Demonstrative Pronouns (This / That / These / Those) – English Grammar Exercises for A1
Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence.
You are shopping for clothes with a friend. Pay attention to whether you are wearing/holding the item (near distance) or pointing to an item on a high rack or mannequin (far distance).
1 You are looking in the mirror while wearing a new shirt. “Look at me! Does ______ shirt look good on me?”
(A) that
(B) this
(C) it
(D) these
2 You point to a beautiful dress hanging on a very high rack. “Can you pass me ______ dress on the top rack?”
(A) those
(B) she
(C) this
(D) that
3 You are walking around in a new pair of shoes you just put on. “Wow, ______ shoes I am wearing are really comfortable.”
(A) they
(B) those
(C) these
(D) this
4 You point to a pair of pants on a mannequin on the other side of the store. “I really love ______ pants on the mannequin over there.”
(A) those
(B) them
(C) that
(D) these
5 You are holding a hat in your hands, and pointing to another hat far away on the wall. “I think I will buy ______ hat I am holding, not ______ one on the wall.”
(A) this / that
(B) that / this
(C) it / that
(D) these / those
6 You are trying on a winter jacket and asking your friend’s opinion. “Is ______ jacket I’m trying on too big for me?”
(A) it
(B) these
(C) this
(D) that
7 You point to some boots displayed on the top shelf. “Excuse me, can I try on ______ boots up there?”
(A) they
(B) those
(C) that
(D) these
8 You compare the skirt you are wearing to another one hanging on the rack. “______ skirt I’m wearing is nice, but ______ skirt on the rack is cheaper.”
(A) It / it
(B) These / those
(C) That / this
(D) This / that
9 You are holding two identical shirts (different sizes) in your hands. “______ shirts in my hands are the same color, but they are different sizes.”
(A) These
(B) They
(C) This
(D) Those
10 You point to a display of socks far away. “Do you have ______ socks from the top display in a smaller size?”
(A) them
(B) those
(C) that
(D) these
11 You decide to buy the red shirt you are wearing, but not the blue one on the rack. “I will take ______, and you can put ______ back on the rack.”
(A) this / that
(B) it / it
(C) these / those
(D) that / this
12 You are looking in the mirror with new sunglasses on your face. “How do ______ sunglasses look on my face?”
(A) they
(B) this
(C) those
(D) these
13 You point to a long coat near the store entrance. “Wow, ______ coat near the door is beautiful!”
(A) That
(B) It
(C) Those
(D) This
14 You compare the jeans you are wearing to the shorts on the far wall. “I prefer ______ jeans I am wearing to ______ shorts on the far wall.”
(A) they / them
(B) this / that
(C) these / those
(D) those / these
15 You hold up a silk scarf to the shop assistant. “Excuse me, how much is ______?”
(A) that
(B) it
(C) these
(D) this
16 You are trying on a sweater, but you point to a jacket on the mannequin. “______ is too warm. I want to try ______ on the mannequin.”
(A) It / it
(B) This / that
(C) These / those
(D) That / this
17 You are holding a large pile of items in your arms. “I want to buy all of ______ clothes in my hands.”
(A) them
(B) this
(C) these
(D) those
18 You point to some diamond earrings inside a locked glass case. “Could you show me ______ earrings in the glass case?”
(A) those
(B) them
(C) that
(D) these
19 You are wearing a tie and pointing to another one on the shelf. “Does ______ tie match my shirt better than ______ one?”
(A) this / that
(B) it / it
(C) these / those
(D) that / this
20 You put all your chosen items on the checkout counter directly in front of you. “I will buy all of ______ today. Here is my credit card.”
(A) them
(B) this
(C) those
(D) these
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): You are wearing the shirt (very close/touching you), and “shirt” is singular, so we use “this”.
- Error Analysis: (C) “it” is a Common Mistake (personal pronouns cannot act as demonstrative adjectives before a noun). (D) “these” is a Structural Error (wrong quantity). (A) “that” is a Meaning Trap (wrong distance; “that” is for things far away).
2 (D) that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The dress is singular and hanging on a high rack (far distance).
- Error Analysis: (C) “this” is a Meaning Trap (wrong distance). (A) “those” is a Structural Error (plural). (B) “she” is a Common Mistake.
3 (C) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Shoes are plural, and you are wearing them on your feet (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (B) “those” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “this” is a Structural Error (shoes always come in pairs and take plural demonstratives). (A) “they” is a Common Mistake.
4 (A) those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Pants” is always a plural noun in English, and they are on a mannequin far away.
- Error Analysis: (D) “these” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “that” is a Structural Error (singular). (B) “them” is a Common Mistake (“them pants” is grammatically incorrect).
5 (A) this / that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The hat in your hands is near (“this”). The hat on the wall is far (“that”).
- Error Analysis: (B) “that / this” is a Meaning Trap (reverses the positions). (D) “these / those” is a Structural Error (hats are singular here). (C) “it / that” is a Common Mistake.
6 (C) this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The jacket is singular and you are trying it on (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (D) “that” is a Meaning Trap. (B) “these” is a Structural Error. (A) “it” is a Common Mistake.
7 (B) those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Boots are plural and located on the top shelf (far distance).
- Error Analysis: (D) “these” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “that” is a Structural Error. (A) “they” is a Common Mistake.
8 (D) This / that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The skirt you are wearing is near (This), and the skirt on the rack is far (that).
- Error Analysis: (C) “That / this” is a Meaning Trap. (B) “These / those” is a Structural Error. (A) “It / it” is a Common Mistake.
9 (A) These
- Why it’s correct (The Key): You are holding multiple shirts (plural) in your hands (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (D) “Those” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “This” is a Structural Error. (B) “They” is a Common Mistake.
10 (B) those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Socks are plural and located on a display far away.
- Error Analysis: (D) “these” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “that” is a Structural Error. (A) “them” is a Common Mistake.
11 (A) this / that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Demonstrative pronouns can replace nouns completely. “This” replaces the shirt you are wearing, and “that” replaces the shirt on the rack.
- Error Analysis: (D) “that / this” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “these / those” is a Structural Error. (B) “it / it” is a Common Mistake.
12 (D) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Sunglasses” is always a plural noun, and they are on your face (very near distance).
- Error Analysis: (C) “those” is a Meaning Trap. (B) “this” is a Structural Error (a very common trap for learners who think one pair of glasses is singular). (A) “they” is a Common Mistake.
13 (A) That
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The coat is singular and near the entrance (far from the speaker).
- Error Analysis: (D) “This” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “Those” is a Structural Error. (B) “It” is a Common Mistake.
14 (C) these / those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Jeans (plural) you are wearing are near (these). Shorts (plural) on the wall are far (those).
- Error Analysis: (D) “those / these” is a Meaning Trap. (B) “this / that” is a Structural Error (fails to account for plural clothing items). (A) “they / them” is a Common Mistake.
15 (D) this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): When holding up an item to ask for the price, you use the demonstrative pronoun “this”.
- Error Analysis: (A) “that” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “these” is a Structural Error. (B) “it” is a Common Mistake (while “how much is it” is possible, “this” is the proper demonstrative when physically presenting an object to someone).
16 (B) This / that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The sweater you are trying on is near (This), and the jacket on the mannequin is far (that).
- Error Analysis: (D) “That / this” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “These / those” is a Structural Error. (A) “It / it” is a Common Mistake.
17 (C) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Clothes” is always a plural noun, and they are in your hands (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (D) “those” is a Meaning Trap. (B) “this” is a Structural Error (“this clothes” is grammatically incorrect). (A) “them” is a Common Mistake.
18 (A) those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Earrings are plural and inside a locked case (far/out of reach).
- Error Analysis: (D) “these” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “that” is a Structural Error. (B) “them” is a Common Mistake.
19 (A) this / that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The tie you are wearing is near (this), and the tie on the shelf is far (that).
- Error Analysis: (D) “that / this” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “these / those” is a Structural Error. (B) “it / it” is a Common Mistake.
20 (D) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The items are placed right in front of you on the counter (near) and there are multiple items (plural).
- Error Analysis: (C) “those” is a Meaning Trap. (B) “this” is a Structural Error. (A) “them” is a Common Mistake (we do not say “all of them” when pointing directly at a pile of items right in front of us to emphasize their physical presence).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- The Distance Rule for Fitting (Near vs. Far):
- Use This / These for clothing items you are wearing, trying on, or holding in your hands.
- Use That / Those for clothing items hanging on a rack, sitting on a shelf, or placed on a mannequin.
- The “Plural Noun” Trap in Clothing: In English shopping contexts, many items have only one physical piece but are grammatically plural because they have two legs or two lenses: Pants, jeans, shorts, trousers, glasses, sunglasses, shoes, boots, earrings. You absolutely cannot use “This” for these items even if you are wearing them. You must use These. (Example: Say “These jeans”, NOT “This jeans”).
- Demonstrative Pronoun Function (Standing Alone): While shopping, This/That/These/Those can stand alone and completely replace a noun to avoid repetition. (Example: Instead of saying “I like this shirt, not that shirt”, you can simply say “I like this, not that”).