Articles and Determiners

Lesson 5: Demonstrative Determiners — This, That, These, Those

Lesson: 5 of 10 | Level: 🟢 Elementary — 🩵 Pre-Intermediate

1. Lesson Overview

Every language has a way of pointing — of directing attention to something near or far, something just mentioned or about to be mentioned, something present in the immediate context or more distant from it. In English, that pointing function belongs to the demonstratives — this, that, these, and those.

When used before a noun, demonstratives function as determiners — they introduce the noun and define its reference in the same way that articles do. When used alone, without a following noun, they function as pronouns. This lesson focuses on their use as determiners — as words that precede and modify nouns — though their use as pronouns is also addressed where relevant.

Demonstrative determiners seem straightforward at first — this for something near, that for something far. But the system is considerably richer than that, and at higher levels the demonstratives perform sophisticated functions in discourse, contrast, and reference that require careful study.

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Define demonstrative determiners and explain their function in English
• Use this, that, these, and those correctly in a range of contexts
• Understand the advanced discourse functions of demonstrative determiners
• Recognise and correct common errors in the use of demonstratives

2. Core Content

A. The Four Demonstrative Determiners

English has four demonstrative determiners. They vary along two dimensions — proximity (near or far) and number (singular or plural).

This and these indicate that something is near — physically close to the speaker, or close in time, or just introduced into the conversation or text. That and those indicate that something is more distant — physically further away, earlier in time, or previously mentioned and now being referred to from a distance.

For example:

This glacier in front of us has retreated by more than two kilometres in the last decade. That mountain range on the horizon is the Himalayas.

In the first sentence, this glacier is physically near — the speaker is standing beside it. In the second, that mountain range is physically distant — visible on the horizon but far away.

B. Proximity in Space

The most fundamental use of demonstrative determiners is to indicate physical proximity — whether something is near to or far from the speaker.

This and these are used for things that are close to the speaker. That and those are used for things that are further away.

For example:

This rock sample was collected from the surface of the lava field this morning. Those ice cores in the storage unit were drilled from a depth of 800 metres below the surface.

In the first sentence, this rock sample is physically close — the speaker may be holding it. In the second, those ice cores are at a distance — in a storage unit some way from the speaker.

C. Proximity in Time

Demonstrative determiners also express temporal proximity — closeness or distance in time.

This refers to the current period of time — the present, or something recent and still relevant. That refers to a more distant period — something in the past or further removed from the present.

For example:

This century has already seen some of the most rapid environmental changes in recorded history. That decade — the 1980s — was when scientists first began to raise serious concerns about the ozone layer.

In the first sentence, this century refers to the 21st century — the period we are currently in. In the second, that decade refers to a specific period in the past — now at a distance from the present.

D. Proximity in Discourse

One of the most important uses of demonstrative determiners in written English is their role in discourse — the organisation of meaning across sentences and paragraphs.

This and these typically point forward to something about to be introduced, or back to something just mentioned — something close in the text. That and those typically point back to something more distant in the text — something introduced earlier and now being referred to from a greater textual distance.

For example:

Scientists have recently identified a previously unknown species of deep-sea coral. This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of biodiversity at extreme depths. The theory of continental drift was first proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912. That idea was initially rejected by the scientific community but is now accepted as the foundation of modern geology.

In the first passage, this discovery refers back to what was just stated — it is textually close. In the second, that idea refers back to Wegener’s theory — it is being viewed from a slight distance, as something established and now being evaluated.

E. This and These for Introducing and Summarising

This and these are frequently used in academic and formal writing to introduce or summarise a point — either pointing forward to what is about to be said or back to what has just been said.

For example:

This study examines the effects of rising ocean temperatures on coral reef ecosystems across the Indo-Pacific region. These findings suggest that the rate of glacial retreat has accelerated significantly since the turn of the century.

In the first sentence, this study introduces the subject of a research paper — it points forward to the content that follows. In the second, these findings summarises the results just presented — it points back to what has been established.

F. That and Those for Contrast and Evaluation

That and those are frequently used to refer back to something with a degree of critical distance — evaluating, contrasting, or distinguishing it from something else.

For example:

The early climate models were overly simplistic. Those models failed to account for the complex feedback mechanisms now known to drive temperature change. The initial hypothesis proved incorrect. That assumption was based on incomplete data from only three monitoring stations.

In the first passage, those models refers back to the early climate models with a degree of evaluative distance — the writer is assessing them critically. In the second, that assumption refers back to the initial hypothesis and signals that it is now being identified as a specific, flawed belief.

G. Demonstrative Determiners vs. Demonstrative Pronouns

When this, that, these, and those appear before a noun, they are demonstrative determiners. When they appear alone — without a following noun — they are demonstrative pronouns.

The grammatical function differs — determiner modifies a noun, pronoun replaces one — but the forms are identical.

3. Usage in Context

• This and these refer to things that are physically near the speaker; that and those refer to things that are physically further away.

This rock sample contains clear evidence of volcanic activity from approximately 10,000 years ago. Those mountains on the horizon are part of the Karakoram range, one of the highest in the world.

• This is used with singular nouns and these with plural nouns — they must agree in number with the noun they modify.

This species of deep-sea fish has never been observed in its natural habitat before. These species of coral are particularly vulnerable to rising ocean temperatures.

• That is used with singular nouns and those with plural nouns — they must agree in number with the noun they modify.

That glacier was once more than five kilometres wide; today it is less than two. Those ice cores were drilled in the 1990s and contain a remarkable record of past climate.

• This refers to the current period of time; that refers to a more distant past period.

This decade has already produced some of the highest average global temperatures ever recorded. That era — the period before industrialisation — was characterised by stable atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

• In discourse, this and these point back to something just mentioned — maintaining close textual reference.

A new species of bioluminescent organism was identified in the hadal zone last year. This discovery has prompted scientists to reconsider the upper limits of biodiversity at extreme depths. Three distinct phases of glacial retreat were identified in the data. These phases correspond closely to periods of above-average global temperature.

• In discourse, that and those point back to something mentioned earlier — creating a degree of textual distance that signals evaluation or contrast.

The original theory proposed by Wegener in 1912 met with widespread scepticism. That theory has since been confirmed by decades of geological and seismological evidence. The measurements taken in the early 1980s were considered reliable at the time. Those measurements are now known to have been affected by instrument calibration errors.

• In academic and formal writing, this + noun is used to summarise the preceding point and signal a transition to what follows.

Hydrothermal vents support ecosystems that receive no sunlight and depend entirely on chemosynthesis. This phenomenon challenges the long-held assumption that all life on Earth ultimately depends on solar energy. Global average temperatures have risen by approximately 1.2°C since the pre-industrial era. This increase, though seemingly small, has had measurable effects on sea levels, weather patterns, and biodiversity worldwide.

• This + noun in academic writing can introduce the subject of a paper, chapter, or section — pointing forward to the content that follows.

This paper examines the relationship between ocean acidification and the decline of coral reef ecosystems in the Indo-Pacific. This section presents the methodology used to collect and analyse the deep-sea sediment cores.

• These + noun is used in academic writing to summarise a set of findings, results, or points just presented.

These results suggest that the rate of ice loss in Greenland has accelerated significantly over the past two decades. These examples illustrate the range of adaptations that deep-sea organisms have developed in response to extreme pressure and darkness.

• Use that or those — not this or these — to refer to something previously mentioned with critical distance, evaluation, or contrast.

The early models predicted a temperature increase of 1°C by 2050. That prediction has since been revised upward significantly. The measurements taken before 1990 were based on a different calibration standard. Those figures should therefore be treated with caution.

• Do not use this or these to refer to something that has not yet been introduced — except in the specific academic convention of introducing the subject of a paper or section.

The researcher described this discovery as the most significant of her career. ❌ (if the discovery has not yet been mentioned) The researcher described the discovery as the most significant of her career. ✅

• Demonstrative determiners can be used with time expressions to locate an event in relation to the present.

This morning, the team collected the first samples from the new drilling site. That summer — the summer of 1976 — was one of the hottest and driest ever recorded in Britain.

• Do not use this and these interchangeably — they must agree in number with the noun they modify.

This data set was collected over a period of five years. ✓ (data set is singular) These data sets were collected at three different sites. ✓ (data sets is plural)

• In spoken English, that is often used to express emotional distance — disapproval, dismissal, or scepticism — towards something previously mentioned.

That so-called theory has no basis in the available evidence. Those results were entirely predictable and added nothing new to the field.

• Demonstrative determiners can replace the in contexts where the writer wishes to draw the reader’s attention more forcefully to a specific noun.

The discovery changed everything. (neutral reference) This discovery changed everything. (drawing attention, signalling significance)

• In instructions, procedures, and technical writing, this and these are used to refer to objects, steps, or elements currently under discussion.

This instrument measures atmospheric pressure to an accuracy of 0.01 millibars. These steps must be completed in sequence — departing from the protocol will invalidate the results.

• That + noun clause is used in formal writing to introduce or refer to a specific idea, claim, or proposition.

That assumption proved to be incorrect — the data clearly showed a different pattern. That conclusion has since been challenged by several independent research teams.

4. Common Errors and Corrections

5. Lesson Mastery

After completing this lesson, you should now be able to:

    ✅ Define demonstrative determiners and explain their function in English

    ✅ Use this, that, these, and those correctly in a range of contexts

    ✅ Understand the advanced discourse functions of demonstrative determiners

    ✅ Recognise and correct common errors in the use of demonstratives