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 and your friend are walking outside. You spot various hazards and dangers ahead of you. Pay close attention to the distance (the hazard is far away) and whether the hazard is singular, plural, or uncountable to choose the correct warning.
1 Pointing to a fierce, barking dog far down the street: “Stop! Do not go near ______ big dog.”
(A) those
(B) this
(C) that
(D) it
2 Pointing to some deep, dangerous craters in the road ahead: “Watch out! ______ holes in the street are very deep.”
(A) Those
(B) These
(C) That
(D) They
3 Warning your friend about an oncoming vehicle: “Be careful! ______ car is driving way too fast.”
(A) This
(B) That
(C) A
(D) Those
4 Pointing at sharp pieces of glass scattered on the ground ahead: “Don’t walk over there. ______ broken glass will cut your shoes.”
(A) This
(B) It
(C) Those
(D) That
5 Spotting a group of suspicious people standing in the dark alley ahead: “Let’s turn around. I don’t like the look of ______ men.”
(A) those
(B) them
(C) these
(D) that
6 Comparing the safe sidewalk you are standing on to the dangerous one across the road: “We should stay on ______ side of the street, because ______ side over there is too dark.”
(A) these / those
(B) this / that
(C) that / this
(D) it / that
7 Warning your friend not to approach a tree with a beehive: “Don’t touch the tree! ______ bees will sting you.”
(A) These
(B) They
(C) Those
(D) That
8 Pulling your friend back from the platform edge: “Step back! ______ train is not stopping.”
(A) Those
(B) This
(C) That
(D) It
9 Pointing to a yellow warning cone across the hallway: “Careful! ______ sign over there says the floor is wet.”
(A) That
(B) This
(C) The
(D) Those
10 You are holding a safe map (near), but pointing at a dangerous trail ahead (far): “According to ______ map I am holding, we shouldn’t take ______ dark path.”
(A) that / this
(B) this / that
(C) it / that
(D) these / those
11 Pointing up at the mountain ahead: “Look out! ______ rocks are falling from the cliff.”
(A) These
(B) That
(C) They
(D) Those
12 Pointing to a large puddle of dirt far ahead of you: “My shoes are already dirty. Don’t step in ______ mud over there.”
(A) this
(B) those
(C) that
(D) it
13 Warning your friend not to step onto an old, broken bridge: “Don’t cross the bridge. ______ wood looks very old and weak.”
(A) This
(B) That
(C) It
(D) Those
14 Spotting danger in the tall grass ahead: “Stay on the trail. ______ wild snakes in the grass are dangerous.”
(A) Those
(B) That
(C) Them
(D) These
15 Pointing to flames burning in the distance: “Call for help! ______ fire in the forest ahead is spreading fast.”
(A) It
(B) Those
(C) This
(D) That
16 Looking up at the entrance of an abandoned house: “Don’t go up! ______ stairs look completely broken.”
(A) That
(B) Those
(C) These
(D) They
17 Pointing to the sky above a distant factory: “Do you see ______ black smoke coming from the building?”
(A) those
(B) this
(C) that
(D) it
18 Pointing to broken cables hanging dangerously over the road ahead: “Don’t walk under ______ power lines! They might fall.”
(A) those
(B) them
(C) these
(D) that
19 Comparing your unsafe footwear to the dangerous path ahead: “______ shoes I’m wearing are too slippery for ______ icy road ahead.”
(A) Those / this
(B) This / those
(C) These / that
(D) They / it
20 Trying to cross a busy highway: “We can’t cross the street now. ______ traffic is moving too fast.”
(A) That
(B) This
(C) Those
(D) It
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The dog is singular and far away (ahead of you on the street).
- Error Analysis: (B) “this” is a Meaning Trap (it would mean the dog is right next to you, which defeats the warning). (A) “those” is a Structural Error (plural). (D) “it” is a Common Mistake (personal pronouns cannot be used as adjectives before a noun).
2 (A) Those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Holes are plural and located ahead on the road (far distance).
- Error Analysis: (B) “These” is a Meaning Trap (implies you are already standing in or next to the holes). (C) “That” is a Structural Error (singular). (D) “They” is a Common Mistake (“They holes” is grammatically incorrect).
3 (B) That
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The car is singular and oncoming from a distance (far).
- Error Analysis: (A) “This” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “Those” is a Structural Error. (C) “A” is a Common Mistake (lacks the pointing/warning function).
4 (D) That
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Glass” (as a broken material) is an uncountable noun (treated as singular) and is far away.
- Error Analysis: (A) “This” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “Those” is a Structural Error. (B) “It” is a Common Mistake.
5 (A) those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Men” is an irregular plural noun, and they are far down the street.
- Error Analysis: (C) “these” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “that” is a Structural Error. (B) “them” is a Common Mistake (“them men” is incorrect).
6 (B) this / that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The safe side you are standing on is near (this). The dark side across the road is far (that). Both are singular.
- Error Analysis: (C) “that / this” is a Meaning Trap (reverses the distance logic completely). (A) “these / those” is a Structural Error. (D) “it / that” is a Common Mistake.
7 (C) Those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Bees are plural and located at the tree ahead (far).
- Error Analysis: (A) “These” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “That” is a Structural Error. (B) “They” is a Common Mistake.
8 (C) That
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The train is singular and approaching from a distance.
- Error Analysis: (B) “This” is a Meaning Trap. (A) “Those” is a Structural Error. (D) “It” is a Common Mistake.
9 (A) That
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The warning sign is singular and across the hallway (far).
- Error Analysis: (B) “This” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “Those” is a Structural Error. (C) “The” is a Common Mistake.
10 (B) this / that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The map is singular and in your hands (this). The path is singular and ahead of you (that).
- Error Analysis: (A) “that / this” is a Meaning Trap (reverses the physical distance). (D) “these / those” is a Structural Error. (C) “it / that” is a Common Mistake.
11 (D) Those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Rocks are plural and falling from the cliff above/ahead (far).
- Error Analysis: (A) “These” is a Meaning Trap. (B) “That” is a Structural Error. (C) “They” is a Common Mistake.
12 (C) that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Mud” is an uncountable noun (treated as singular) and is far ahead.
- Error Analysis: (A) “this” is a Meaning Trap. (B) “those” is a Structural Error. (D) “it” is a Common Mistake.
13 (B) That
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Wood” is an uncountable noun, and the bridge is ahead (far).
- Error Analysis: (A) “This” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “Those” is a Structural Error. (C) “It” is a Common Mistake.
14 (A) Those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Snakes are plural and out in the grass ahead (far).
- Error Analysis: (D) “These” is a Meaning Trap. (B) “That” is a Structural Error. (C) “Them” is a Common Mistake.
15 (D) That
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Fire” is singular and burning in the distance (far).
- Error Analysis: (C) “This” is a Meaning Trap. (B) “Those” is a Structural Error. (A) “It” is a Common Mistake.
16 (B) Those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Stairs” is a plural noun, and they are ahead/above you (far).
- Error Analysis: (C) “These” is a Meaning Trap. (A) “That” is a Structural Error (learners often think of a staircase as one singular object, but “stairs” is grammatically plural). (D) “They” is a Common Mistake.
17 (C) that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Smoke” is an uncountable noun (treated as singular) and is in the distance.
- Error Analysis: (B) “this” is a Meaning Trap. (A) “those” is a Structural Error. (D) “it” is a Common Mistake.
18 (A) those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Power lines are plural and hanging ahead (far).
- Error Analysis: (C) “these” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “that” is a Structural Error. (B) “them” is a Common Mistake.
19 (C) These / that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The shoes you are wearing are plural and near (These). The icy road ahead is singular and far (that).
- Error Analysis: (A) “Those / this” is a Meaning Trap (reverses distance completely). (B) “This / those” is a Structural Error (wrong singular/plural matching). (D) “They / it” is a Common Mistake.
20 (A) That
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Traffic” is an uncountable noun (always singular) and is out on the street ahead of you (far).
- Error Analysis: (B) “This” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “Those” is a Structural Error (learners often think many cars = plural “those traffic”, which is a massive structural trap). (D) “It” is a Common Mistake.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- The Warning Rule (Distance): When you are walking and spot a hazard ahead of you, it is physically distant. To effectively warn someone to stop or stay away, you must use That (for a singular hazard) or Those (for multiple hazards). Using This/These implies the danger is already touching you!
- Beware of Uncountable Hazards: Many dangers in nature or on the road are uncountable nouns in English. Words like traffic, smoke, fire, glass, mud, wood, and water must take the singular demonstrative That when they are far away. (Never say “Those traffic” or “Those smoke”).
- Plural-Only Traps: Some structures, like stairs, steps, or power lines, are inherently plural. If you are warning someone not to climb broken stairs ahead, you must say: “Don’t use those stairs.”
- No Pronouns Before Nouns: Remember, you cannot use personal or object pronouns (it, they, them) to point out a hazard before its noun name. You must use demonstrative adjectives (“Look at that car”, never “Look at it car”).