this, that, these, those
Near and far, one and many — the pointing words. The whole grammar fits in an arm gesture.
From age 5Cambridge level: Pre-A1 Starters
- Age
- Ages 5–11
- Level
- Pre-A1
- Skill
- Grammar
- Format
- Teacher guide
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.
Mini exercise: choose the right word
Five sentences from this page, each with a word missing. A child taps the word that fits and, once it is right, hears the whole sentence.
blank is my desk.
blank are my pens.
blank apple is red.
blank cloud is big.
Look at blank stars!
What you will actually hear
The mistakes that come up in every class, and what is behind each one, with a tag on those a first language makes typical.
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.
Typical for Arabic speakers
This is my toys.These are my toys.
Arabic points at a group of things with a singular word («هذه ألعابي», literally “this my toys”), so children say This is my toys. English needs these are for more than one.
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.
More from “First words”
Related resources
Presentation
This, That, These, Those Presentation
This, That, These, Those presentation for ESL kids: the rule in plain words, a form table, 8 examples and practice with answers. Free PPTX and PDF.
Worksheet
This, that, these, those — worksheet
Fill the gap, put the words in order, circle the right one — answers at the bottom.
Teaching Guide
My, your, his, her
Whose is it? The four little words that let a child claim a toy, share a crayon and introduce the whole family.
Teaching Guide
In, on, under — where things are
The words that put a thing somewhere. Three to start with, and a toy box is the only material you need.