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These vs Those ā€“ Meanings, Differences, Usage, Examples, Tricks

Last Updated: April 28, 2024

These vs Those ā€“ Meanings, Differences, Usage, Examples, Tricks

These vs Those

Dive into the comprehensive guide on ā€˜These vs Thoseā€™ and unravel the subtle distinctions impacting communication dynamics. Explore practical examples illustrating the usage of ā€˜theseā€™ and ā€˜thoseā€™ in various contexts. Enhance your understanding of how these terms affect effective communication strategies, enabling you to convey ideas with precision and clarity. Elevate your language skills and enrich your communication toolkit with this insightful exploration.

These vs Those ā€“ Meanings

  • These: ā€œTheseā€ is a demonstrative pronoun used to refer to objects or people that are near in distance or time relative to the speaker. It indicates items or individuals that are within the immediate vicinity or have been recently mentioned in the conversation. For example, ā€œThese flowers in the garden are beautifulā€ highlights flowers that are close to the speaker.
  • Those: In contrast, ā€œThoseā€ is also a demonstrative pronoun but is used to indicate objects or people that are distant in distance or time from the speaker. It refers to items or individuals that are further away or were mentioned earlier in the conversation. For instance, ā€œThose buildings across the river are historicā€ points out buildings that are far from the speaker.

Summary

ā€œThese vs Thoseā€ serve as demonstrative pronouns, distinguishing between objects or people based on their proximity to the speaker. ā€œTheseā€ denotes items or individuals close in distance or time, often within the immediate vicinity or recently mentioned. Conversely, ā€œThoseā€ indicates objects or people distant in distance or time from the speaker, often further away or previously discussed. Whether highlighting nearby flowers with ā€œTheseā€ or pointing out distant buildings with ā€œThose,ā€ these pronouns aid in clarifying spatial and temporal relationships in communication.

How To Pronounce These and Those

How to Pronounce ā€œTheseā€

  • Pronounced as [thēz].
  • Begins with the voiced dental fricative sound [Ć°], similar to the ā€œthā€ in ā€œthis.ā€
  • Followed by the long vowel sound [ē], similar to the ā€œeeā€ in ā€œbee.ā€
  • Concludes with the voiced alveolar fricative sound [z].

How to Pronounce ā€œThoseā€

  • Pronounced as [įµ»z].
  • Begins with the voiced dental fricative sound [Ć°], similar to the ā€œthā€ in ā€œthis.ā€
  • Followed by the schwa sound [įµ»], which is a reduced vowel sound similar to the ā€œuā€ in ā€œcup.ā€
  • Concludes with the voiced alveolar fricative sound [z].

Differences Between These and Those

Aspect These Those
Proximity Near to the speaker Distant from the speaker
Usage Refers to objects or people nearby Refers to objects or people further away
Context Indicates items recently mentioned Points out items previously mentioned
Demonstrative Demonstrates proximity to the speaker Demonstrates distance from the speaker

How to Remember the Tricks

To distinguish between ā€œTheseā€ and ā€œThose,ā€ utilize various mnemonic techniques:

Proximity Reminder:

  • ā€œTheseā€ resemble ā€˜this,ā€™ indicating closeness.
  • ā€œThoseā€ echo ā€˜that,ā€™ implying distance.

Usage Trick:

  • ā€œTheseā€ pertain to items nearby.
  • ā€œThoseā€ relate to items farther away.

Visual Association:

  • Mentally grasp ā€œtheseā€ for closeness.
  • Visualize pointing to ā€œthoseā€ for distance.

Temporal Context:

  • ā€œTheseā€ recall recent items.
  • ā€œThoseā€ evoke previously mentioned items.

When to Use These and Those

These and Those

Usage of ā€œTheseā€

  • When referring to objects or people that are near in distance or time relative to the speaker.
  • For items or individuals within the immediate vicinity or recently mentioned in the conversation.

Usage of ā€œThoseā€

  • When indicating objects or people that are distant in distance or time from the speaker.
  • For items or individuals further away or previously mentioned in the conversation.

These and Those Examples

These vs Those Examples

Examples with ā€œTheseā€

  1. These books on the shelf are mine.
  2. Can you pass me these pencils, please?
  3. These flowers in the garden are beautiful.
  4. I love these cookies you baked.
  5. These shoes are too tight for me.

Examples with ā€œThoseā€

  1. Can you grab those papers from the desk?
  2. Look at those birds flying in the sky.
  3. Those houses on the hill look picturesque.
  4. I remember those days we spent at the beach.
  5. Those cars in the parking lot are expensive models.

Synonyms For These and Those

These Those
These ones Those ones
This That
These things Those things
Here There
Near Far
Close by Distant
Nearby Further away
Present Past
Current Previous
Nearby items Distant items

Exercise

Instructions: Differentiate between ā€œtheseā€ and ā€œthoseā€ by completing the sentences with the appropriate word.

  1. Can you pass me _______________ pens on the table?
  2. I love _______________ flowers in our garden.
  3. _______________ cookies you baked are delicious.
  4. Look at _______________ birds flying in the sky!
  5. _______________ houses on the hill are quite old.
  6. I need to return _______________ books to the library.
  7. _______________ shoes in the store window caught my eye.
  8. _______________ days, we used to play in this park for hours.

Answers:

  1. these
  2. those
  3. these
  4. those
  5. those
  6. these
  7. those
  8. those

FAQā€™S

What is the difference between those people and these people?

The difference lies in spatial proximity; ā€œthose peopleā€ refer to individuals farther away from the speaker, while ā€œthese peopleā€ are closer, typically within the speakerā€™s immediate vicinity.

Can I use these for a person?

Yes, ā€œtheseā€ can be used to refer to a person or people who are nearby or within the speakerā€™s immediate vicinity, indicating spatial proximity.

What is those in grammar?

ā€œThoseā€ is a demonstrative pronoun in grammar, used to indicate objects or people that are distant in distance or time from the speaker, typically referring to items previously mentioned or understood.

Which is correct this days or these days?

The correct phrase is ā€˜these days.ā€™ It refers to the current period or present time. ā€˜This daysā€™ is grammatically incorrect; ā€˜theseā€™ indicates plural, whereas ā€˜daysā€™ is plural.

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