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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.
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Learn More About Adjective: Definition, Usage, Example, Forms, and Types here!
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.
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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.
- _____ book is mine. (This/That)
- _____ flowers are my favourites. (Those/These)
- _____ apples are red. (These/Those)
- _____ coat is very warm. (This/That)
- _____ is the best day of my life. (This/That)
- _____ are the people who helped me the most. (Those/These)
- _____ is the most important decision you will ever make. (This/That)
- _____ are the books I need to read for school. (Those/These)
- _____ is the house where I grew up. (This/That)
- _____ is the car I want to buy. (This/That)
Answers:
- This
- Those
- These
- That
- That
- Those
- This
- Those
- That
- This
Bonus Quiz
Complete the following sentence using a demonstrative adjective or pronoun:
- _____ is the only thing that matters.
Answer: This
Explore more Exciting Reads on Adjectives Here!
FAQs
Demonstrative adjectives are words that modify a noun by pointing to a specific thing or group of things. They include “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those.” These adjectives help indicate the noun’s location in relation to the speaker.
Examples:
“This book is interesting.” (refers to a book near the speaker)
“That house is beautiful.” (refers to a house farther from the speaker)
“These apples are fresh.” (refers to apples close to the speaker)
“Those mountains are tall.” (refers to mountains farther from the speaker)
Demonstrative pronouns are used to replace nouns and point to something specific. Here are 20 examples in sentences:
This is my favorite.
That was a memorable day.
These are delicious.
Those belong to him.
This is incredible!
I like that.
These make me happy.
Are those yours?
This works well.
That is very expensive.
These are difficult to understand.
Those were the days!
Is this for me?
That wasn’t necessary.
These need to be cleaned.
Those look amazing.
I’ll take this.
Could you pass me that?
These are mine.
Were those the right answers?
A demonstrative word is simply any word that points to a specific item, usually indicating location or distance. Example: “This” is a demonstrative word, as it points out something close to the speaker.
The four main demonstrative pronouns are “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those.” Used in different sentences, these four pronouns can provide twelve unique examples:
This is yours.
That is mine.
These are new.
Those are old.
Is this correct?
I remember that.
These were broken.
Those are expensive.
This looks good.
That seems right.
Are these yours?
I don’t like those.
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.
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