Demonstrative THOSE — When and How to Use It
Quick Answer
Use those for more than one thing that is far from you — birds in the sky, cars across the street, books on the highest shelf.
Example: Those mountains are tall. (The mountains in the distance.)
THOSE in Action — See the Pattern
Read these three sentences. Look at how those works:
- Those are my parents. (Two people across the room.)
- Look at those stars! (Many stars in the sky.)
- Those shoes are too expensive. (Shoes in the shop window, not in my hand.)
When to Use THOSE
Use those when more than one thing is far from you — across the room, in the sky, in the past. It is the plural of “that.”
- Pointing at many things far away: “Those birds are loud.”
- Talking about people across the room: “Those kids are noisy.”
- Talking about a past time with many memories: “Those were the best years.”
- Replacing many things already mentioned: “Those are great ideas.”
Easy way to remember: Those = many + far. More than one thing, away from you. “That” + plural = “those” — same distance, more things.
The Rule in One Line: Use those for more than one thing that is far from you.
Real-Life Examples With THOSE
Here are examples you might say or hear in everyday life:
- Those trees in the park are very old. (The trees are far across the park.)
- Those are my friends over there. (Two or more people across the room.)
- Those shoes in the shop are nice. (The shoes in the shop window.)
- Those were happy days. (Many days in the past, far away in time.)
- Look at those clouds! (Several clouds in the sky.)
You are doing great. Now let’s look at the mistakes many learners make.
Three Mistakes to Avoid With THOSE
The most common mix-up is using “those” for one thing or for things in your hand. “Those” needs both: more than one, and far. If you only have one of those two, you need a different word.
Using those for one far thing
✗ Those car at the end of the road is mine.
✓ That car at the end of the road is mine.
Using those for things near you
✗ Those are my keys (in my hand).
✓ These are my keys (in my hand).
Using that for many far things
✗ That birds in the sky are loud.
✓ Those birds in the sky are loud.
How to remember: Many + far = those. Picture pointing at the sky — many things, all far away.
Common “those” sentences: those birds, those people over there, those were the days, those cars, look at those.
Test Yourself: THOSE
Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Click Check to see if you are right.
1. _______ birds in the tree are very loud.
2. _______ shoes in the shop window are beautiful.
3. _______ are my parents over there.
4. _______ were the best years of my life.
5. Look at _______ stars in the sky tonight!
Keep Going — You Are Building Something
You just learned those — the fourth and last demonstrative. Now you can point at one thing or many, near or far, with the right word every time: this, that, these, those.
Now imagine you are showing a friend around your house. “This is my room. That is your bag. Those are her shoes.” Words like my, your, and her are also tiny pointing words — but they say who owns it, not where it is. There are six of them, and learners get them mixed up all the time.
Next lesson: Possessive Adjectives — My, Your, His, Her, Our, Their
My name is Khamis Maiouf. I am the creator of the English Teacher Site, dedicated to providing valuable resources and insights for students around the world. With a passion for education and a commitment to helping students enhance their skills, I aim to make English teaching more effective and enjoyable for both educators and students.
