This/That/These/Those

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What’s the difference between this, that, these and those?

This, that, these and those are demonstrative pronouns, which means we use them to specify which thing or person we are talking about in particular.

We use this and that with singular nouns, and these and those with plural countable nouns.

Which one we use depends on whether the thing we are talking about is close to the speaker or far away.

This/These

Use this to indicate a singular thing or person that is near you. Use these for plural things or people that are near you.

Example:: This is my sister, and these people here are her friends.

That/Those

Use that to indicate a singular thing or person that is far away from you. Use those for plural things or people that are far away from you.

Example:: That is my sister’s boyfriend and those people over there are his friends.

Come/go, Here/There and Take/Bring have similar differences in meaning.

Learn more about demonstrative pronouns in English grammar.