No, “this” is usually a demonstrative determiner or pronoun, not a common noun.
You’re staring at the word this and thinking, “It sits where a noun can sit… so is this a common noun?” That’s a fair gut reaction. English lets a lot of words do double duty, and this loves to pull that trick.
The clean way to answer the question is to stop thinking about the word in isolation and check the job it’s doing in the sentence. Once you do that, the fog clears fast.
Quick Map Of What “This” Can Be
| Category | What It Does | Can “This” Fit? |
|---|---|---|
| Common noun | Names a general person, place, thing, or idea | No — it points, it doesn’t name |
| Proper noun | Names one specific person, place, or thing | No — it isn’t a name |
| Determiner (demonstrative) | Sits before a noun and points to which one | Yes — “this book,” “this idea” |
| Pronoun (demonstrative) | Stands in place of a noun phrase | Yes — “This is mine.” |
| Adjective | Describes a noun | No — it doesn’t describe; it identifies |
| Adverb | Modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb | No — it doesn’t modify actions or qualities |
| Conjunction | Joins words or clauses | No — it doesn’t connect parts |
| Interjection | Shows a reaction (“oh,” “wow”) | No — it isn’t an exclamation word |
Common Noun Check For The Word “This”
A common noun is a general name for a class of things. Think “teacher,” “river,” “table,” “idea.” You can usually put articles and other determiners in front of it: a teacher, the river, this table, my idea.
That “names a type” idea is the heartbeat of the definition. If a word is pointing to something instead of naming a type, it’s not acting as a common noun in that spot.
Why “This” Gets Mistaken For A Noun
In everyday sentences, this can sit in the same slot where a noun phrase can sit. That’s the trap. In “This is heavy,” this is the subject, a slot a noun can fill too.
Yet the slot doesn’t decide the part of speech. The job decides it. Here, this is pointing to a thing already known in the moment, like a box in your hands, a photo on a screen, or a line in a text. Pointing words belong to the demonstrative family.
Is This A Common Noun? Simple Tests That Work
If you’re stuck on a worksheet, a quiz, or a sentence you’re writing, run these quick checks. You don’t need fancy labels to get the right call.
Test 1: Try An Article
Common nouns can take a or an in many contexts: a cat, an idea. Try it with this. “A this” doesn’t work in standard English. That’s a strong clue that this isn’t a common noun.
Test 2: Try A Normal Plural
Common nouns often form plurals in a predictable way: book/books, city/cities. This does change to these, yet that’s not a noun plural pattern. It’s the singular–plural pair of a demonstrative.
Test 3: Check What Comes Next
- If this comes right before a noun, it’s acting as a determiner: this phone, this plan, this lesson.
- If this stands alone, it’s often a pronoun: This is mine.This tastes odd.
Test 4: Replace It With A Noun Phrase
Swap this with a noun phrase that names the thing you mean.
- This is broken. → The cup is broken.
- This belongs to Maya. → The notebook belongs to Maya.
If the swap keeps the meaning, this is standing in for that noun phrase, so it’s working as a pronoun.
Test 5: Ask “Is It Naming A Type?”
A common noun labels a kind of thing. This doesn’t label a kind. It points to one specific thing in context. That’s why “this” itself is not a common noun in normal use.
If you want a clean definition of common nouns from a grammar source, see the Cambridge Dictionary common noun meaning.
Two Roles “This” Plays Most Often
Most school questions about this boil down to one fork: determiner or pronoun. Both are demonstratives, meaning they point.
Cambridge Grammar groups this/that/these/those as demonstratives and shows how they work in sentences. You can see that pattern on Cambridge grammar on this, that, these, those.
When “This” Is A Determiner
This is a determiner when it comes right before a noun and points to which one you mean.
- this book (book is the noun)
- this idea (idea is the noun)
- this week (week is the noun)
In these phrases, the common noun is the word after this. The determiner is tagging that noun, like putting a sticky note on it.
When “This” Is A Pronoun
This is a pronoun when it replaces a full noun phrase.
- This is mine.
- This feels heavy.
- This isn’t what I ordered.
In each sentence, you could expand this into a fuller phrase: this bag, this package, this meal. The noun is understood from context.
What “This” Is Not
Students often label this as an adjective because it sits before a noun. The label doesn’t match the job. An adjective describes qualities (“red car,” “quiet room”). This doesn’t describe a quality; it identifies which noun you mean.
Another mix-up: calling this a noun because it can be the subject. Subjects can be nouns, pronouns, gerunds, and even full clauses. A slot in a sentence isn’t a part of speech by itself.
Common Noun Clues Around “This”
If you’re trying to spot the common noun in a sentence that includes this, your eyes should go to the words that name things. Here are patterns that show it clearly.
Pattern 1: “This + [Common noun]”
In this pattern, the noun right after this is often a common noun:
- this movie
- this homework
- this laptop
- this plan
Try a quick swap. Replace this with the. If the phrase still makes sense, you’re looking at a noun phrase with a determiner in front: the movie, the homework.
Pattern 2: “This is + [Noun phrase]”
In “This is a problem,” the common noun is problem. In “This is the bus,” the common noun is bus. The word this is still pointing, not naming.
Pattern 3: “This one”
“This one” often shows an understood noun: this one = this option or this item. The noun is tucked away, yet the grammar still treats this as a demonstrative.
Table Of Sentence Tests You Can Reuse
Use this table when you need a fast label for this in a sentence. Each row gives a quick check you can run in your head.
| Sentence Pattern | What “This” Is | Fast Check |
|---|---|---|
| This + noun | Determiner | If a noun follows right away, “this” is pointing to that noun |
| This is / This was | Pronoun | If “this” stands alone before a verb, it’s replacing a noun phrase |
| This one / These ones | Determiner + pronoun (“one”) | “One” carries the noun role; “this” points to which one |
| I like this | Pronoun | You can swap “this” with “that thing” or “that idea” |
| This here + noun | Determiner | The noun is still present; “this” marks which noun you mean |
| Because of this | Pronoun | “This” points back to an earlier idea, like “this situation” |
| Not this time | Determiner | Time is the noun; “this” points to a specific time |
| This much / this many | Determiner-like modifier | It points to an amount rather than naming a thing |
Practice Set: Spot The Common Noun
These mini sentences train your eye to separate the pointing word from the naming word. Read each one and pick out the common noun. Then check the answers below.
Try It
- This chair squeaks.
- This is a mistake.
- Put this folder on the desk.
- This tastes sweet.
- This class starts at nine.
- I can’t believe this story.
- This was the plan all along.
- This phone needs a charger.
- This is the answer.
- We solved this puzzle.
Answers And Why They Work
Here’s what you should have picked as the common noun in each sentence:
- 1) chair — the thing being named
- 2) mistake — “this” is a pronoun pointing to something; the noun is mistake
- 3) folder, desk — both are common nouns
- 4) No common noun in the sentence itself — “this” is a pronoun; the noun is implied by context
- 5) class — “this” points to which class
- 6) story — “this” tags the noun story
- 7) plan — “this” points; plan names
- 8) phone, charger — two common nouns
- 9) answer — the named thing
- 10) puzzle — the named thing
Sentence 4 is the one that throws people. “This tastes sweet” can make you want to call this a noun. It’s still a pronoun, because it’s standing in for a fuller phrase like this tea or this sauce.
Mini Drill: Swap Determiner And Pronoun Uses
This quick drill helps you feel the difference in your hands. Start with a phrase where this sits before a noun. Then rewrite the sentence so this stands alone and the noun becomes implied.
- This jacket is warm. → This is warm. (The noun “jacket” is understood.)
- I chose this answer. → I chose this. (The noun “answer” is understood.)
- Put this cup down. → Put this down. (The noun “cup” is understood.)
- This message is short. → This is short. (The noun “message” is understood.)
If your rewrite still makes sense, you’ve watched this move from determiner to pronoun. The word didn’t change. The job did.
Common Errors Teachers Mark
If you’ve lost points on this topic before, it’s often for one of these slipups.
Mixing Up “Word Type” With “Sentence Role”
Subject, object, and complement are roles. Noun, pronoun, and determiner are word types. A pronoun can be the subject, so “This is fine” doesn’t turn this into a noun.
Calling It An Adjective Because It Sits Before A Noun
“This book” has a noun phrase with a determiner in front. If your class uses the term “demonstrative adjective,” your teacher is pointing to the same pattern, just with a different label. The meaning stays the same: this identifies which noun you mean.
Missing The Implied Noun
In “I don’t want this,” the noun is missing on the surface, yet it’s still there in meaning: this plan, this deal, this idea. That’s pronoun work.
Capital Letters And Style Notes
This is not capitalized because it’s a “special noun.” It starts with a capital letter only when it starts a sentence or when it’s part of a title written in title case.
Watch one more detail: this kind of question is about grammar, not about what the object is. In writing, you can answer it cleanly by naming the role: “This is a demonstrative pronoun here,” or “This is a determiner here.”
Recap And A Quick Self Check
If you came here asking is this a common noun?, your default answer is “no,” unless your class is using a loose label set. In standard grammar, this points; it doesn’t name a class of things.
Run this short checklist the next time you see it:
- If a noun follows right after, label this as a demonstrative determiner.
- If it stands alone, label this as a demonstrative pronoun.
- If you’re hunting for the common noun, scan for the naming word: book, idea, problem, plan.
Do that a few times, and you’ll stop second-guessing yourself on tests and in your own writing.