A demonstrative adjective is an adjective that identifies which noun is meant by marking its distance and number, as in this book on my desk. Demonstrative adjective example sentences with this, that, these, and those pair each word with a noun, from everyday errands to classroom grammar and workplace writing.
What Is a Demonstrative Adjective?
A demonstrative adjective modifies a noun to show whether it is close or distant and whether it refers to one or more than one. A demonstrative pronoun replaces a noun and works alone, while a demonstrative adjective always comes directly before the noun it modifies.
this / that (singular) + these / those (plural)
This morning I drank two cups of coffee before the meeting started.
Common Demonstrative Adjective Example Sentences
A coat on a hook, tomatoes from a grandmother’s garden, and footprints in the sand all need a demonstrative adjective to single them out by distance and number.
- This coat hanging on the hook is mine.
- That restaurant across the street has a long waiting list on Friday evenings, and the pasta is worth the wait.
- These flowers in the garden bloom twice a year.
- In the distance, those mountains are covered with snow all winter.
- On her first day at the school, Amara noticed this classroom was much smaller than the one she had left behind.
- That answer on the board needs a correction before anyone copies it down.
- Jorge picked these tomatoes from his grandmother’s garden before breakfast.
- Early each morning, those birds on the roof wake the whole neighborhood.
- A pinch of black pepper makes this soup taste even richer.
- At the market, that vendor sells the freshest bread in town.
- These chairs in the conference room need new cushions.
- Rain is on the way whenever those dark clouds gather on the horizon.
- Lina keeps this notebook in her backpack for quick reminders.
- That bridge was built more than a hundred years ago.
- These new rules go into effect on Monday morning.
- Before we reached the pier, those footprints in the sand had already disappeared.
This, That, These, and Those With Singular and Plural Nouns
A pen on a desk, hikers on a far trail, and a remembered summer in Kyoto show how the four demonstrative adjectives split by distance and number. This and that take a singular noun, while these and those take a plural.
| Demonstrative adjective | Distance and number | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| This | Near, singular | This pen on my desk writes in blue ink. |
| That | Far, singular | That house at the end of the lane has a red door. |
| These | Near, plural | These keys in my pocket open the front door of the office. |
| Those | Far, plural | Those hikers on the trail started before dawn. |
| This | Near in time | This week I have three deadlines to meet. |
| That | Far in time | That summer we visited our cousins in Kyoto. |
| These | Near in time, plural | These past few months have been productive for the whole team. |
| Those | Far in time, plural | Those early years of the company set the direction for every decision that followed. |
Sentences With This
A morning walk to the park, a grandfather’s oak tree, and a painting from Lisbon are among the near singular nouns that "this" picks out in everyday speech.
- This morning we walked to the park instead of driving.
- Priya wrapped this scarf around her neck before stepping outside into the cold.
- Straight to the harbor, this road runs past the old church, the bakery, and the village square before ending at the waterfront.
- I borrowed this umbrella from the front desk early yesterday morning and forgot to return it.
- A pinch of cinnamon makes this porridge taste better than any breakfast at the hotel.
- After the renovation, this room feels twice as large as before.
- This train departs at half past seven every weekday.
- My grandfather planted this oak tree when he was a young man working on the family farm.
- On the far wall, this painting was a gift from a friend in Lisbon.
- During the blackout, this flashlight was the only one with a working battery.
- This jacket is too tight across the shoulders.
- Nadia returned this library book three days past the deadline.
- For this summer, the family plans to hike the entire coast trail.
- Every cold morning, this old radiator makes a rattling sound.
- Before signing, read this paragraph in the contract a second time.
Sentences With That
A stray cat behind a fence, a crack in a ceiling, and a graduation speech are the distant or past nouns that "that" singles out from everything nearer.
- That stray cat behind the fence returns at the same hour every evening.
- We finished that puzzle in one long afternoon at the cabin.
- On the radio, that song reminds me of my first road trip.
- Over by the fountain, that statue was carved from marble in the eighteenth century.
- Sara insisted that crack in the ceiling needed a repair before the rainy season.
- Lasting twenty minutes longer than expected, that speech at the graduation ceremony tested everyone’s patience.
- Neighbors on the south side of the street complained about that broken streetlight for three weeks before the city replaced the bulb.
- That old map in the attic turned out to be worth more than all the furniture in the house.
- In the afternoon, that field behind the school becomes a cricket ground.
- You left that jacket at the restaurant last Friday.
- Near the end, that chapter of the novel describes a shipwreck and a rescue by strangers.
- My cousin wore that silver bracelet to every family dinner for a full year.
- Before the deadline, that final report still needed two more graphs and a revised introduction.
- Closed from November to March, that mountain trail is too dangerous in heavy snowfall.
- During the interview, that unexpected question caught every applicant off guard.
- An antique collector offered a high price for that grandfather clock in the hallway.
- That ferry to the island runs once a day and departs at noon.
Sentences With These
Stacked library books, freshly baked rolls, and tangled headphone wires are the near plural nouns that "these" gathers into a single reference.
- These library books are due back by Friday afternoon.
- Yuto baked these rolls from scratch early in the morning.
- No matter how I fold the wire, these headphones keep tangling.
- In the lobby, these posters advertise the spring concert and the charity run.
- After one hike, these new boots gave me blisters on both heels.
- Half the class brought these printouts to the discussion instead of the full chapter.
- Sweeter than anything at the grocery store, these strawberries from the farmers’ market sell out by nine every Saturday morning.
- Right after the meeting, these notes will go into the shared folder for the team.
- Dating back to the nineteen fifties, these old photographs in the drawer show the town before the highway was built.
- At the checkout counter, these coupons save two dollars on every purchase over ten.
- These traffic delays on the bridge have doubled the morning commute.
- Ravi planted these sunflowers along the garden wall in early April.
- Trickier than the ones on the whiteboard, these math problems on the worksheet need a second look.
- My neighbor donated these winter coats to the shelter before the first frost.
- For the potluck dinner, these samosas and spring rolls are the first dishes to run out.
- Every runner in the club wants these lightweight trainers for the autumn race.
Sentences With Those
Distant rooftops, faded postcards from a decade ago, and geese on a frozen lake are the far plural nouns that "those" separates from what is close at hand.
- Those rooftops across the valley turn gold in the late afternoon sun.
- Fatima kept those postcards from her year abroad in a wooden chest.
- All through the winter, those geese on the frozen lake refused to fly south.
- On the far side of the park, those benches are shaded by old elm trees.
- Caked with mud from the garden, those shoes by the back door need a good scrub before anyone wears them again.
- My aunt donated those oil paintings to the local gallery last spring.
- Those fireworks over the harbor lit up the sky for twenty minutes.
- At the end of the corridor, those storage rooms have not been opened in years.
- A full month before the ceremony, those wedding invitations had already arrived.
- Across the river, those fishing boats leave the dock at four in the morning.
- Dropped from the counter, a ceramic pot left those long scratches on the kitchen tile.
- During the drought, those crops in the outer fields dried out before harvest.
- Winning prizes at the regional fair, those science projects earned the school a trophy.
- Our grandfather told us those stories about the lighthouse every winter evening.
- Those streetlights near the station flicker after midnight and go dark by two.
- Parked on the gravel since Tuesday, those two bicycles have not been moved by anyone in the neighborhood.
Near and Far Demonstrative Adjectives in Sentences
A chair at your elbow versus a chair by the window, apples in your basket versus apples on a far shelf, and a wall for today versus a wall for tomorrow show the near-or-far split. This and these mark what is close, while that and those mark what is distant.
- This chair next to me is comfortable, but that chair by the window has a wobbly leg.
- Ripe and red, these apples in my basket look nothing like those green apples at the back of the shelf.
- Hand me this folder on the desk, not that folder on the top shelf.
- At noon, this street is quiet, but that street near the highway rumbles with traffic.
- The teacher asked whether the answer was on these papers on her desk or on those papers by the door.
- Only knee-deep, this end of the pool is nothing like that end, where the water reaches three metres.
- These cookies just came out of the oven, but those cookies on the rack have been cooling for an hour.
- I will paint this wall today and leave that wall for tomorrow.
- Staying home this summer feels different from that summer the family spent in Greece.
- Today’s lecture left these notes looking messy, but those notes from last week are neatly written.
- Take this pen right here because that pen by the printer is out of ink.
- Up front, these seats give the best view, while those seats in the last row are too far from the stage.
Demonstrative Adjectives in Questions
Teachers checking homework, shoppers choosing between jackets, and parents asking about a noise downstairs all phrase their queries with a demonstrative adjective and a singular or plural noun.
- Did you finish this assignment before the bell rang?
- Has that package from the online store arrived yet?
- Are these gloves yours or your sister’s?
- Were those fireworks part of the festival or a private celebration?
- Is this seat taken, or am I free to use it?
- Who left that bicycle in the middle of the driveway?
- Should I wash these dishes now or leave them until after dinner?
- Do those streetlights near the park still work after the storm?
- Was this pie made from the apples we picked on Saturday?
- Had that roof leaked before the landlord replaced the tiles?
- Will these new batteries last longer than the old ones?
- Why did those students leave the classroom ten minutes before the lesson ended and miss the review?
Demonstrative Adjective Example Sentences for Kids
A teddy bear on a bed, ducks on a pond, and a kite high in the sky are the near and far nouns that young learners pick out with this, that, these, and those.
- This teddy bear on my bed is my favorite.
- That kite in the sky is flying really high.
- All of these crayons are brand new.
- Those ducks on the pond are swimming in a circle.
- I drew this picture of my family.
- Look at that rainbow after the rain.
- These cookies taste like chocolate and peanut butter.
- Far away in the dark sky, those stars look very bright.
- My teacher gave me this gold sticker for my homework.
- That puppy in the window is wagging its tail.
- We built a tall tower with these colorful building blocks and then knocked it down before lunch.
- Mum said those shoes are too big for me right now.
- Dad put this sandwich and that apple in my lunchbox for school.
Demonstrative Adjective Example Sentences for Students
A lab notebook, a thesis draft, and a lecture slide with missing data are the academic nouns that students single out with a demonstrative adjective during revision and exams.
- This essay needs a stronger opening sentence before you hand it in.
- Professor Tanaka graded that midterm in less than a week.
- Recorded during the morning session, these lab readings do not match the expected values from the textbook.
- Those lecture slides from last semester are still on the university portal.
- I highlighted this paragraph because it supports my thesis.
- That formula on the revision sheet turned up on the final exam.
- At the bottom of the research paper, these footnotes need proper formatting before submission.
- On the reading list, those two novels were written in the same decade.
- This graph shows a steep rise in temperature between March and June.
- Before the defense, that chapter of the dissertation needed three more references.
- These practice questions are trickier than the ones in the textbook.
- Those vocabulary flashcards helped me score full marks on the quiz.
- Late on Sunday evening, this final draft of the report was still missing its conclusion and bibliography.
Demonstrative Adjectives and Demonstrative Pronouns in the Same Sentence
The word "this" before "coat" and "this" standing alone, or "those" before "tickets" and "those" standing alone, show how the same word shifts between adjective and pronoun in a single sentence. More adjective sentences show a wider range of the same shift.
- This coat is mine, yet this is the only one left on the rack.
- That recipe won the contest, and that is why the chef published it.
- These shoes are comfortable, but these are too narrow for my left foot.
- Those tickets sold out in minutes, though those were the cheapest in the row.
- Hanging on the left wall, this painting is a river scene, while this is a portrait of the artist’s mother.
- That answer is correct, and that is all the proof the examiner needed.
- These chairs are wooden, yet these are padded with leather cushions.
- Those berries are wild, but those are the ones the farmer planted last year.
- Leading down to the lake, this path is the one we walked yesterday, and this is the shorter of the two.
- Spreading through the office before anyone checked the facts, those rumors alarmed the whole team, though those were never confirmed.
Sentences Rewritten With the Correct Demonstrative Adjective
Writing "this" before a plural noun, writing "these" before a singular noun, and writing "them" where "those" is needed are the three errors that learners catch and correct in grammar practice.
- These shoes are too small for me ✅, wrong as This shoes are too small for me ❌.
- This book on the shelf is a first edition ✅, wrong as These book on the shelf is a first edition ❌.
- In the park, those children are playing tag ✅, wrong as Them children in the park are playing tag ❌.
- That problem on the test was the hardest ✅, wrong as Those problem on the test was the hardest ❌.
- These flowers need water every day ✅, wrong as This flowers need water every day ❌.
- After the storm, this umbrella is broken ✅, wrong as These umbrella is broken ❌.
- On the hill, those houses were built in the nineteen twenties ✅, wrong as Them houses on the hill were built in the nineteen twenties ❌.
- That window needs a new pane of glass ✅, wrong as Those window needs a new pane of glass ❌.
- All of these documents are ready for the meeting ✅, wrong as This documents are ready for the meeting ❌.
- Reserved for the evening show, those seats at the back of the theater are not for sale ✅, wrong as Them seats at the back of the theater are reserved ❌.
Related
- Parts of Speech Example Sentences
- Comparative Adjective Example Sentences
- Interrogative Adjective Example Sentences
FAQs
A demonstrative adjective and a demonstrative pronoun differ in function, because the adjective modifies a noun while the pronoun replaces one. In "this coat is warm," the word "this" is an adjective because it comes before the noun "coat," but in "this is warm," the same word is a pronoun because no noun follows it. The same split applies to that, these, and those: each word is an adjective when a noun comes after it and a pronoun when it works alone.
English has four demonstrative adjectives: this, that, these, and those. This and that modify singular nouns, while these and those modify plural nouns. The same four words also double as demonstrative pronouns when no noun follows them, which is why some grammar books say English has four demonstrative words rather than four adjectives and four pronouns.
Demonstrative adjectives and demonstrative determiners are two names for the same set of words in most modern grammars. Traditional school grammar calls this, that, these, and those "demonstrative adjectives" because they describe a noun, while modern linguistics calls them "demonstrative determiners" because they specify which noun the speaker means. Both labels point to the same four words doing the same job in a sentence.
"This" is the right demonstrative adjective when the noun is near the speaker in distance or time, while "that" is the right one when the noun is farther away. In "this pen in my hand," the pen is within reach, but in "that pen on the far table," it is not. The same near-and-far split applies to time: "this morning" means today, while "that morning" refers to a past day.
"These" is the plural demonstrative adjective for nouns that are close to the speaker, while "those" is the plural form for nouns that are farther away. In "these books on my desk," the books are within arm’s reach, but in "those books on the top shelf," they are not. Mixing the two up is a common mistake on grammar tests, so checking the distance of the noun is the fastest way to choose.
You identify a demonstrative adjective by finding this, that, these, or those directly before a noun it modifies. In "those clouds look dark," the word "those" is an adjective because it comes before the noun "clouds" and tells the reader which clouds are meant. If the same word comes without a noun after it, as in "those look dark," it is a pronoun, and more parts of speech sentences show the same test at work.
"The" is not a demonstrative adjective in standard English grammar, because grammarians classify it as a definite determiner rather than a demonstrative word. A demonstrative adjective signals both definiteness and distance (near or far), while "the" signals definiteness alone and says nothing about distance. The four demonstrative adjectives remain this, that, these, and those, and "the" falls into its own one-word category.
Ten demonstrative adjective example sentences run through all four words in one pass. This backpack is too heavy. That clock on the wall is five minutes slow. These oranges are ripe. Those mountains are covered with fog. This morning feels colder than yesterday. That movie lasted three hours. These instructions are hard to follow. Those letters arrived a week late. This road is the longest route to the coast. That old piano needs tuning before the recital.
A demonstrative adjective and a possessive adjective both come before a noun, but they do different work. The demonstrative adjective tells the listener which noun by marking distance, while the possessive adjective tells the listener whose noun it is. In "this jacket" the speaker picks out a specific jacket nearby, but in "my jacket" the speaker names the owner.
Demonstrative adjectives in English do not add endings for gender, case, or formality the way they do in Spanish, French, or German. The only change is between singular and plural: "this" becomes "these" for a plural noun, and "that" becomes "those." Because English demonstrative adjectives never change beyond number, learners of English have fewer forms to memorize than learners of most other European languages.
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