Kids Learn With ConceptPointing is the first thing a child ever does, long before they can speak. This lesson gives them the four English words for pointing: this, these, that and those.
This and these
Look at the pictures and read the sentences:
| One (near us) | More than one (near us) |
|---|---|
| This is Ben's scooter. | These are John's books. |
| This is my mother. | These are my parents. |
⭐ We use this to show any one person, place, animal or thing
near us.
⭐ We use these to show more than one person, place, animal or thing near us.
That and those
The other two words do exactly the same job, but for things that are far from us:
⭐ We use that to show any one person, place, animal or thing
far from us.
⭐ We use those to show more than one person, place, animal or thing far from us.
| One | More than one | |
|---|---|---|
| Near us | This is a cat. | These are cats. |
| Far from us | That is a cat. | Those are cats. |
Notice the little word that changes with them: this and that take is, while these and those take are. Children pick this up faster by saying the four sentences aloud than by being told the reason.
Practice from the lesson
- Write this or these. (Two have been done for you.)
a) ____ is a cat. · ____ are cats.
b) ____ is a pen. · ____ are pens. - Say it again for things across the room, using that and those: ____ is a cat. · ____ are cats.
Answer key for grown-ups
1. a) This is a cat. · These are cats. b) This is a pen. · These are pens.
2. That is a cat. · Those are cats.
A quick tip for parents
Play it, do not drill it. Walk around one room and let your child name five things they can touch (“this is a chair… these are books”) and five things across the room (“that is a fan… those are curtains”). Two minutes, ten sentences, and the near-and-far idea is fixed far better than a page of blanks could manage.
English Grammar Workbook — Class 1
This lesson is one chapter. The workbook has all 15, in order, with far more practice than a single page can hold — naming words, special names, one & many, gender, pronouns, a/an, this/that/these/those, action words, describing words, opposites, prepositions, is/am/are, has/have, was/were and punctuation.
- Concept first, then practice — the rule is explained in a child's words before a single blank has to be filled.
- Colourful picture-based exercises that Class 1 children actually finish.
- A complete answer key at the back, so a parent can check the work in a minute.
Instant download · Print at home and reuse forever · Written by educator Vandana Kumari (M.Sc, LL.B).