DEMONSTRATIVE DETERMINERS – RULES, COMPARISONS, EXAMPLES AND EXAM TRAPS

Demonstrative determiners are words used before nouns to point out or identify particular people, animals, places or things according to their distance and number.

The four demonstrative determiners are this, that, these and those.

Examples:

• This book is interesting.
• That house belongs to my uncle.
• These flowers are beautiful.
• Those students are waiting outside.

Easy trick to remember:

• This → These: singular changes to plural.
• That → Those: singular changes to plural.
• This/These: things near the speaker.
• That/Those: things farther from the speaker.

Distance may be physical, or it may refer to something psychologically or conversationally distant.

Important Rules of Demonstrative Determiners

Rule	Explanation	Correct Example
Rule 1: Singular nouns	This and that are used before singular countable nouns.	This girl is intelligent.
Rule 2: Plural nouns	These and those are used before plural nouns.	Those girls are intelligent.
Rule 3: Near objects	Use this for one nearby item and these for multiple nearby items.	This chair is comfortable.
Rule 4: Distant objects	Use that for one distant item and those for multiple distant items.	Those buildings are old.
Rule 5: Verb agreement	The verb must agree with the noun or subject’s number.	This is my book. / These are my books.
Rule 6: Before adjectives	A demonstrative can come before an adjective and a noun.	Those beautiful birds are singing.
Rule 7: Before uncountable nouns	This and that can be used with uncountable nouns.	This water is cold. / That information is useful.
Rule 8: No article together	Do not normally use a, an, or the immediately before a demonstrative determiner.	This book, not the this book.
Rule 9: Identification	Demonstratives can distinguish one item from another.	I prefer this dress to that dress.
Rule 10: Time reference	This can refer to the present period; that can refer to a past or more distant period.	This week is busy. / That day was memorable.

Demonstrative Determiners vs Demonstrative Pronouns

This is one of the most important grammar and competitive-exam concepts. The same four words can function as either determiners or pronouns. Their function depends on how they are used in a sentence.

Basis	Demonstrative Determiner	Demonstrative Pronoun
Position	Comes before a noun	Replaces a noun; stands independently
Function	Specifies a noun	Refers to a person or thing without repeating its noun
Example with this	This book is mine.	This is mine.
Example with that	That boy is my brother.	That is my brother.
Example with these	These mangoes are sweet.	These are sweet.
Example with those	Those shoes are expensive.	Those are expensive.

Exam rule: If a noun follows the demonstrative, it is generally a determiner. If the demonstrative stands in place of the noun, it is a pronoun.

Compare:

• These students are hardworking: These is a determiner.
• These are hardworking students: These is a pronoun.

Demonstratives and Subject–Verb Agreement

Incorrect Sentence	Correct Sentence	Reason
This are my books.	This is my book. / These are my books.	Singular and plural forms are mixed.
These is my friend.	This is my friend. / These are my friends.	These requires a plural noun in this use.
Those boy is clever.	That boy is clever. / Those boys are clever.	Those takes a plural noun.
This information are useful.	This information is useful.	Information is uncountable.
These furniture is expensive.	This furniture is expensive.	Furniture is uncountable.

Demonstrative Determiners with Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Noun Type	Singular / Uncountable	Plural
Countable noun	This chair / That chair	These chairs / Those chairs
Uncountable noun	This milk / That milk	Not normally pluralised as milks when referring to milk generally
Abstract noun	This idea / That idea	These ideas / Those ideas
Information	This information / That information	These pieces of information / Those pieces of information

Remember that ‘this and that’ can be used with uncountable nouns because they are grammatically treated as singular.

Determiners: Exam Traps and Common Errors

No.	Question / Incorrect Form	Correct Answer	Explanation
1	___ boy is my cousin. (near, singular)	This	Singular and near.
2	___ stars are shining brightly. (far, plural)	Those	Plural and far.
3	These book is mine.	This book is mine.	Singular noun requires this or that.
4	That apples are fresh.	Those apples are fresh.	Plural noun requires these or those.
5	This are very useful.	These are very useful.	Use these with a plural reference and plural verb.
6	Those is my classroom.	That is my classroom.	Singular reference.
7	This information are correct.	This information is correct.	Information is uncountable.
8	The these flowers are beautiful.	These flowers are beautiful.	Do not place the directly before a demonstrative determiner.
9	I like these more than that.	Correct if comparing plural items with one item.	The two demonstratives need not have the same number if the intended comparison is clear.
10	This is my pen.	Correct.	This functions as a demonstrative pronoun because no noun follows it.