When Do You Use This Or That? | Clear Rules For English

You see both words everywhere, yet the line between this and that still feels slippery. One word points to something close, the other to something a step away, but distance is not the only detail that matters.

This article walks through how speakers actually choose between the two words, so you can stop guessing and start choosing with confidence in speech, writing, and exams.

Quick Map Of How This And That Work

Both words belong to a small group called demonstratives. They point to people, things, or ideas. In English, this usually means “near me” and that usually means “far from me,” but the idea of distance covers more than physical space.

The table below gives a broad map of when each word tends to appear. Later sections go into each line in more detail, with clear examples and common learner mistakes.

Context	Use “This”	Use “That”
Physical distance	Things close to the speaker	Things farther from the speaker
Time	Events happening now or just recently	Earlier events or past periods
Text and stories	New topics or the next part of a story	Points already given earlier in the text
Emotional distance	People or ideas you feel close to	People or ideas you want distance from
As a determiner	“this book,” “this phone”	“that book,” “that phone”
As a pronoun	“This is nice.”	“That is nice.”
Spoken English	To start stories and bring the listener in	To react to what someone else just said
Formal writing	To point ahead to an explanation	To refer back to a full idea in a clause

When Do You Use This Or That? In Everyday English

Everyday speech gives the clearest answer to the question “when do you use this or that?” because speakers rely on both space and time. Think about where the object is, when the event happens, and how close you feel to the topic.

Physical Distance Around You

For objects you can touch or objects on your screen, this shows that the thing is near the speaker. A teacher might say, “Take this worksheet,” while holding it out to the class. A friend holding a phone might say, “Look at this message.”

For objects across the room or nearer to the listener, that feels natural. In a classroom, a student might point and say, “Who owns that bag near the door?” From a seat on the sofa, you might ask, “Can you pass me that remote?”

Time: Now Versus Then

Speakers also use time distance. This links to the present moment or a period that feels current. Someone might talk about “this week” or “this morning” while it is still happening. By contrast, that reaches back to earlier moments, such as “that summer” or “that day we missed the train.”

Think of an online meeting. At the start you might say, “This meeting will go through next month’s schedule.” Weeks later you could say, “In that meeting we agreed to change the deadline.” The shift from this to that matches the shift in time.

Ideas In Conversation

Both words can point to ideas, not just objects. When a new idea appears, this draws attention to it. You might say, “Listen to this: the school plans to add evening classes.” After you and your listener accept the idea as shared knowledge, you naturally move to that: “That will help people who work during the day.”

English reference works such as the Cambridge English Grammar pages on this and that describe this shift from new to shared information in similar ways, and learner dictionaries give examples that match everyday use.

Grammar Roles Of This And That

So far, the focus has been meaning. The next step is to link that meaning to grammar. Both words have two main jobs in sentences: determiner and pronoun.

Using This And That As Determiners

As determiners, the words come before a noun. In this position they answer “Which one?” and they agree with number. This goes with singular or uncountable nouns, while that follows the same pattern.

Here are simple examples:

• This coffee tastes strange.
• This noise is making it hard to study.
• That coffee smelled better yesterday.
• That noise from upstairs kept me awake.

When learners ask “when do you use this or that?” teachers often start with these short patterns, since the noun right after the word shows the link clearly.

Using This And That As Pronouns

As pronouns, this and that stand alone instead of a full noun phrase. They still point to something, but the noun is clear from context, not from the word right after them.

Examples:

• This is delicious. (pointing at a dish on the table)
• That was delicious. (talking about a dish you just finished)
• This is my favorite. (holding up a book in your hand)
• That is my favorite. (pointing to a book on a shelf)

Some style guides and dictionaries, such as the Merriam-Webster entry on demonstratives, treat these uses as part of a wider group that also includes these and those. The same near–far idea applies in every case.

Common Mistakes With This And That

Learners who ask about the choice between the two words often already know the basic near–far rule. The trouble usually appears in border cases where distance is not clear, or when grammar and meaning pull in different directions.

Using That With People You Like

Many learners think this always shows closeness and that always shows distance or dislike. In reality, tone and context change the effect. A parent might say “Listen to this kid” while smiling, or “Listen to that kid” with a tired voice. The second sentence sounds colder, not because of the word alone, but because of how it works with voice and situation.

Writers use the same tool in stories. A line such as “I did not trust that man” feels cooler than “I did not trust this man.” The word that places the person a step away from the speaker, even when both people stand side by side.

Switching From This To That Too Late

Another common issue is staying with this for too long in longer texts. In a short paragraph, writers often begin with a sentence such as “This report looks at exam scores.” Later sentences then shift to that or repeat the noun phrase instead.

For clear writing, move across in stages:

• Sentence 1: “This report presents exam scores in three schools.”
• Sentence 2: “In this report, data from classes over five years are compared.”
• Sentence 3: “That report shows how class size links to average marks.”

The last sentence feels natural because the writer and reader now share a view of the report as a complete object, so that signals shared understanding.

Overusing That In Speech

In casual speech, native speakers often drop the word that from clauses. Both “I think that it will rain” and “I think it will rain” are correct, and the second sentence is more common in daily talk. Learners sometimes add that everywhere in an effort to sound formal, which can make speech feel stiff.

A simple test can help: if the sentence flows well without that, leave it out. If removing it makes the sentence harder to follow, keep it. This habit keeps your speech natural while still giving you a safe place for the word in longer, complex sentences.

When To Use This Or That In Real Conversations

So how does all this knowledge help when you are in the middle of a fast conversation and you do not have time to think about grammar labels? Short, practical rules make a big difference.

Rule One: Think “Near Me” And “Not Near Me” First

When you speak, think of a small circle around you. Things inside that circle normally take this; things outside it normally take that. If you move across the room to pick up a book, your words can change with your body: “Pass me that book” when you are far away, and “This book is heavy” once you pick it up.

Rule Two: Match The Time Line

For time, treat the present day as your near circle. Use phrases such as “this week,” “this lesson,” or “this year” for periods that feel current. When you talk about earlier periods, change to that plus a time word, as in “that evening” or “that winter.”

Rule Three: New Idea Versus Known Idea

In both speech and writing, shift from new to known. Start with this when you bring in a new idea that you want the listener to notice: “This plan could raise scores.” Once you have explained the plan, move to that: “That would mean extra classes on Friday.”

Rule Four: Listen For Emotional Distance

Human feelings change these choices too. Compliments often use this: “This song always makes me smile.” Criticism often moves toward that: “That song again? I am tired of it.” The words do not work like magic, yet they nudge the tone in a gentle way.

Practice Sentences With This And That

The fastest way to gain a feel for the choice is to try real sentences. The table below gives short situations with paired examples. Read each row, say the sentences aloud, and notice how the choice of word changes the feeling.

Situation	Sentence With “This”	Sentence With “That”
Holding a new phone	This phone is fast.	That phone we used before was slow.
Talking about homework	This homework is hard.	That homework from last week was easy.
Watching a film	This scene is funny.	That scene at the start made me sad.
Remembering a teacher	This teacher explains things clearly.	That teacher in primary school always shouted.
Describing weather	This weather is perfect for a walk.	That weather last month kept us indoors.
Reacting to news	This news is surprising.	That news you told me yesterday still shocks me.
Planning a trip	This plan saves us time.	That plan we tried before wasted hours.

Tips For Studying This And That

Good control of demonstratives helps every part of English, from short messages to academic writing. A few study habits make the pattern stick in your mind.

Listen Actively To Native Speakers

Pick a podcast, video lesson, or series you enjoy and pay special attention to each time speakers say this or that. Pause the audio, repeat the line, and ask yourself why that form fits the scene. Audio with subtitles helps, since you can see the sentences as well as hear them.

Keep A Small Sentence Journal

Whenever you notice a neat use of this or that, copy the sentence in a notebook or notes app, along with one short comment about the context. Over a few weeks you will build a personal mini corpus, and patterns will start to stand out naturally.

Drill With Your Own Life

Turn grammar drills into short lines about your own day. You can stand in your room and say, “This chair is comfy. That chair near the window is old.” In the kitchen you might say, “This cup is mine. That cup belongs to my brother.” Real objects make the rule feel real too.

Bringing It All Together

English learners ask this question because these small words carry a lot of meaning in a few letters. The core idea stays simple: this points to what feels near in space, time, or feeling, while that points to what feels a step away.

Once you link that idea to grammar roles and real life examples, every new sentence becomes practice. With steady listening, a small journal, and quick rules in your head, choosing between the two words turns from a puzzle into a habit that helps you use clear, natural English.