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 a content creator filming a “hands-on” product review video for your social media. You are holding the items, wearing them, or testing them right in front of the camera. Pay close attention to whether the item is physically in your hands (near distance) or in the background/past (far distance), as well as the quantity of the items.
1 Holding a brand new smartphone up to the camera lens: “Hi guys! Today I am reviewing ______ new smartphone in my hand.”
(A) that
(B) it
(C) this
(D) these
2 Showing two small wireless earbuds resting in your palm: “Look closely at the design of ______ wireless earbuds I am holding.”
(A) those
(B) these
(C) this
(D) they
3 Tapping the screen of a smartwatch currently strapped to your wrist: “I am wearing the watch right now. ______ watch tracks my heart rate perfectly.”
(A) This
(B) That
(C) These
(D) It
4 Wearing a large pair of gaming headphones on your head: “As you can see on my head, ______ headphones are very large but comfortable.”
(A) this
(B) them
(C) those
(D) these
5 Holding a small jar of face cream and opening the lid: “I use ______ face cream every day. Let me open the jar to show you the texture.”
(A) these
(B) that
(C) this
(D) it
6 Filming with a new camera, and pointing to an old camera sitting on a shelf in the background: “______ camera I am using right now is much better than ______ old one on the shelf behind me.”
(A) That / this
(B) This / that
(C) It / it
(D) These / those
7 Pointing the camera down at the running shoes you are currently wearing: “Check out my feet! ______ running shoes are super lightweight.”
(A) These
(B) This
(C) Those
(D) They
8 Tapping the keys of a mechanical keyboard placed directly in front of you: “Listen closely to the clicking sound of ______ mechanical keyboard.”
(A) these
(B) that
(C) it
(D) this
9 Looking into the camera while wearing a pair of colored sunglasses: “I really love the style of ______ sunglasses I am wearing today.”
(A) those
(B) this
(C) these
(D) they
10 Holding a tablet and swiping the screen with your finger: “I am testing ______ new tablet, and the screen is incredibly smooth.”
(A) it
(B) this
(C) that
(D) these
11 Holding two different video game controllers, one in each hand: “I definitely prefer playing games with ______ two controllers in my hands.”
(A) these
(B) those
(C) this
(D) them
12 Typing on a laptop on your lap, then pointing to the bulky charger boxes thrown on the floor away from you: “______ laptop on my lap is incredibly fast, but ______ chargers on the floor over there are too heavy to carry.”
(A) That / these
(B) This / these
(C) This / those
(D) It / they
13 Speaking directly into a podcast microphone placed an inch from your mouth: “I am speaking directly into ______ microphone right now. The audio is crystal clear.”
(A) that
(B) these
(C) an
(D) this
14 Zipping up a winter jacket you just put on your body: “I just put ______ jacket on, and it instantly keeps me warm.”
(A) that
(B) this
(C) it
(D) these
15 Showing your heavy backpack full of gear: “I carry all of ______ camera equipment in my backpack every single day.”
(A) this
(B) these
(C) those
(D) them
16 Holding a sharp cutting tool to open a package on camera: “I always use ______ scissors to open all my unboxing packages.”
(A) this
(B) that
(C) these
(D) they
17 Tapping the ring light right next to your camera, then pointing to a standard lamp in the background: “If you want good lighting, buy ______ ring light right here; do not buy ______ lamp in the background.”
(A) that / this
(B) it / it
(C) these / those
(D) this / that
18 Reading comments from yesterday’s video, while holding the phone: “To answer ______ questions you guys asked in yesterday’s video… yes, I highly recommend ______ phone I am holding!”
(A) these / that
(B) those / this
(C) them / it
(D) this / those
19 Tapping the frame of the smart glasses currently on your face: “I wear ______ smart glasses everywhere I go. They are definitely worth the money.”
(A) these
(B) this
(C) them
(D) those
20 Wrapping up the video by holding a massive bundle of the reviewed items in your arms: “If you want to buy all of ______ products I showed you today, click the link in the description below!”
(A) those
(B) this
(C) them
(D) these
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The smartphone is singular and currently in the reviewer’s hand (near/zero distance).
- Error Analysis: (A) “that” is a Meaning Trap (used for objects far away). (D) “these” is a Structural Error (plural demonstrative for a singular noun). (B) “it” is a Common Mistake (personal pronouns cannot act as demonstrative adjectives before a noun).
2 (B) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Earbuds are plural and resting in the reviewer’s palm (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (C) “this” is a Structural Error (singular). (A) “those” is a Meaning Trap (wrong distance). (D) “they” is a Common Mistake (“they earbuds” is grammatically incorrect).
3 (A) This
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The watch is singular and strapped to the wrist (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (B) “That” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “These” is a Structural Error. (D) “It” is a Common Mistake.
4 (D) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Headphones are always plural and are currently being worn on the head (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (A) “this” is a Structural Error (learners often think one headset = singular). (C) “those” is a Meaning Trap. (B) “them” is a Common Mistake (“them headphones” is incorrect).
5 (C) this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Face cream is an uncountable noun (treated as singular) and the jar is in hand (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (A) “these” is a Structural Error. (B) “that” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “it” is a Common Mistake.
6 (B) This / that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The new camera is being used in hand (This). The old camera is on a shelf in the background (that).
- Error Analysis: (A) “That / this” is a Meaning Trap (reverses the distance logic). (D) “These / those” is a Structural Error (cameras are singular here). (C) “It / it” is a Common Mistake.
7 (A) These
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Shoes are plural and are currently being worn on the feet (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (B) “This” is a Structural Error. (C) “Those” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “They” is a Common Mistake.
8 (D) this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The keyboard is singular and placed directly in front of the reviewer (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (B) “that” is a Meaning Trap. (A) “these” is a Structural Error. (C) “it” is a Common Mistake.
9 (C) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Sunglasses” is a plural noun, and they are being worn on the face (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (B) “this” is a Structural Error (very common trap). (A) “those” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “they” is a Common Mistake.
10 (B) this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The tablet is singular and in the reviewer’s hands.
- Error Analysis: (C) “that” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “these” is a Structural Error. (A) “it” is a Common Mistake.
11 (A) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): There are two controllers (plural) in the reviewer’s hands (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (B) “those” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “this” is a Structural Error. (D) “them” is a Common Mistake.
12 (C) This / those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The laptop on the lap is singular and near (This). The chargers on the floor are plural and far (those).
- Error Analysis: (A) “That / these” is a Meaning Trap (reverses the distance). (B) “This / these” is a Structural Error (“these chargers” implies they are near, but they are “over there”). (D) “It / they” is a Common Mistake.
13 (D) this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The microphone is singular and directly in front of the mouth (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (A) “that” is a Meaning Trap. (B) “these” is a Structural Error. (C) “an” is a Common Mistake (fails to specifically point out the item being reviewed).
14 (B) this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The jacket is singular and currently being worn (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (A) “that” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “these” is a Structural Error. (C) “it” is a Common Mistake.
15 (A) this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Equipment” is an uncountable noun in English, so it takes a singular demonstrative regardless of how much gear there is. It is in the backpack being carried (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (B) “these” is a Structural Error (a major trap; learners assume a bag full of gear is plural). (C) “those” is a Meaning Trap and Structural Error. (D) “them” is a Common Mistake.
16 (C) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Scissors” is a plural-only noun, and they are in the reviewer’s hand.
- Error Analysis: (A) “this” is a Structural Error. (B) “that” is a Meaning Trap and Structural Error. (D) “they” is a Common Mistake.
17 (D) this / that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The ring light is next to the camera/reviewer (this). The standard lamp is in the background (that). Both are singular.
- Error Analysis: (A) “that / this” is a Meaning Trap (reverses distance). (C) “these / those” is a Structural Error. (B) “it / it” is a Common Mistake.
18 (B) those / this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Questions asked in yesterday’s video represent a distance in time (past = far), and they are plural (those). The phone is singular and currently in hand (this).
- Error Analysis: (A) “these / that” is a Meaning Trap (reverses the physical and temporal distance). (D) “this / those” is a Structural Error. (C) “them / it” is a Common Mistake.
19 (A) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Glasses” is always a plural noun, and they are on the reviewer’s face (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (B) “this” is a Structural Error. (D) “those” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “them” is a Common Mistake.
20 (D) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The products are plural and currently being held in the reviewer’s arms (near distance).
- Error Analysis: (A) “those” is a Meaning Trap. (B) “this” is a Structural Error. (C) “them” is a Common Mistake (you cannot say “all of them products”).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- The “Hands-On” Rule (Proximity): When you are filming a review and the item is in your hands, on your body, or right in front of you, the physical distance is zero. You must use This (for singular items) or These (for plural items) to convey authenticity and physical presence to your audience.
- Contrasting with the Background: A common review technique is to compare the new item with an old one. Use This/These for the item in your hand, and use That/Those to refer to the older, inferior items placed in the background or thrown away.
- Tricky Uncountable Nouns: Words like equipment, software, makeup, luggage, and information are uncountable. Even if your backpack is full of many cameras and lenses, if you use the word “equipment,” you must use the singular This (e.g., “This equipment is heavy”).
- Tricky Plural Nouns: Wearable tech and tools often have two parts and are always plural in English: headphones, earbuds, glasses, sunglasses, scissors. Even if you are holding one physical object, you must use These (e.g., “These headphones sound amazing”).