A pronoun is a word we can use instead of a noun or a noun phrase. For example, pencil is a noun, and a blue pencil is a noun phrase.

The pencil is blue.

In the sentence above the pencil is the subject. We can use a pronoun instead of it:

This is blue.

So, this is pronoun. To be more precise, this is a demonstrative pronoun.

There are 4 demonstrative pronouns: this, that, these and those.

	Near	Not near
Singular	this /ðɪs/	that /ðæt/
Plural	these /ðiːz/	those /ðəʊz/

We use this and these to talk about things/people near to us:

• This is my cat.
• These are my books.
• This is my bed.
• These are my parents.

We use that and those to talk about things/people not near to us:

• That is my house.
• Those are apple trees.
• That is my friend.
• Those are my teachers.

We can use demonstrative pronouns before nouns. Then they become demonstrative adjectives:

• This car is red.
• That bicycle is new.
• These people are my friends.
• Those teachers work at my school.

Related: “Adjectives”

PRACTICE

Exercise 1: Look at the pictures and make sentences with this and that (the answer key is here):

Tell your teacher about the color and the size of the things.

Exercise 2: Complete the sentences with this, that, these, those and a plural or singular noun:

1. ___ ___ is red.

2. ___ ___ are green.

3. ___ ___ is fresh.

4. ___ ___ are fresh too.

5. I like ___ ___.

The answer key is here.

Materials used: “Oxford Grammar for Schools 1” by M.Moore

• Easy English