What are Demonstrative Adjectives? Meaning and Examples

Demonstrative Adjectives: Have you ever wondered what difference it would make if you added demonstrations to your adjectives? Or what wonder can words like “this” and “that” or “these” and “those” work in a sentence? Are these mere words that point things out, or is there more to them than meets the eye? To unravel the mystery behind these concerns, let’s follow through this blog article until the end. It will help you learn about Demonstrative Adjectives, one of the most important adjectives, and how they vary from a Demonstrative Pronoun through the lens of definition and examples. 

Learn More About Adjective: Definition, Usage, Example, Forms, and Types here!

Check Out the Complete List of Adjectives from A to Z

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

What are Demonstrative Adjectives? – Meaning

The definition of Demonstrative Adjectives is hidden within the name itself, as it specialises in demonstration of things. In other words, it indicates or refers to the specification of the subject (noun or pronoun) in terms of the distance of something from the speaker, the time of something, or the importance of something. 

4 Common Demonstrative Adjectives

However, you must note that there are four common Demonstrative Adjectives and their implication is suitable for the following things:

S.No.	Common Demonstrative Adjectives	Usage
1.	This and That	Refers to singular things.
	Examples	These are the most important things to remember. Those are the dogs that barked at me earlier.
2.	These and Those	Refers to plural things.
	Examples	These are the most important things to remember. Those are the dogs that barked at me earlier.

Quick Read: What are Comparative and Superlative Adjectives? Everything You Need to Know

Usage and Examples of Demonstrative Adjectives

Since you have come this far in understanding this grammatical tool of English, it is time to take a look at the examples of Demonstrative Adjectives along with their usage to avoid any error in usage.

Identification of Specific Things

Examples 

• This is the car I want to buy. 
• That is the house where I grew up. 
• These are the people who are going on the trip with me. 
• Those are the books I need to read for school.

Indication of Distance

Examples

• This apple is closer than that apple. 
• These trees are taller than those trees.

Indication of Time

Examples

• This morning I went for a run. 
• That afternoon I went to the movies. 
• These past few months have been very busy. 
• Those were the best years of my life.

Emphasises Importance

Examples

• This is the most important decision you will ever make. 
• Those are the people who have helped me the most.

Do Check Out: Leverage Edu Learn English Youtube Channel

Demonstrative Adjectives vs Demonstrative Pronouns

When it comes to bringing these adjectives into usage, there are chances you might confuse them with pronouns. So let us through light on how Demonstrative Adjectives are different from Demonstrative Pronouns in the following table.

Particulars	Demonstrative Adjectives	Demonstrative Pronouns
Definition	Modifies or describes a noun	Replaces or stands in for a noun
Example	This is my favourite book.	This is my favourite.
Explanation	In the above example, the adjective ‘this’ is followed by a noun ‘book’.	On the other hand, here, the pronoun ‘this’ stands alone.

Also Read: Deciphering the Difference: Adjective vs. Adverb in English

Demonstrative Adjectives Worksheet

If you are confident enough in your learnings with us so far, then try to solve this sample exercise and check how many of them you got correct.

 Practise Exercise

Choose the correct demonstrative adjective or pronoun to complete each sentence.

1. _____ book is mine. (This/That)
2. _____ flowers are my favourites. (Those/These)
3. _____ apples are red. (These/Those)
4. _____ coat is very warm. (This/That)
5. _____ is the best day of my life. (This/That)
6. _____ are the people who helped me the most. (Those/These)
7. _____ is the most important decision you will ever make. (This/That)
8. _____ are the books I need to read for school. (Those/These)
9. _____ is the house where I grew up. (This/That)
10. _____ is the car I want to buy. (This/That)

Answers:

1. This
2. Those
3. These
4. That
5. That
6. Those
7. This
8. Those
9. That
10. This

Bonus Quiz

Complete the following sentence using a demonstrative adjective or pronoun:

1. _____ is the only thing that matters.

Answer: This

Explore more Exciting Reads on Adjectives Here!

Types of Adjectives
Descriptive Adjectives	Demonstrative Adjectives
Interrogative Adjectives	Numerical Adjectives
Possessive Adjectives	Proper Adjectives
Article Adjectives	Quantifier Adjectives
Compound Adjectives	Predicative Adjectives
Attributive Adjectives	Comparative Adjectives
Superlative Adjectives	Degree of Comparision

This was all about the Demonstrative Adjectives and how to use them. Hope you understand the concept and where it’s used. You can also follow Leverage Edu for more exciting and informative blogs.