Demonstrative Determiners - Learn What They Are and How They Are Used with Examples

Determiners are used in the English language to introduce the noun(s) in sentences. They are of different types, each type having its own significance. In this article, you will be introduced to one of the types of determiners – the demonstrative determiner. Check out the examples given in the article and work out the practice exercise to see how far you have understood whatever you have read.

Table of Contents

• What Is a Demonstrative Determiner?
• Examples of Demonstrative Determiners – Learn How They Are Used
• Check Your Understanding of Demonstrative Determiners
• Frequently Asked Questions on Demonstrative Determiners in English

What Is a Demonstrative Determiner?

A demonstrative, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, refers to words “pointing out the one referred to and distinguishing it from others of the same class (as in ‘that’ in ‘that house’)”. That should help you understand what a demonstrative determiner is. A demonstrative determiner can be said to be those words which demonstrate as well as introduce the noun in the sentence. Demonstrative determiners include determiners such as ‘this’, ‘that’, ‘these’ and ‘those’. They are seen to appear right before the noun it determines.

Examples of Demonstrative Determiners

Let us look at some sentence examples to see how demonstrative determiners are made use of.

• I have heard this song before.
• Do you know where these books have to be kept?
• Can you help me with this lesson?
• Blaine has not returned that book.
• This place is way too beautiful than you had described.
• Do you know where this piece goes?
• Did you finish that crossword puzzle?
• I have never been to any of these places.
• That girl looks a lot like my sister.
• Those papers have to be sent to the head of the department for approval.
• Don’t you think this year has been much better than the last one?

Check Your Understanding of Demonstrative Determiners

Read through the following sentences and fill in the blanks with the most appropriate demonstrative determiner.

1. Have you ever felt _________ way before?

2. _________advice you gave me really helped.

3. Do you know where _________ files were stored?

4. Can you tell me where to put up _________ poster?

5. _________ movie is definitely better than the other one we watched last week.

6. _________ girls did put on a great show.

7. Have you met _________ person who is standing in front of the main door?

8. All _________ students who had not completed their assignments were asked to stay back at school and complete it.

9. I can never forget _________ day.

10. Most of _________ newspapers have published the news of the annual film festival.

The answers for the exercise are given below. Go through them and find out if you have done it right.

1. Have you ever felt this way before?

2. That advice you gave me really helped.

3. Do you know where these files were stored?

4. Can you tell me where to put up this poster?

5. This movie is definitely better than the other one we watched last week.

6. Those girls did put on a great show.

7. Have you met that person who is standing in front of the main door?

8. All those students who had not completed their assignments were asked to stay back at school and complete it.

9. I can never forget that day.

10. Most of these newspapers have published the news of the annual film festival.