multiple items.
- “This book is useful.”
- “These books are useful.”
- “This is useful.”
- “These are useful.”
The final pair demonstrates the pronoun function clearly because no noun follows.
Mistake 3: Using That for a Plural Referent
Incorrect:
- “That are the invoices.”
- “That were my former colleagues.”
Correct:
- “Those are the invoices.”
- “Those were my former colleagues.”
The physical distance does not change number. A far plural referent still requires those.
Mistake 4: Treating a Determiner as a Pronoun
In “This report is accurate,” this does not replace report. It identifies report within the noun phrase. In “This is accurate,” this functions as the pronoun and replaces the missing noun phrase.
Mistake 5: Assuming Demonstratives Always Mean Physical Distance
A speaker can use this for a current idea and that for a previous idea even when both are displayed on the same screen. Time, discourse position, and attitude can outweigh physical location.
What Are the Pronunciation and Register Differences?
The four forms have distinct standard pronunciations that matter for listening and speaking. This is commonly pronounced /ðɪs/, these /ðiːz/, that /ðæt/ in its strong form, and those /ðoʊz/ in many North American varieties.
| Word | Standard IPA example | Number | Frequent learner issue |
|---|---|---|---|
| this | /ðɪs/ | Singular | Confusing short vowel with these |
| these | /ðiːz/ | Plural | Omitting the final /z/ |
| that | /ðæt/ | Singular | Replacing /ð/ with /d/ or /t/ |
| those | /ðoʊz/ | Plural | Omitting the final /z/ |
In connected speech, that may have a weaker vowel when it functions as a determiner in a phrase, but the demonstrative pronoun often receives clearer stress. Pronunciation varies by accent, so learners should treat the IPA forms as reference points rather than universal sounds.
Register also affects choice. This and that are ordinary in conversation, academic prose, business writing, and instructions. Formal writing does not require replacing every demonstrative, but formal writers should name an unclear referent.
How Should Learners Practice Demonstratives?
Learners can build accuracy in three stages: physical pointing, controlled noun substitution, and abstract discourse reference. Basic contrast practice usually takes 1-2 focused hours, while automatic use in complex writing requires repeated reading and editing.
Stage 1: Practice Physical Reference
Place one object near you and another several metres away. Say:
- “This is a pen.”
- “That is a chair.”
- “These are my notes.”
- “Those are the windows.”
Change the number and distance independently so that learners do not memorize only one pairing.
Stage 2: Remove the Noun
Replace each noun phrase with a demonstrative pronoun:
- “This pen is blue” becomes “This is blue.”
- “Those buildings are old” becomes “Those are old.”
- “These invoices are incomplete” becomes “These are incomplete.”
Then restore the noun. This contrast shows the difference between pronoun and determiner functions.
Stage 3: Practice Time and Discourse
Write four sentences about a current event and four about a completed event. Use this for the current topic and that for the completed or separated topic, then ask whether the choice sounds natural in context.
A useful editing exercise is to underline every this, that, these, and those in a paragraph. Label each word as a pronoun or determiner, identify its referent, and check number agreement.
How Do Demonstratives Compare With Alternatives?
Demonstrative pronouns are compact, but they are not always the clearest alternative. Personal pronouns, noun phrases, and explicit labels can identify a referent more precisely when several objects or ideas are active.
| Form | Main function | Example | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| this/that | Points to one current or separated referent | “That was unexpected.” | Can be ambiguous |
| these/those | Points to multiple referents | “These are approved.” | Requires plural interpretation |
| he/she/they/it | Identifies known participants or objects | “They approved it.” | Gender, animacy, or antecedent assumptions may matter |
| explicit noun phrase | Names the referent directly | “The revised budget was approved.” | Longer, but usually clearer |
| the former/the latter | Distinguishes two previously named items | “The latter costs less.” | Formal and limited to ordered alternatives |
Use a demonstrative when the audience can identify the target efficiently. Use an explicit noun phrase when accuracy, legal interpretation, safety, or technical reproducibility matters more than brevity.
What Is the Cost and Time to Learn Them?
The core grammar has no financial cost, and a learner can usually understand the four-form system in 1-2 hours of focused practice. Mastery takes longer because distance, discourse reference, pronunciation, and ambiguity require varied examples rather than one memorized table.
Typical learning resources include free conversation practice, a notebook, and a dictionary. Paid courses or tutoring may add cost, but they are optional and do not change the underlying rule.
| Learning goal | Typical focused time | Materials | Success measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recognize four forms | 20-30 minutes | Form chart and examples | Correctly identify number |
| Choose forms for objects | 30-45 minutes | Household objects | 8 of 10 correct choices |
| Use time and discourse distance | 30-60 minutes | Short paragraph exercises | Explain each reference |
| Edit formal writing | 1-3 hours | Personal or academic text | Replace unclear references |
A learner who scores well on object-pointing exercises may still misuse this in formal prose. Physical reference and discourse reference are related skills, not identical ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are demonstrative pronouns the same in British and American English?
British and American English use the same four primary forms: this, that, these, and those, with the same number distinction. Accent, intonation, and conversational preference can vary, but standard grammar does not assign different pronouns to the two national varieties.
Can “this” refer to something far away?
Yes. This can refer to a distant object when the speaker treats it as the current topic, holds a visual focus on it, or uses it in a presentation. Physical distance is only one factor; time, discourse focus, and psychological involvement also influence demonstrative choice.
Can a demonstrative pronoun be the object of a verb?
Yes. Demonstrative pronouns can function as objects: “I want this,” “She rejected that,” and “We selected those.” The pronoun still stands independently, while the verb determines the action directed toward the identified person, object, event, or idea.
Is “that” always a demonstrative pronoun?
No. That can also function as a conjunction, relative marker, or determiner. In “That is correct,” it is a demonstrative pronoun; in “That answer is correct,” it is a demonstrative determiner; in “I know that she left,” it introduces a clause.
Why do formal writers add a noun after “this”?
Formal writers add a noun after this when a standalone reference could be ambiguous. Phrases such as “this result,” “this limitation,” and “this policy” tell readers exactly what relationship the sentence expresses, reducing the need to search through earlier clauses.
Do “these” and “those” refer only to physical objects?
No. These and those can refer to people, events, claims, results, rules, and other abstract plural concepts. For example, “These findings support the hypothesis” refers to multiple findings, while “Those assumptions are no longer valid” refers to earlier assumptions.
The Bottom Line
Demonstrative pronouns are this, that, these, and those. Choose this or that for one referent and these or those for multiple referents; then use near or far according to physical position, time, discourse focus, or emotional distance. Always check verb agreement and replace an unclear demonstrative with an explicit noun phrase. Demonstrative pronouns are small words, but they control reference, cohesion, and precision throughout English.
