What is this?

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What is this?

Demonstrative Pronouns (This, That, These, Those)

Beginner

After this lesson, you will be able to refer to things that are close to and far from you.

Exercise 1

Sentence Practice

What is this?

What is that?

What are these?

What are those?

Grammar Focus

'This/That is' + one thing

Use 'This is' when you talk about one thing that is close to you. Use 'That is' when you talk about one thing that is far from you.

For instance, if you see an airplane in the sky, you do not say 'This is an airplane'; you say 'That is an airplane.'

'These/Those are' + many things

Use 'These are' when you talk about more than one thing that is close to you. Use 'Those are' when you talk about more than one thing that is far from you.

Tip

"What is this/that?" and "What are these/those?" are useful phrases to use when you want to know the name of something in English. Use them with English-speaking friends and quickly learn new vocabulary.

Exercise 2

Dialogue Practice

What's this? What's that?

	Emily What's this?
	Sarah This is a window.

	Emily What's that?
	Sarah That's a window.

	Emily What's this?
	Sarah This is a TV.

	Emily What's that?
	Sarah That's a TV.

What are these? What are those?

	Emily What are these?
	Sarah These are toys.

	Emily What are those?
	Sarah Those are toys.

	Emily What are these?
	Sarah These are birds.

	Emily What are those?
	Sarah Those are birds.

Exercise 3

Multiple Choice

dictionaries.

A.
This is
B.
That is
C.
These are
D.
Those are

the books John gave me.

A.
This is
B.
That is
C.
These are
D.
Those are

[Point at a book that is close to you] my dictionary.

A.
This is
B.
That is

[Point at a book that is far from you] my dictionary.

A.
This is
B.
That is

Exercise 4

Sentence Building

Point at real objects that you can see around you and make sentences using 'this, that, these, those'. Here are the names of some things that you can start with:

Example

A cat → This is a cat.

A desk
Some pens
A table
Some fish