Speaking: Grammar in Speaking A1 - Lesson 4: Using "this/that/these/those

Speaking: Grammar in Speaking A1 - Lesson 4

Using "this/that/these/those"

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use "this", "that", "these", and "those" to point to objects near you and far from you.

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The Big Idea: Pointing with Words

In English, we use four special words to point to things. We choose the word based on two simple questions: 1. Is it near¹ or far²? 2. Is it singular³ (one) or plural⁴ (more than one)?

	Singular (one thing)	Plural (more than one)
Near (here)	This5 is my pen.	These6 are my pens.
Far (there)	That7 is the clock.	Those8 are the clocks.

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Vocabulary Glossary

1. near (Adjective) | នៅជិត | Close to you. ↩
2. far (Adjective) | នៅឆ្ងាយ | Not close to you. ↩
3. singular (Adjective) | ឯកវចនៈ | Meaning only one. ↩
4. plural (Adjective) | ពហុវចនៈ | Meaning more than one. ↩
5. this (Demonstrative) | នេះ | Used for one thing that is near you. ↩
6. these (Demonstrative) | ទាំងនេះ | Used for more than one thing that is near you. ↩
7. that (Demonstrative) | នោះ | Used for one thing that is far from you. ↩
8. those (Demonstrative) | ទាំងនោះ | Used for more than one thing that is far from you. ↩

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record_voice_over Pronunciation Focus: "this" vs. "these"

It is very important to pronounce the difference between "this" and "these".

• this has a short 'i' sound, like in 'is'. The sound is quick. -> "th-i-s"
• these has a long 'ee' sound, like in 'see'. The sound is longer. -> "th-ee-s"

Also, remember the 'th' sound for all four words (`this, that, these, those`) is the voiced /ð/ sound, where your tongue touches your teeth and your voice vibrates.

lightbulb Asking Questions

You can use these words to ask questions easily.

Yes/No Questions

Just change the order of the verb, like we learned in the lesson about "be".

• Statement: This is my bag. ➡ Question: Is this your bag?
• Statement: Those are your keys. ➡ Question: Are those your keys?

"What" Questions

These are very common and useful questions.

• What's this? (For one thing near you)
• What's that? (For one thing far from you)
• What are these? (For many things near you)
• What are those? (For many things far from you)

sports_esports Practice Pointing

Activity 1: Choose the Correct Word

Read the situation and choose the correct pointing word.

1. You are holding one book in your hands. You say: "(This / These) is my book." (Answer: This)
2. You are pointing to a single house across the street. You say: "(That / Those) is a beautiful house." (Answer: That)
3. You are looking at several pairs of shoes right by your feet. You say: "(This / These) are my shoes." (Answer: These)
4. You see some cows in a field far away. You say: "(That / Those) are cows." (Answer: Those)

Activity 2: Make it a Question

Change these statements into questions. Practice saying them out loud.

• Statement: That is your teacher. -> Question: Is that your teacher?
• Statement: These are your books. -> Question: Are these your books?

task Your Grammar Mission

This week in Siem Reap, your mission is to practice pointing with words.

1. In your classroom or home, find one object near you and say, "This is a..."
2. Point to one object far from you and say, "That is a..."
3. Find some plural objects near you and say, "These are..."
4. Point to some plural objects far from you and say, "Those are..."