DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES

A demonstrative adjective tells which one or which ones. They are used before nouns and other adjectives. There are 4 demonstrative adjectives in English: This, that, these and those.

This and these are used to refer to nouns close to the speaker or writer.

That and those refer to nouns farther away.

This and that are used before singular nouns while these and those are used before plural nouns.

Examples: This picture is very beautiful.

Singular noun

That one is not as beautiful.

Singular noun

These drawings are very old.

Plural noun

Those ones were painted in Uganda.

Plural noun.

 

Exercise

Choose the word in brackets that correctly completes each of the following sentences.

1. My bus left the station before (that, those) matatus.
2. (Those, These) chairs behind me were occupied.
3. My seat has a better view than (this, that) one over there.
4. (Those, That) man should fasten his seat belt.
5. (This, That) car is old, but that one is new.
6. (These, Those) clouds are far away.
7. (This, That) window next to me has a broken pane.
8. (That, This) chair near me is broken.
9. My car is moving faster than (these, those) buses over there.
10. (These, Those) goats grazing over there are my uncle’s.

 

See also:

DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES

ADJECTIVES

TROUBLESOME PAIRS OF VERBS

TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE VERBS

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VERB FORMS