This / that / these / those, one / ones

These four words point at people or things. Choose by asking two questions: is it near or far from the speaker, and is it one or more than one?

They can come before a noun (this bag) or stand alone (This is heavy).

• This bag is really heavy.

• Look at those clouds! It's going to rain.

• These are my parents.

• Is that your car over there?

💡Watch the sounds: this /ðɪs/ has a short vowel and ends in /s/; these /ðiːz/ has a long vowel and ends in /z/. Likewise that /ðæt/ and those /ðəʊz/. Pronounce the final sound clearly — it tells the listener whether you mean one thing or more.

1. Introducing people, and saying who you are on the phone — use this

• Mum, this is my friend Hoa.

• Hello, this is Minh from the dental clinic.

2. Time: this for the present or the near future (this morning, this week), that for a time in the past (that day, at that time)

• I'm really busy this week.

• I still remember that day.

3. that for something the other person has just said or done

• Let's order pizza. — That's a great idea!

• Thanks for the lift. That was really kind of you.

When it's clear what you are talking about, use one instead of a singular countable noun and ones instead of a plural noun.

• I don't like the red shirt. I prefer the blue one.

• These shoes are too small. Do you have any bigger ones?

• Which one do you want? — That one, please.

• My phone is really old. I need a new one.

• An adjective can't stand alone in place of a noun: a new one (not a new), the big ones.
• this one / that one are very common. In the plural, these / those alone are enough; these ones / those ones are also common in speech, especially in British English.
• one/ones only replace countable nouns. With uncountable nouns, leave the noun out or repeat it: I prefer brown rice to white (not white one).

💡Think of one as “the thing”: the blue one = the blue thing we're talking about, a bigger one = a bigger thing of the same kind.

a new one / one = any thing of the same kind. it / them = that exact thing you mentioned.

• I lost my umbrella, so I bought a new one.

  a different umbrella

• I lost my umbrella, but I found it the next day.

  the same umbrella

• I need a pen. Have you got one?

• ✗I love this flowers.

  ✓I love these flowers.

  Plural noun → these.

• ✗Look at that birds!

  ✓Look at those birds!

  Plural and far away → those.

• ✗My bike is broken, so I need a new.

  ✓My bike is broken, so I need a new one.

  An adjective needs one after it.

• ✗She is my friend Hoa.

  ✓This is my friend Hoa.

  To introduce someone, say This is…

• ✗I lost my keys and I can't find ones.

  ✓I lost my keys and I can't find them.

  The same keys → them.

• ✗These are cheaper than that ones.

  ✓These are cheaper than those (ones).

  Plural → those.