Demonstrative Pronouns Exercises PDFSet 2: Demonstrative Pronouns vs Determiners: This, That, These, Those
20 questions·15 min·Answers included·Explanations included
Preview: Questions
Fill in the blank with the correct option.
1.[Reading a maths problem] ___ is really hard to understand. Can you help me?
a) Theseb) Thisc) Thatd) Those
2.I'm busy ___ week, but I'm free next week.
a) thatb) thec) ad) this
3.___ were the happiest days of my life.
a) Theseb) Thisc) Thosed) That
4.[Standing at the sink] Who left ___ dirty plates here? They aren't mine.
a) thisb) thatc) thosed) these
5.I bought a new laptop yesterday. ___ was quite expensive.
a) Itb) Thatc) Thisd) These
... and 15 more questions in the PDF
Preview: Answers
1.This
2.this
3.Those
4.these
5.It
... and 15 more answers in the PDF
Preview: Explanations
1."This"(b)
The speaker is looking at the maths problem right now (near — it is in front of them), and it is singular, so we use 'this' as a pronoun. No noun follows 'this' here — it stands alone.
2."this"(d)
'This week' means the current week — the one we are in now. We use 'this' for the present time period. 'That week' would refer to a week in the past or future, not the current one.
3."Those"(c)
The speaker is looking back at days in the past (far in time), and 'days' is plural, so we use 'those'. The verb 'were' also confirms a plural subject.
4."these"(d)
The speaker is standing at the sink ('here'), and 'plates' is plural, so 'these' is correct. The stage direction and 'here' confirm proximity.
5."It"(a)
When we refer back to a specific noun already mentioned ('a new laptop'), we normally use the personal pronoun 'it', not a demonstrative. We use 'this/that' to point to or emphasise something, but for simple back-reference to a known object, 'it' is standard.
... and 15 more explanations in the PDF
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