Demonstratives are the words we use to point to something in a situation. You will find a series of fantastic worksheets below that acquaint students with this type of vocabulary and their use in common sentence writing. These worksheets have a great deal of variety as to what students are asked to do. We begin by choosing the placement of words. We then advance on to recognizing the proper usage of a word based on relative placement. We move on to analyze sentences and break down their function of words. As we progress, we move on to rewriting sentences with this skill in mind. We advance to writing full paragraphs based on them with use of theme-based adjectives and pronouns. In the end we learn how to organize our writing with regards to distance and time. This is an important skill to advance our writing skills.
Printable Demonstrative Worksheets
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Recognizing Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns point to something specific in a sentence. They can point to something that is either close or far away in distance or time.
Using Demonstratives
The words this/these indicate something that is close to the speaker in distance or time. The words that/those indicate something that is far away from the speaker in distance or time. These can be used as either adjectives or pronouns.
This, That, These, or Those
Decide which of these makes the most sense when you read it aloud. Circle the correct word to complete each sentence.
Practice Worksheet
In each sentence, underline the idea that the pronoun refers to. You may need to read each sentence several times.
Identify and Use It Worksheet
This worksheet will review each form of use that we have covered thus far. You will practice using these terms as both an adjective and pronoun. You will even be able to work off of the articles that are present.
Underline It!
Underline the word target in each sentence. Indicate whether it is being used as a pronoun or an adjective.
Clarifying Demonstratives
Rewrite the second sentence of each pair to clarify the idea that the pronoun this refers to. You may use this, that, these, or those as an adjective (followed by a noun or noun phrase). Rewrite only the second sentence.
Writing with Power
Rewrite each sentence, replacing the subject with a better word to add a sense of power.
Writing with Authority
Write a paragraph about something you did recently. Use at least five demonstrative adjectives and pronouns in your paragraph. Underline where you placed them. These terms should bolster your thoughts.
Sentence Rewrites
Rewrite the second sentence in each pair below, using a demonstrative pronoun to simplify it.
Writing Clearly
Rewrite the second sentence to demonstrate your use of the skills that we have learned.
Practice Worksheet
We will identify the use of these words and then we will explore sentences to see how they are used in each instance.
What are Demonstratives in the English Language?
In English, demonstratives (this, that, these, those) are words used to identify specific things. They can be used to point out something in the present moment or refer to something in the past or future. These words help make communication clearer by specifying who or what is being talked about.
These are words that we use to point out or refer to specific people or things. There are four main demonstratives in the English language: this, that, these, and those. They are often used to establish a sense of relationship between two things. They can be used to display a physical position. For example: The ball is near Jacob. The word "near" tell us that the general position of the ball. Demonstratives can also be used to display a psychological state. For example: My brother and I are very close. The word "close" in this sentence indicates a sense of a relationship between two siblings. You can also use them to point out specific objects. For example: Have you seen this pair of sneakers. The word "this" singles out a specific pair of sneakers. There is no general rule for the placement of demonstratives within sentences. They can be found attached to the subject of the sentence or they can freely float around a sentence. The series of worksheets below will help students learn how to identify demonstratives and they will move on to helping students use them in their own sentences.
Use of This
This is a word we often use daily, but what does it actually mean? This demonstrative pronoun refers to something nearby, either in space or time. For example, "this book is mine" means the book is close to me, near me, or in my possession. We can also refer to something happening now, as in "this is fun."
When we use this as a pronoun, it always takes the place of a noun. Depending on the context, we can use it to refer to people or things. For example, "this man is my husband" means the man is the subject, and husband is the noun that this replaces. Alternatively, we could say, "this book is about history," where the book is the subject and history is the noun that this replaces.
Use of That
"That" is a demonstrative pronoun that can be used both as a singular and plural pronoun. It can be used to indicate something that is nearby or something that is far away. For example, pointing to an object, you would use "that" to refer to it.
"That" can also be used as a determiner before a noun. In this case, it has a similar meaning to "the." For example, you might say "I saw that man earlier" to mean "the man I saw earlier."
When "that" is used as a pronoun or determiner, it can often be omitted without changing the sentence's meaning. For example, instead of saying, "I saw that man earlier," you could simply say, "I saw him earlier."
"That" can also be used as a conjunction, joining two clauses together. For example, you might say, "I'm going to the store, and that's where I'll buy some milk."
Use of These and Those
These are English's most commonly used words, yet they are often misused. "These" is used to point out something present or near in space or time. It should not be used to mean "those," which is used to point out something distant in space or time.
When using "these," make sure that the thing or things you are referring to are near or present. For example, if you are holding up a book and a pencil, you would say, "these are my favorite books." You would not say, "those are my favorite books," because the books are right in front of you.
If you want to refer to something that is not near or present, use "those." For example, "I saw those books over there, and I want to read them." Remember, "these" refers to things that are near or present, and "those" refers to things that are distant or past.
Wrapping Up
Demonstratives are words that identify specific objects, people, or places. There are three demonstratives in the English language - this, that, these, and those. These words are an important part of the English language, and they can be used to help make your writing clear.