Demonstratives: This, That, These, and Those
Demonstrative words help us point out specific items based on their distance from the speaker and their quantity. For example, you use "this" for a single item close to you ("this textbook") and "those" for multiple items further away ("those dolls over there").
In this challenge, you will practice choosing the correct demonstrative pronoun or adjective across a variety of imaginative scenarios. You will determine whether objects are near or far, and singular or plural, while helping a wizard go shopping, spotting a UFO while stargazing, navigating a time traveler's adventures, and sorting out a messy roommate's bedroom.
You'll work through 11 questions featuring a mix of single-choice, multi-choice, drop-down, and drag-and-drop formats.
Try the quiz to check your knowledge!
The correct answers are Take these potatoes here and put them with those carrots over there. and Take this potato here and put it with that carrot over there.
This/These go with objects near you (indicated by the word "here").
That/Those go with objects far from you (indicated by the phrase "over there").
The incorrect options either mismatch the near/far words (using "those" for "here") or mismatch singular/plural grammar ("these potato").
Help the confused time-traveler complain about modern technology by matching the correct words to the blanks.
"I can't figure out how to use this glowing rectangle in my hand, but the man drinking coffee at that table by the window seems to be talking to his!"
"I can't figure out how to use this glowing rectangle in my hand..."
We use this for a singular object (a smartphone/rectangle) that is very close to the speaker ("in my hand").
"...but the man drinking coffee at that table by the window seems to be talking to his!"
We use that for a singular object or location (a table) that is further away from the speaker ("by the window").
Complete the shopper's monologue by dragging the right words into the gaps.
"I really like these weird sunglasses I'm holding, but look at those creepy dolls on the top shelf across the room!"
"I really like these weird sunglasses I'm holding..."
We use these for plural items (sunglasses) that are physically close to the speaker ("I'm holding").
"...but look at those creepy dolls on the top shelf across the room!"
We use those for plural items (dolls) that are distant from the speaker ("across the room").
Help the terrified babysitter identify the creepy objects across the room.
"Do you see _____ porcelain dolls staring at us from the top shelf over there?" whispered Mark, slowly backing out of the room.
The correct answer is those.
We use "those" to refer to plural objects that are far away from the speaker in space (like dolls on a top shelf across the room). "These" would be used if the dolls were right next to him!
Help the frantic baker organize the kitchen by dragging the correct words into the blanks.
"Can you hand me that bowl over there on the counter? And please take these burnt cookies right here out of my sight!"
"Can you hand me that bowl over there on the counter?"
We use that for a singular object (bowl) that is far away from the speaker ("over there").
"And please take these burnt cookies right here out of my sight!"
We use these for plural objects (cookies) that are close to the speaker ("right here").
I promise you, this shirt I am wearing right now is completely clean.
We use this for a singular object that is very close to the speaker (a shirt they are currently wearing).
However, I wouldn't touch those socks over there in the dark corner...
We use those for plural objects ("socks") that are at a distance from the speaker ("over there in the dark corner").
The correct answers are I think I will buy these wands. and I think I will buy this wand.
Use this for a single object that is near you.
Use these for multiple objects that are near you.
"These wand" and "this wands" mix up singular and plural forms, so they are incorrect!
Finish the brave roommate's sentence as he offers his latest culinary invention.
"Would you care to try one of _____?" asked Leo, proudly holding out a tray of cupcakes that smelled faintly of garlic and despair.
The correct answer is these.
"These" acts as a pronoun here, referring to plural items that are physically close to the speaker (the cupcakes on the tray he is currently holding).
Complete the exhausted college student's complaint about her backpack weight.
"I don't know why the professor assigned _____ massive textbook," groaned Sarah, dropping the 10-pound book directly onto her desk with a loud thud.
The correct answer is this.
"This" is used for a singular object that is physically close to the speaker (like a book she was just holding and dropped on her own desk). "That" would be used if the book were far away.
Look at these freshly baked croissants right here in my hands!
We use these for plural nouns ("croissants") that are close to the speaker ("in my hands").
On the other hand, you should completely ignore that terrible bakery across the street—their bread is always stale!
We use that for singular nouns ("bakery") that are far away from the speaker ("across the street").
The correct answers are Look at that glowing spaceship! and Look at those glowing spaceships!
Use that for a single object that is far away (like a spaceship in the sky!).
Use those for multiple objects that are far away.
You cannot pair a singular demonstrative ("that" or "this") with a plural noun ("spaceships").
Demonstrative
Demonstratives are pointing words: this, that, these, those. They tell the listener which one you mean — this and these point to things near you; that and those point to things further away (in space, time, or recent attention). They can sit before a noun (Put that coat on) or stand alone as a pronoun (Put that on).
Singular vs plural matches the noun: this book / these books. Mixing them up (these book) is one of the most-corrected slips for learners — small, but immediately noticeable.
Pronoun
A pronoun is a small, closed class of words that stands in for a noun or noun phrase. The main types: personal (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) plus their object (me, him) and possessive (my, mine) forms; demonstrative (this, that); relative (who, which, that); interrogative (who, what); and reflexive (myself, yourself).
Pronouns are how English avoids endlessly repeating names. The catch: their meaning depends entirely on context, so unclear pronoun reference (Tom told Mike that he was wrong — who's he?) is one of the most common writing problems.
Determiner
A determiner is a word that comes before a noun to clarify what it refers to: which one, how many, whose. The English determiners include articles (a, the), demonstratives (this, that), possessives (my, your), quantifiers (some, many, few), and distributives (each, every).
Most singular countable nouns in English require a determiner — I bought book is wrong; you need I bought a book or I bought the book. Determiner choice signals how much information you assume the listener already has, so getting it right shapes how natural your speech and writing sound.
English Grammar Basics
The English Grammar Basics tag marks quizzes and explainers covering the foundations of English grammar — nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, tenses, voice, mood, and basic sentence structure.
If you're starting out or rebuilding from scratch, this is the tag to follow: every challenge under it is designed to land the core rules without burying you in exceptions. Get the basics solid here and the more advanced topics — conditionals, reported speech, inversion — stop looking like a wall of new rules and start looking like extensions of what you already know.
A1 | Elementary | Beginners
A1 is the starting level of the CEFR framework — the entry point into English. At A1 you can introduce yourself, ask and answer simple personal questions, recognise common signs and instructions, and have short slow-paced conversations on very familiar topics.
Grammatically, A1 covers the building blocks: present-tense forms of be, have, and do; basic word order; simple questions; and the most common determiners, pronouns, and prepositions. Knowing your level matters — A1 material teaches the foundations every later level builds on, while a B1 textbook will overwhelm you. Start here and progress is fast.
Difficulty: Easy
The Easy difficulty tag marks questions and challenges aimed at beginners — typically A1 or early A2 level. Expect single-rule focus, short sentences, common everyday vocabulary, and one clear correct answer. Distractors usually rule themselves out quickly.
Filter by Easy when you're rebuilding fundamentals, warming up before harder material, or testing whether you've truly internalised a basic rule before moving on. Easy doesn't mean trivial — it means the rule itself is unambiguous and the context doesn't pile on extra complications.