Demonstrative pronouns in English - Grammar Lessons with Examples, Audio, Exercises
Demonstrative pronouns
are words that point to specific people or things. There are four types of demonstrative pronouns: this, that, these, and those.
Demonstrative pronouns examples:
- This is my house. (This refers to something close to the speaker.)
- That is his car. (That refers to something farther away from the speaker.)
- These are my keys. (These refers to multiple things close to the speaker.)
- Those are her shoes. (Those refers to multiple things farther away from the speaker.)
Practical uses of demonstrative pronouns include:
- Identifying a specific object or person: "This is my favorite book."
- Pointing out a specific location: "That building over there is the library."
- Referring back to something previously mentioned: "I really enjoyed those cookies you made."
Special cases to consider when using demonstrative pronouns:
- When the noun is understood but not mentioned, you can use a demonstrative pronoun to refer to it: "I'm going to wear this (shirt) to the party."
- When the noun is plural but the pronoun is singular, it is usually considered correct to use a plural pronoun: "This (computer) is outdated; these (computers) are much faster."
- When the noun is singular but the pronoun is plural, it is usually considered correct to use a singular pronoun: "This (book) is very interesting; those (books) are not as good."
Exercises Demonstrative pronouns :
- Identify the demonstrative pronoun in each sentence:
a. This is the best movie I've ever seen. b. Those cookies look delicious. c. That is the tallest building in the city. d. These are the keys to my car.
- Rewrite the following sentences using a demonstrative pronoun:
a. The dog is over there. b. The pencils on the desk are mine. c. The dress in the window is on sale. d. The book in my hand is interesting.
- Complete the following sentences with the correct demonstrative pronoun:
a. I'm going to eat _______ (that/those) cookies later. b. _______ (This/That) is my favorite color. c. _______ (These/Those) are the keys to the car. d. _______ (This/That) is the correct answer.
- Choose the correct demonstrative pronoun to complete the following sentences:
a. I'm going to wear _______ (this/that) dress to the party. b. _______ (These/Those) are the best cookies I've ever had. c. _______ (This/That) is my favorite book. d. _______ (These/Those) are the keys to my car.
- Complete the following sentence with the correct demonstrative pronoun:
"I'm going to put _______ (this/these) in my bag."
Answers:
This Those That These
That These That This
those This These This
this These This These
these