This, That, These, Those Exercises
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This, that, these and those
Use this and these for things near you. Use that and those for things far from you. This and that are for one; these and those are for two or more.
- Near, one:
- this: this book, this is my pen.
- Far, one:
- that: that car, that is my house.
- Near, two or more:
- these: these shoes, these are my keys.
- Far, two or more:
- those: those dogs, those are my friends.
- With to be:
- Use is with this and that: This is my bag. Use are with these and those: Those are my shoes.
- Short answers:
- In a short answer, use it for one thing and they for two or more: Is that your car? Yes, it is. Are these your keys? Yes, they are. In a yes answer, do not use the short form: Yes, it is, not Yes, it's.
Examples
This is my brother.
One person, near you: this.
That car is red.
One thing, far from you: that.
These are my shoes.
Two or more things, near you: these.
Those dogs are big.
Two or more animals, far from you: those.
Is that your bag? Yes, it is.
In the short answer, use it for one thing.
Are these your keys? Yes, they are.
In the short answer, use they for two or more things.
Practice exercises
Choose the Correct Word
Choose the correct word for each sentence.
1.___ is my sister, Anna.
2.___ are my books.
3.Is ___ your car over there?
4.___ children over there are my cousins.
5.These ___ my parents.
6.Are those your shoes? Yes, ___.
Fill in the Blank
Type this, that, these, those, or the correct form of to be.
Put the Words in Order
Click the words in the correct order to build the sentence.
13. Build the sentence:
14. Build the sentence:
15. Build the sentence:
16. Build the sentence:
True or False
Decide if each statement is true or false.
17.We use 'this' for one thing near you.
18.'These' is the plural of 'that'.
19.'Those book' is correct.
20.'Is that your car?' 'Yes, it is.' is a correct short answer.
21.'These is my parents.' is correct.
This, That, These, Those: Near or Far, One or More
This, that, these and those answer two questions. Is it near or far? Is it one or more? This is near and one. That is far and one. These is near and two or more. Those is far and two or more.
You can put them before a noun: this book, that car, these shoes, those dogs. The noun must agree: this book, these books. You can also use them alone, with to be: This is my brother. Those are my friends.
The verb follows the same rule. This and that take is: That is my house. These and those take are: These are my keys. In questions, the verb comes first: Is this your pen? Are those your children?
In short answers, change the word to it or they: Is that your car? Yes, it is. Are these your keys? No, they aren't. A short yes answer has no short form: Yes, it is, not Yes, it's.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between this and that?
Both are for one person or thing. This is near you: this pen, here in my hand. That is far from you: that house, over there.
What are these and those?
They are the plural forms. These is the plural of this: these pens. Those is the plural of that: those houses. The noun after them is plural too.
Can I use this, that, these and those without a noun?
Yes. With a noun: This bag is red. Without a noun: This is my bag. Both are correct. With to be, use is after this and that, and are after these and those.
How do I answer 'Is that your bag?'
Use it in the answer, not that: Yes, it is. No, it isn't. For two or more, use they: Are those your shoes? Yes, they are.
How do I say this and these?
The vowel is different. This has a short sound, like in sit. These has a long sound, like in see, and the s sounds like z. Say them slowly and listen to the difference.
Answer key
1. ___ is my sister, Anna.
Answer: This
Anna is one person, so we use this. These and those are for two or more.
2. ___ are my books.
Answer: These
Books is plural and the verb is are, so we use these.
3. Is ___ your car over there?
Answer: that
Over there means far, and car is one thing, so we use that.
4. ___ children over there are my cousins.
Answer: Those
Over there means far, and children is plural, so we use those.
5. These ___ my parents.
Answer: are
These is for two or more, so we use are.
6. Are those your shoes? Yes, ___.
Answer: they are
Shoes is plural, so we use they. In a yes short answer, we do not use the short form they're.
7. ___ is my phone, here in my hand.
Answer: This
One thing, near you: this.
8. ___ are my keys, here in my bag.
Answer: These
Two or more things, near you: these.
9. Is ___ your house over there?
Answer: that
One thing, far from you: that.
10. ___ girls over there are my sisters.
Answer: Those
Two or more people, far from you: those.
11. This ___ my friend Leo.
Answer: is
This is for one, so we use is.
12. ___ these your pens? Yes, they are.
Answer: Are
These is for two or more, so we use are. In a question, are comes first.
13. brother / is / . / this / my
Answer: This is my brother.
The order is this + is + my brother.
14. shoes / those / ? / your / are
Answer: Are those your shoes?
In a question, are comes first, then those.
15. red / car / not / . / is / that
Answer: That car is not red.
That comes before the noun car. Not comes after is.
16. phone / your / this / ? / is
Answer: Is this your phone?
In a question, is comes first, then this.
17. We use 'this' for one thing near you.
Answer: True
This is for one thing, near you: this book.
18. 'These' is the plural of 'that'.
Answer: False
These is the plural of this. The plural of that is those.
19. 'Those book' is correct.
Answer: False
Those is for two or more, so the noun is plural: those books.
20. 'Is that your car?' 'Yes, it is.' is a correct short answer.
Answer: True
For one thing, the short answer uses it: Yes, it is.
21. 'These is my parents.' is correct.
Answer: False
These is for two or more, so we use are: These are my parents.