Demonstrative Adjectives: Meaning, Types, and Examples

Demonstrative Adjectives: Have you ever said, “ This toy is my favorite! ” or “ Those cookies look yummy! ”? If so, you’ve already used demonstrative adjectives without even knowing it! These are special words that help us point to the specific things we’re talking about, making our sentences clearer and more engaging.

Demonstrative adjectives include this , that , these , and those , and they tell us whether an item is close to or far from the speaker and whether it’s singular or plural.

Demonstrative Pronouns

What Are Demonstrative Adjectives?

Demonstrative adjectives, also called demonstrative determiners, are words that describe and modify nouns by specifying their relative position or distance. They include:

• This (singular, near)

• That (singular, far)

• These (plural, near)

• Those (plural, far)

They always come before a noun and help indicate whether the noun is near or far from the speaker in physical distance, time, or abstract sense.

Examples of Demonstrative Adjectives in Sentences:

• This book is very interesting. (Near the speaker)

• That building is under construction. (Far from the speaker)

• These flowers smell amazing. (Near and plural)

• Those mountains look beautiful. (Far and plural)

How are Demonstrative Adjectives used in Sentences?

Adjectives

Demonstrative Adjectives Examples

• This pencil writes smoothly.
• That building looks impressive from here.
• These puzzles are challenging and fun.
• Those kids play soccer every afternoon.
• This jacket is perfect for the winter.
• That dog barked all night long.
• These pictures remind me of our last vacation.
• Those chairs need to be moved to the other room.
• This recipe is easy to follow and delicious.
• That book on the shelf is a bestseller.

Types of Demonstrative Adjectives

1. Singular Demonstrative Adjectives

2. Plural Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative Adjectives Practice Questions

1. Fill in the blank: ___ cat is sleeping on the couch. (The cat is close to you.)
2. Choose the correct word: ___ stars look amazing at night. (The stars are far away.)
3. Fill in the blank: ___ crayons are broken. (The crayons are in your hand.)
4. Which word fits best? ___ bicycle in the garage needs fixing. (The bicycle is far from you.)
5. Fill in the blank: ___ cupcakes smell so good! (The cupcakes are on the table next to you.)
6. Choose the correct word: ___ birds are chirping in the tree. (The birds are far away.)
7. Fill in the blank: I want to play with ___ toys. (The toys are right in front of you.)
8. Which word fits best? ___ shoes belong to my sister. (The shoes are across the room.)
9. Fill in the blank: ___ puzzles are too hard for me. (The puzzles are nearby.)
10. Choose the right word: ___ butterfly flew past me just now. (The butterfly was close to you.)

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

English Grammar

Difference Between Demonstrative Adjectives and Demonstrative Pronouns

Although demonstrative adjectives and demonstrative pronouns use the same words (this, that, these, those), they have different functions in a sentence.