English Reference

Word

those

US/ˈðoʊz/

UK/ðˈəʊz/

Definition

pron. the plural form of 'that'. You use it to point to people or things that are not close to you, or to talk about things you mentioned before.

pron. the plural distal demonstrative pronoun, used to identify or refer to specific people or things that are physically distant from the speaker or previously mentioned in discourse.

Examples

“Those shoes over there look very comfortable.”

“I enjoyed the stories you told last night, especially those about your travels in South America.”

“While these initial results are promising, those obtained during the second phase of the trial suggest that further adjustments to the methodology may be necessary.”

Examples

simple

“Those shoes over there look very comfortable.”

contextual

“I enjoyed the stories you told last night, especially those about your travels in South America.”

complex

“While these initial results are promising, those obtained during the second phase of the trial suggest that further adjustments to the methodology may be necessary.”

Usage

Functions as the plural counterpart to 'that'; can act as a pronoun or a determiner before a plural noun.

Pitfall

those book

those books

'Those' must always be followed by a plural noun.

Etymology

From Middle English thos (“those”), alteration of tho pl (“the; those”), equivalent to tho (“the; those”) + -s (plural ending), partly by analogy with thes (“these”), whose final -s is original and not a plural ending. More at tho.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Grammar

Demonstratives

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
Frequency
Very common
Level
A1 · Beginner
Updated

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