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 standing at your colleague’s desk, handing physical documents, files, or office supplies directly into their hands. Pay close attention to the quantity and the “zero distance” of handing things over.
1 You are handing three blue folders to your colleague. “Here, ______ folders are for your afternoon meeting.”
(A) those
(B) this
(C) these
(D) they
2 You are handing a single pen to your manager. “Please use ______ pen to sign the contract.”
(A) it
(B) this
(C) that
(D) these
3 You are placing a stack of printed letters directly into your coworker’s hands. “Could you mail ______ letters for me, please?”
(A) this
(B) them
(C) those
(D) these
4 Handing a thick envelope to the receptionist. “I need to send ______ envelope to the London office today.”
(A) this
(B) that
(C) an
(D) these
5 Giving a set of keys to the new employee. “Welcome to the team! ______ are the keys to your filing cabinet.”
(A) Those
(B) These
(C) They
(D) This
6 You hand a new report to your colleague, then point to an old report sitting on the far edge of their desk. “Please read ______ new report I am giving you, and throw away ______ old report over there.”
(A) this / that
(B) that / this
(C) these / those
(D) it / that
7 Placing five USB drives directly into your manager’s palm. “I have backed up the files. ______ flash drives contain all the financial data.”
(A) They
(B) Those
(C) These
(D) This
8 You are handing a single piece of paper to a client. “Please write your name and phone number on ______ paper.”
(A) these
(B) those
(C) that
(D) this
9 Handing a stack of business cards to your boss before a conference. “Don’t forget to take ______ business cards with you.”
(A) these
(B) those
(C) this
(D) them
10 You hand over some documents, then point to a box on the top shelf across the room. “Put ______ documents I just gave you into ______ empty box up there.”
(A) those / this
(B) this / that
(C) these / that
(D) them / those
11 Giving a company laptop to a new intern. “Here you go. ______ is your new computer.”
(A) This
(B) That
(C) It
(D) These
12 Handing a pile of sticky notes to your coworker. “We need to brainstorm. ______ sticky notes in my hand are for you.”
(A) They
(B) These
(C) Those
(D) This
13 Stopping your colleague from using a broken pen on their desk, and handing them a new one. “Don’t use ______ pen on your desk; it’s broken. Use ______ new one I am giving you right now.”
(A) this / that
(B) that / this
(C) those / these
(D) it / this
14 Handing over several printed invoices. “The accounting department needs ______ invoices signed immediately.”
(A) this
(B) these
(C) them
(D) those
15 You hand over a pair of reading glasses to your boss. “You left ______ glasses in the meeting room earlier. Here you go.”
(A) this
(B) that
(C) these
(D) those
16 Handing over a thick file full of confidential information. “Please review ______ information carefully before the client arrives.”
(A) this
(B) these
(C) that
(D) those
17 You hand over a stapler, but point to a pair of scissors sitting on the far corner of the desk. “You can use ______ stapler I am giving you, but please return ______ scissors over there to the supply room.”
(A) this / those
(B) this / that
(C) that / these
(D) these / those
18 Handing over a large stack of mixed papers (reports and charts). “I have organized the data. ______ reports are for the marketing team, and ______ charts are for the sales team.”
(A) Those / those
(B) This / this
(C) These / these
(D) They / them
19 You hand over a tablet, but point to two broken tablets on the shelf across the room. “Please use ______ tablet to test the software, because ______ tablets on the shelf are completely broken.”
(A) this / those
(B) this / these
(C) that / those
(D) these / that
20 Handing over a physical folder, but referring to the digital emails sent yesterday. “I am giving you ______ folder with the final contracts, which summarize ______ emails we sent yesterday.”
(A) this / these
(B) this / those
(C) that / those
(D) these / those
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): You are physically handing over plural items (folders). The distance is zero, so “these” is required.
- Error Analysis: (A) “those” is a Meaning Trap (wrong distance). (D) “they” is a Common Mistake (“they folders” is invalid grammar). (B) “this” is a Structural Error (singular demonstrative for plural noun).
2 (B) this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): You are handing over a singular item (pen). Zero distance requires “this”.
- Error Analysis: (A) “it” is a Common Mistake (“it pen” is incorrect). (C) “that” is a Meaning Trap (wrong distance). (D) “these” is a Structural Error (plural).
3 (D) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The letters are plural and are being placed directly into the coworker’s hands.
- Error Analysis: (B) “them” is a Common Mistake (“them letters”). (C) “those” is a Meaning Trap. (A) “this” is a Structural Error.
4 (A) this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): A singular envelope being handed over right now.
- Error Analysis: (C) “an” is a Common Mistake (while “an envelope” is grammatically fine, it fails the communicative goal of pointing out the specific item being handed over). (B) “that” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “these” is a Structural Error.
5 (B) These
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Keys are plural and are being handed over (zero distance).
- Error Analysis: (A) “Those” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “They” is a Common Mistake. (D) “This” is a Structural Error.
6 (A) this / that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The report being handed over is singular and near (“this”). The report sitting on the far edge of the desk is singular and far (“that”).
- Error Analysis: (B) “that / this” is a Meaning Trap (reverses the distance). (C) “these / those” is a Structural Error (reports are singular here). (D) “it / that” is a Common Mistake.
7 (C) These
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Flash drives are plural and currently in the palm of your hand.
- Error Analysis: (B) “Those” is a Meaning Trap. (A) “They” is a Common Mistake. (D) “This” is a Structural Error.
8 (D) this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Paper” in this context is singular (“a piece of paper”) and is being handed over.
- Error Analysis: (C) “that” is a Meaning Trap. (A) “these” is a Structural Error. (B) “those” is a Meaning Trap and Structural Error.
9 (A) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Business cards are plural and are being handed directly to the boss.
- Error Analysis: (B) “those” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “them” is a Common Mistake. (C) “this” is a Structural Error.
10 (C) these / that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Documents in hand are plural and near (“these”). The box on the top shelf is singular and far (“that”).
- Error Analysis: (B) “this / that” is a Structural Error (“this documents” is wrong). (A) “those / this” is a Meaning Trap (reverses distance). (D) “them / those” is a Common Mistake.
11 (A) This
- Why it’s correct (The Key): A singular computer being handed over right now.
- Error Analysis: (B) “That” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “It” is a Common Mistake (We say “This is your computer” to introduce/present an item, not “It is…”). (D) “These” is a Structural Error.
12 (B) These
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Sticky notes are plural and in your hand.
- Error Analysis: (C) “Those” is a Meaning Trap. (A) “They” is a Common Mistake. (D) “This” is a Structural Error.
13 (B) that / this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The broken pen is on the desk, out of your hands (that). The new pen is being handed over right now (this).
- Error Analysis: (A) “this / that” is a Meaning Trap (reverses the physical logic). (C) “those / these” is a Structural Error (pens are singular here). (D) “it / this” is a Common Mistake.
14 (B) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Invoices are plural and being handed over (zero distance).
- Error Analysis: (D) “those” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “them” is a Common Mistake. (A) “this” is a Structural Error.
15 (C) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Glasses” is always a plural noun. Because you are handing them over, they are physically close.
- Error Analysis: (D) “those” is a Meaning Trap. (A) “this” is a Structural Error (a huge trap for learners who think one pair = singular). (B) “that” is also a Structural Error.
16 (A) this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Information” is an uncountable noun, so it takes a singular demonstrative. It is being handed over, so it is close.
- Error Analysis: (B) “these” is a Structural Error (learners often think a thick file of info = plural, but “information” never takes an ‘s’ or “these”). (C) “that” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “those” is a Meaning Trap and Structural Error.
17 (A) this / those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The stapler is singular and in hand (this). “Scissors” is a plural noun and is sitting far away (those).
- Error Analysis: (B) “this / that” is a Structural Error (“that scissors” is incorrect). (D) “these / those” is a Structural Error (“these stapler” is incorrect). (C) “that / these” is a Meaning Trap.
18 (C) These / these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Both the reports and the charts are in the large stack currently being handed over (zero distance), and both are plural.
- Error Analysis: (A) “Those / those” is a Meaning Trap (they are not far away). (B) “This / this” is a Structural Error (both are plural). (D) “They / them” is a Common Mistake.
19 (A) this / those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The working tablet is singular and in hand (this). The broken tablets are plural and on the far shelf (those).
- Error Analysis: (B) “this / these” is a Meaning Trap (the broken ones are not near). (C) “that / those” is a Meaning Trap (the working one is in hand). (D) “these / that” is a Structural Error.
20 (B) this / those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The physical folder is singular and in hand (this). The emails were sent yesterday, representing a metaphorical distance in past time, and are plural (those).
- Error Analysis: (A) “this / these” is a Meaning Trap (we use “those” for things firmly in the past). (D) “these / those” is a Structural Error (“these folder” is incorrect). (C) “that / those” is a Meaning Trap (folder is in hand).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- The “Zero Distance” Rule: When you are performing the action of handing something to someone, the distance between you and the object is zero. You MUST use This (for singular items) or These (for plural items). You cannot use That or Those for an item you are actively passing to someone.
- Presenting / Giving Items: When handing something over, we often say “These are…” or “This is…” (e.g., “These are your files”). Never use personal pronouns like “They are your files” or “It is your file” when initially presenting the physical object to them.
- Beware of “Plural Only” Nouns in the Office: Items like glasses or scissors are always plural. Even if you are handing over just one pair of scissors, you must say, “Use these scissors,” NOT “Use this scissors.”
- Beware of Uncountable Nouns: Words like information, data, advice, equipment are uncountable and act like singular nouns. If you hand someone a massive stack of papers, you still say, “Read this information,” NOT “Read these informations.”
- Physical vs. Temporal Distance (Advanced tip): Use This/These for the physical documents in your hand right now, but use That/Those to refer to events, emails, or conversations that happened in the past (e.g., “This contract confirms those emails we sent yesterday.”)