Demonstrative Pronoun

What is a Demonstrative Pronoun?

A demonstrative pronoun is a pronoun used to point to a specific person, place, animal, or thing. It replaces a noun and clearly shows which one we are talking about and how much far the thing about which we are talking about.
Demonstrative pronoun (संकेतवाचक सर्वनाम) वह सर्वनाम होता है, जिसका उपयोग किसी विशेष व्यक्ति, स्थान, जानवर या वस्तु की ओर संकेत करने के लिए किया जाता है। यह संज्ञा के स्थान पर आता है और साफ़-साफ़ बताता है कि हम किसके बारे में बात कर रहे हैं तथा वह वस्तु कितनी दूर या पास है, जिसके बारे में चर्चा हो रही है।

1. This is my book.

2. Those are my shoes.

How many types of Demonstrative Pronouns are there?

There are 4 demonstrative pronouns in English:

Meaning and Examples in English & Hindi

This – used for one thing that is near
This is my pen.
यह मेरी कलम है।
That – used for one thing that is far
That is your house.
वह तुम्हारा घर है।
These – used for more than one thing that is near
These are fresh apples.
ये ताज़े सेब हैं।
Those – used for more than one thing that is far
Those are tall buildings.
वे ऊँची इमारतें हैं।
Some more examples:

This is my notebook.
यह मेरी नोटबुक है।
This book is very useful.
यह किताब बहुत उपयोगी है।
That is not the correct answer.
वह सही उत्तर नहीं है।
That pen belongs to the teacher.
वह पेन शिक्षक का है।
These are my best friends.
ये मेरे सबसे अच्छे दोस्त हैं।
These shoes are too tight.
ये जूते बहुत तंग हैं।
Those were the happiest days of my life.
वे मेरे जीवन के सबसे खुशहाल दिन थे।
Those students are very hardworking.
वे छात्र बहुत मेहनती हैं।
This is what I was talking about.
इसी के बारे में मैं बात कर रहा था।
This problem needs careful thinking.
इस समस्या को ध्यान से सोचने की ज़रूरत है।
That is exactly what I wanted.
वही है जो मैं चाहता था।
That house looks very old.
वह घर बहुत पुराना लगता है।
These are the rules of the game.
ये खेल के नियम हैं।
These exercises will improve your English.
ये अभ्यास आपकी अंग्रेज़ी सुधारेंगे।
Those are not my words.
वे मेरे शब्द नहीं हैं।

Common Mistakes

1. Mistake: Using wrong singular/plural form ❌

Wrong:
This are my books.

Correct:
These are my books.

Explanation:

This / That → Singular
These / Those → Plural

Examples:

This is my pen. ✅
These are my pens. ✅

2. Mistake: Confusing near and far objects ❌

Wrong:
This is my house. (when house is far away)

Correct:
That is my house.

Explanation:

This / These → Near
That / Those → Far

Examples:

This is my bag. (near)
That is your school. (far)

3. Mistake: Using “This” for plural nouns ❌

Wrong:
This students are playing.

Correct:
These students are playing.

4. Mistake: Using “These” for singular nouns ❌

Wrong:
These is my friend.

Correct:
This is my friend.

5. Mistake: Using wrong verb form ❌

Wrong:
This are a dog.

Correct:
This is a dog.

Rule:

This / That → use is
These / Those → use are

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is a demonstrative pronoun?

A demonstrative pronoun is used to point to specific people or things.

Examples:

This is my phone.
Those are birds.

Q2. What is the difference between “This” and “That”?

This	That
Near	Far
Singular	Singular
Example: This is my pen.	Example: That is your car.

Q3. What is the difference between “These” and “Those”?

These	Those
Near	Far
Plural	Plural
These are my books.	Those are your shoes.

Q4. Can we use demonstrative pronouns for people?

Yes.

Examples:

This is my teacher.
Those are my friends.

Q5. Can we use demonstrative pronouns in present continuous tense?

Yes.

Examples:

This is my brother playing cricket.
Those are children running in the park.

Q6. How do we identify near and far?

Near = this, these
Far = that, those

Example:

This is my phone. (in hand)
That is your phone. (far away)

Q7. Can demonstrative pronouns be used in questions?

Yes.

Examples:

What is this?
Who are those?

8. Common Spoken Mistake in India ❌

Wrong:
These is my house.

Correct:
This is my house