Demonstratives: This, That, These, and Those
Demonstratives are words used to point to specific people, places, or things. The main demonstratives in English are: this, that, these, and those.
⏰ When do we use Demonstratives?
We use demonstratives to:
- Point to singular things close to us:
- This is my book.
- This is a good example.
- Point to singular things far away:
- That is your pen.
- That looks interesting.
- Point to plural things close to us:
- These are my shoes.
- These books are mine.
- Point to plural things far away:
- Those are her glasses.
- Those flowers are beautiful.
📌 Structure
- Singular:
This / That + (noun) - Plural:
These / Those + (noun) - With verb:
This is / That is ...ORThese are / Those are ...
📝 Notes
Use “this” and “these” for things near you. Use “that” and “those” for things farther away.
- This bag is mine. (close, singular)
- That car is fast. (far, singular)
- These students are ready. (close, plural)
- Those buildings are tall. (far, plural)
💬 Examples
Singular
- This is my pencil. / That is your notebook.
- This is not my book. / That is not your car.
- Is this your bag? / Is that your friend?
Plural
- These are new shoes. / Those are beautiful flowers.
- These are not my keys. / Those are not her glasses.
- Are these your tickets? / Are those your shoes?
Take It Further
A curated list of complementary articles and exercises to reinforce your understanding of this topic. Recommended for self-paced study.
Comparatives with Adjectives
Use comparatives to show the difference between two people, places, or things using adjectives like faster, more beautiful, or better.
⏰ When do we use Comparatives?
We use comparatives to:
- Compare short adjectives (1 syllable):
- This chair is smaller than that one.
- My car is faster than yours.
- Compare long adjectives (2+ syllables):
- This book is more interesting than that one.
- Her voice is more beautiful than his.
- Change -y to -ier:
- She is friendlier than her sister.
- I feel happier today.
- Use irregular adjectives:
- This cake is better than that one.
- His test score is worse than mine.
📌 Structure
Short adjectives (1 syllable): Adjective + -er + than (e.g., fast → faster than)
Long adjectives (2+ syllables): More + adjective + than (e.g., beautiful → more beautiful than)
Adjectives ending in -y: Change y → ier + than (e.g., happy → happier than)
Irregulars: Use a special form (e.g., good → better than, bad → worse than, far → farther/further than)
📝 Notes
Not all adjectives follow the same rule:
- small → smaller
- beautiful → more beautiful
- happy → happier
Examples: This car is faster than that one. This movie is more exciting than the book.
💬 Examples
✅ Positive Examples
- This room is cleaner than the kitchen.
- This book is more interesting than that one.
- This cake is better than the other one.
❌ Negative Examples
- This room is not cleaner than the kitchen.
- This movie is not more exciting than the book.
- This cake is not better than the other one.
❓ Question Examples
- Is this room bigger than that one?
- Is this city more expensive than your hometown?
- Is his singing worse than hers?
Take It Further
A curated list of complementary articles and exercises to reinforce your understanding of this topic. Recommended for self-paced study.
Ready to Point Out and Compare with Precision in English?
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