Demonstrative Pronouns (This / That / These / Those) – English Grammar Exercises for A1
Choose the best option (a, b, c, or d) to complete each sentence. The context for all questions revolves around introducing people (friends, family, colleagues) either in person or through photos.
1 Tom is holding his phone and showing a picture to Maya. “Look! ______ is my older brother, David.”
(a) He
(b) That
(c) This
(d) These
2 Sarah is standing next to her friend Leo. She says to her teacher: “Good morning, Mr. Harris. ______ is my classmate, Leo.”
(a) This
(b) It
(c) He
(d) These
3 Showing a family photo album in his hands, John says: “And ______ are my parents.”
(a) they
(b) those
(c) this
(d) these
4 Pointing to a girl waiting on the other side of the street, Maya asks: “Do you see her? ______ is my cousin, Mia.”
(a) That
(b) She
(c) This
(d) Those
5 Pointing to two boys playing football in the park far away, Tom says: “______ are my little nephews.”
(a) They
(b) Those
(c) That
(d) These
6 Anna brings two friends to a party. She introduces them to the host right at the door: “Hi, ______ my friends, Alex and Sam.”
(a) they are
(b) those are
(c) this is
(d) these are
7 Pointing to a specific group of people in a picture on her phone, Emma says: “______ people here are my teammates.”
(a) This
(b) These
(c) Those
(d) They
8 At a crowded party, looking at a man standing far away near the kitchen, you ask: “Who is ______ man over there?”
(a) the
(b) he
(c) that
(d) this
9 Looking closely at a baby in a picture album you are holding: “Aww, who is ______ baby?”
(a) this
(b) that
(c) he
(d) these
10 Sitting at a cafe, you point to a couple walking on the opposite side of the road: “______ are my new neighbors.”
(a) These
(b) They
(c) Those
(d) That
11 Making a phone call to a friend to introduce yourself over the line: “Hello, ______ is Anna speaking. Is ______ John?”
(a) I / you
(b) she / he
(c) that / this
(d) this / that
12 Holding up a physical photograph of three girls, you ask your friend: “Are ______ your sisters in the photo?”
(a) these
(b) they
(c) this
(d) those
13 You are standing with your friend Mary. You both walk up to your other friend, Tom. “Hi Tom. ______ is Mary, and Mary, ______ is Tom.”
(a) She / he
(b) This / this
(c) That / that
(d) This / he
14 Looking out the window from the second floor at some people standing in the garden below: “Are ______ your friends from school?”
(a) they
(b) those
(c) these
(d) that
15 Standing in the middle of a big office room, you introduce the groups: “______ are my team members right here with me, and ______ people across the hall are the managers.”
(a) They / those
(b) These / those
(c) Those / these
(d) These / they
16 Pointing to a very old, blurry photograph in your hands, you try to remember: “I don’t remember… who is ______ person standing next to me?”
(a) that
(b) he
(c) this
(d) the
17 Looking at a baby picture of yourself on your phone: “I love this picture! ______ is me when I was five years old.”
(a) This
(b) It
(c) That
(d) I
18 Pointing to a group of girls waving from a departing bus that is moving away: “Look! ______ are the girls we met yesterday.”
(a) They
(b) These
(c) That
(d) Those
19 Answering a phone call at work to introduce yourself and verify the caller: “Hi, is ______ Mr. Smith’s office? ______ is Clara from HR.”
(a) this / It
(b) that / This
(c) that / That
(d) it / She
20 Pointing at different sections of a large framed picture on the wall in front of you: “______ are my grandparents on the left, but I don’t know who ______ people on the right are.”
(a) They / they
(b) These / those
(c) This / that
(d) These / they
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (c) This
Explanation:
- (c) This. We use “This is…” to introduce a single person who is near us, or when pointing to someone in a photo we are holding.
- Incorrect Options: (a) “He” is a Common Mistake; learners often use personal pronouns for introductions, but English requires demonstratives first. (d) “These” is a Structural Error (plural demonstrative for a singular noun). (b) “That” is a Meaning Trap (used for things far away, not something right in your hand).
2 (a) This
Explanation:
- (a) This. Used to introduce a person standing right next to you.
- Incorrect Options: (c) “He” is a Common Mistake. (d) “These” is a Structural Error (Leo is singular). (b) “It” is a Meaning Trap (we do not use “it” to introduce people face-to-face).
3 (d) these
Explanation:
- (d) these. Plural demonstrative for people close to you (in an album you are holding).
- Incorrect Options: (a) “they” is a Common Mistake (we use “these are”, not “they are” for initial introductions). (c) “this” is a Structural Error (singular demonstrative for plural noun “parents”). (b) “those” is a Meaning Trap (implies the parents/photos are far away).
4 (a) That
Explanation:
- (a) That. Used to point out a single person who is at a distance (across the street).
- Incorrect Options: (b) “She” is a Common Mistake. (d) “Those” is a Structural Error (plural for a singular person). (c) “This” is a Meaning Trap (implies the person is right next to you).
5 (b) Those
Explanation:
- (b) Those. Plural demonstrative for people far away (in the park).
- Incorrect Options: (a) “They” is a Common Mistake. (c) “That” is a Structural Error (“nephews” is plural). (d) “These” is a Meaning Trap (implies the boys are right next to you).
6 (d) these are
Explanation:
- (d) these are. Plural form of “this is” for introducing people right next to you.
- Incorrect Options: (a) “they are” is a Common Mistake for introductions. (c) “this is” is a Structural Error (cannot be used with plural “friends”). (b) “those are” is a Meaning Trap (friends are standing right next to her, not far away).
7 (b) These
Explanation:
- (b) These. The speaker is pointing to a photo on her phone, meaning the subject is physically close.
- Incorrect Options: (d) “They” is a Common Mistake. (a) “This” is a Structural Error (singular demonstrative for plural “people”). (c) “Those” is a Meaning Trap (incorrect distance).
8 (c) that
Explanation:
- (c) that. Refers to a singular person far away (“over there”).
- Incorrect Options: (b) “he” is a Common Mistake (we ask “who is that?”, not “who is he?”). (d) “this” is a Meaning Trap (the man is far away, not close). (a) “the” is a Structural Error (lacks the demonstrative pointing function needed here).
9 (a) this
Explanation:
- (a) this. Looking at a baby in a nearby album.
- Incorrect Options: (c) “he” is a Common Mistake. (d) “these” is a Structural Error (baby is singular). (b) “that” is a Meaning Trap (the album is physically close).
10 (c) Those
Explanation:
- (c) Those. Plural for people at a distance (opposite side of the road).
- Incorrect Options: (b) “They” is a Common Mistake. (d) “That” is a Structural Error (used for singular). (a) “These” is a Meaning Trap (implies they are close by).
11 (d) this / that
Explanation:
- (d) this / that. Standard telephone English: “This is [my name]” and “Is that [your name]?”.
- Incorrect Options: (a) “I / you” is a Common Mistake (direct translation from many native languages). (b) “she / he” is a Structural Error. (c) “that / this” is a Meaning Trap (reverses the standard telephone rule).
12 (a) these
Explanation:
- (a) these. Asking about plural people in a physically close photo.
- Incorrect Options: (b) “they” is a Common Mistake. (c) “this” is a Structural Error (sisters is plural). (d) “those” is a Meaning Trap (distance is wrong).
13 (b) This / this
Explanation:
- (b) This / this. When introducing two people standing right next to each other, you use “This is [A], and [A], this is [B].”
- Incorrect Options: (a) “She / he” is a Common Mistake. (d) “This / he” is a Structural Error (inconsistent grammar). (c) “That / that” is a Meaning Trap (they are standing together, not far apart).
14 (b) those
Explanation:
- (b) those. Plural people seen at a distance (down in the garden).
- Incorrect Options: (a) “they” is a Common Mistake. (d) “that” is a Structural Error. (c) “these” is a Meaning Trap (implies they are in the room with the speaker).
15 (b) These / those
Explanation:
- (b) These / those. Contrasting plural groups: “these” for the group physically close, “those” for the group far away.
- Incorrect Options: (a) “They / those” is a Common Mistake (mixing pronouns and demonstratives incorrectly). (d) “These / they” is a Structural Error. (c) “Those / these” is a Meaning Trap (reverses the logical distance of “right here” vs “across the hall”).
16 (c) this
Explanation:
- (c) this. Pointing closely at a singular person in a photo held in the speaker’s hands.
- Incorrect Options: (b) “he” is a Common Mistake. (a) “that” is a Meaning Trap (even though it’s an old photo, the physical object is close). (d) “the” is a Structural Error.
17 (a) This
Explanation:
- (a) This. Pointing to oneself in a nearby photo.
- Incorrect Options: (d) “I” is a Common Mistake (“I am me” is not how we point to photos). (b) “It” is a Structural Error. (c) “That” is a Meaning Trap (distance is wrong).
18 (d) Those
Explanation:
- (d) Those. Plural people far away (on a departing bus).
- Incorrect Options: (a) “They” is a Common Mistake. (c) “That” is a Structural Error (plural noun). (b) “These” is a Meaning Trap (the girls are no longer close).
19 (b) that / This
Explanation:
- (b) that / This. On the phone, “Is that…” asks about the receiver, and “This is…” introduces the caller.
- Incorrect Options: (a) “this / It” is a Common Mistake. (d) “it / She” is a Structural Error. (c) “that / That” is a Meaning Trap (caller cannot refer to themselves as “that”).
20 (b) These / those
Explanation:
- (b) These / those. The speaker uses “these” for the people physically closer to their pointing hand on the left, and “those” for the people relatively further away on the right side of the large frame.
- Incorrect Options: (a) “They / they” is a Common Mistake. (d) “These / they” is a Structural Error. (c) “This / that” is a Meaning Trap (fails to account for plural “grandparents” and “people”).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Rule of Introduction: Never use “He is” or “She is” to introduce someone for the first time. Always use “This is…” (for one person) or “These are…” (for multiple people) when they are standing next to you or are in a photo you are holding.
- Distance matters (Near vs. Far): * Use This (Singular) / These (Plural) for people close to you (physically near, or in a picture you are holding).
- Use That (Singular) / Those (Plural) for people far away (across the room, out the window, or across the street).
- Telephone Rule: When calling someone, introduce yourself with “Hello, this is [Your Name]”. When asking who is on the other end, say “Is that [Their Name]?” (We never say “I am [Name]” or “Are you [Name]?” on formal phone calls).