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Pronouns and possessives, part 6 of 6
This, That, These, Those: When to Use Each One
This and these are for things near you; that and those are for things farther away: this book, those cars.
The idea
What this, that, these, and those are
They are the words for pointing. You choose by two things: near or far, and one or several.
- Near: this and these. What is next to you: this cup, these cups.
- Far: that and those. What is over there: that house, those houses.
- They work alone too. With no noun after them: This is my seat.
When to use it
To point at people and things, introduce someone, and talk about what is near or far. These expressions go with it:
At the store
- This one, please.
- How much is that?
- How much are these?
- I'll take those.
With time
- this week
- this morning
- that day
- these days
To react
- That's right.
- That's great!
- That's OK.
- That's it.
Examples
- Something near
This coffee is very hot.
- Something far
That building is a hospital.
- Several things near
These cookies are delicious.
- Several things far
Those mountains are beautiful.
- Introducing someone
This is my friend Ana.
- On the phone
Hi, this is Carlos.
How to build it
3 steps
- Near or far?Near you: this, these. Far: that, those.this chair / that chair
- One or several?One: this, that. Several: these, those.these chairs / those chairs
- Use is or areThis and that take is; these and those take are:These chairs are new.
With the noun
- DemonstrativeThose
- nounboots
- verbare
- complementcheap.
Alone
- DemonstrativeThat
- beis
- complementmy bus.
The rule
Near or far, one or several
| Where | One | Several |
|---|---|---|
| Near | this | these |
| Far | that | those |
With is and are
| Form | One | Several |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | This is my seat. | These are my seats. |
| Negative | That isn't my car. | Those aren't my cars. |
| Question | Is this your pen? | Are these your pens? |
How to pronounce it
this
/ðɪs/A short i: /ɪ/. Tongue between the teeth for th.
these
/ðiz/A long /i/ and a buzzing s: that is how it differs from this.
that
/ðæt/The a is open, as in cat: /æ/.
those
/ðoʊz/The o glides to u, and the s buzzes: /oʊz/.
Check
(blank) are my cousins over there, next to the door. Which word goes in the blank?
Don't confuse them with it and they
Is this your wallet?
This: you point at it
Yes, it is. It is new.
It: you already know which one
This and that point at something. To keep talking about it, you switch to it or they. That is why the short answer is Yes, it is.
Part 1: I, you, he, she, itIn real life
This and that also work alone, with no noun: This is delicious. That is my car. Then this means "this thing".
Frequently asked questions
Do this and that change for men and women?
No. This works for any person or thing (this man, this woman). They only change for number: these, those.
How do you say this and these so they sound different?
This has a short i (/ðɪs/) and these a long i (/ðiz/), with a buzzing s. If the i is short, you hear this.
Do people say "this one" in English?
Yes, when you do not repeat the noun: Which phone? This one. In the plural it usually stands alone: These are cheaper.
Do you use this or that with time?
This for now (this week) and that for the past or something far away in time (that day).
In short
- Near: this (one) and these (several).
- Far: that (one) and those (several).
- This and that take is; these and those take are: These are mine.
- Short answers use it or they: Is this yours? Yes, it is.