Demonstrative Pronouns: Definition, Examples & Exercises

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Demonstrative pronouns are used to identify or point to specific people, objects, places, or ideas based on their distance in space, time, or context.

What Is a Demonstrative Pronoun?

Definition

A demonstrative pronoun replaces a noun and clearly indicates which specific thing or things the speaker is referring to.

There are only four demonstrative pronouns in English: This, That, These, and Those.

This and That are singular demonstrative pronouns, while These and Those are plural demonstrative pronouns.

They do not express quantity. Instead, they identify nouns or ideas based on nearness or distance.

Examples and Explanations

• That is a beautiful house.

That refers to one specific house that is farther away from the speaker. It replaces the noun house, so it is a singular demonstrative pronoun.

• These were made by me.

These refers to a specific group of objects that are close to the speaker (for example, items the speaker is holding or pointing at). It does not show an unspecified quantity; it identifies nearby objects and functions as a plural demonstrative pronoun.

• Everyone remembers those days.

Those refers to a specific period of time in the past. It replaces a noun such as days, years, or moments, and indicates distance in time rather than space.

• This is what he is charging?

In this sentence, This refers to an entire idea or situation (the price or amount being charged). It does not replace a number and does not act as a quantifier. It simply points to a concept that has just been mentioned.

Demonstrative Pronouns vs Demonstrative Adjectives

This is a common point of confusion for English learners.

Demonstrative pronouns stand alone and replace a noun:

• This is fun.
• Those are expensive.

Demonstrative adjectives come before a noun and modify it:

• This game is fun.
• Those shoes are expensive.

The words this, that, these, those are the same, but their grammatical role changes depending on whether a noun follows them.

More Demonstrative Pronouns Examples

• This is the one I want.
• Harry, this is Joan.
• Come and look at this.
• That’s a very good idea.
• Is that your brother over there?
• Hello, is that Ken Orm? This is Jane Bromham.
• We’re going to eat first and then go to the film. Are you happy with that?
• Can I have one of these?
• These are nice shoes, but they look uncomfortable.
• Those look riper than the apples on my tree.
• What colour are those? Black or dark blue? I can’t see.

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Choose the Correct Demonstrative Pronoun

Choose the correct demonstrative pronoun (this, that, these, those) to complete each sentence.

1. ________ is my favorite song on the album.
2. ________ are the documents I told you about earlier.
3. Do you remember ________ summer we spent at the beach?
4. ________ looks delicious. What is it?
5. Can you see ________ building across the street?
6. ________ were made by hand, not by machine.
7. I don’t agree with ________. It doesn’t seem fair.
8. ________ shoes are too small for me.
9. Listen to ________. You’ll like it.
10. ________ are the best photos from the trip.

Exercise 2: Demonstrative Pronoun or Demonstrative Adjective?

Decide whether the bold word is a demonstrative pronoun or a demonstrative adjective.

1. This is exactly what I needed.
2. That idea sounds interesting.
3. These are very expensive.
4. Those people are waiting for you.
5. This book belongs to Anna.
6. That was a great experience.
7. These flowers smell amazing.
8. Those are not mine.
9. This feels wrong to me.
10. That movie made me cry.

Answer Key

Exercise 1 Answers

1. This
2. These
3. That
4. This
5. That
6. These
7. That
8. Those
9. This
10. These

Exercise 2 Answers

1. Demonstrative Pronoun
2. Demonstrative Adjective
3. Demonstrative Pronoun
4. Demonstrative Adjective
5. Demonstrative Adjective
6. Demonstrative Pronoun
7. Demonstrative Adjective
8. Demonstrative Pronoun
9. Demonstrative Pronoun
10. Demonstrative Adjective