this, that, these, those
Near and far, one and many — the pointing words. The whole grammar fits in an arm gesture.
From age 5First words →
✏️ The pattern
- Saying it
- This is a cat. / Those are dogs.
- Saying no
- That is not my bag.
- Asking
- What is this? / What are those?
- Short answer
- It's a pen. / They're birds.
🗣️ Sentences a child can say
Tap any sentence to hear it. Every one uses words from a topic pack you already have.
🩹 What you will actually hear
The three mistakes that come up in every class, and what is behind each one.
This are my toys.These are my toys.
This grows a plural twin: one thing near = this, many things near = these. The s on are needs an s-friend.
What is that? — That is pens.What are those? — Those are pens.
Question and answer must agree in number — if the answer is plural, the question already was.
🎯 How to teach it
- 1
The gesture IS the grammar: touch for this/these, point across the room for that/those. Drill with arms before words.
- 2
Play near-far: a child names anything they can touch ('this chair'), then anything they cannot ('that window'). Swap on a clap.
- 3
For these/those, hand out pairs of objects. One pencil is 'this pencil'; push two together and the class shouts 'THESE pencils!'
🗂️ Topic packs that pair with this
Same structure, words your class already knows — no new vocabulary needed.
💬 Questions teachers ask
All four at once, or this/that first?
This and that first, for a week or two — distance is the easy half. Add these/those when plurals themselves are steady, or the two new rules tangle.
Is 'What is this?' worth drilling as a chunk?
It is the single most useful classroom question — the child who owns it can ask for any word they lack, forever. Drill it until it is automatic.