Opposites or Antonyms

 a word with a meaning that is completely different from the meaning of another
word 
Examples
Plural Nouns: Rules and Examples
Most singular nouns are made plural by simply putting an -s at the end. There are many
different rules regarding pluralization depending on what letter a noun ends in. Irregular
nouns do not follow plural noun rules, so they must be memorized or looked up in the
dictionary.

Plural Noun Rules

There are many plural noun rules, and because we use nouns so frequently when
writing, it’s important to know all of them! The correct spelling of plurals usually depends
on what letter the singular noun ends in.

 To make regular nouns plural, add -s to the end.

cat – cats
house – houses

 If the singular noun ends in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, or -z, add -es to the end to make
it plural.
truss – trusses
bus – buses
marsh – marshes
lunch – lunches
tax – taxes
blitz – blitzes

 In some cases, singular nouns ending in -s or -z, require that you double the -s or
-z prior to adding the -es for pluralization.
fez – fezzes
gas –gasses

 If the noun ends with -f or -fe, the f is often changed to -ve before adding the -s to
form the plural version.
wife – wives
wolf – wolves
Exceptions:
roof – roofs
belief – beliefs
chef – chefs
chief – chiefs

 If a singular noun ends in -y and the letter before the -y is a consonant, change
the ending to -ies to make the noun plural.
city – cities
puppy – puppies

 If the singular noun ends in -y and the letter before the -y is a vowel, simply add
an -s to make it plural.
 ray – rays
boy – boys

 If the singular noun ends in -o, add -es to make it plural.

potato – potatoes
tomato – tomatoes

Exceptions:
photo – photos
piano – pianos
halo – halos

With the unique word volcano, you can apply the standard pluralization for words that
end in -o or not. It’s your choice! Both of the following are correct:
volcanoes
volcanos

 If the singular noun ends in -us, the plural ending is frequently -i.
cactus – cacti
focus – foci

 If the singular noun ends in -is, the plural ending is -es.

analysis – analyses
ellipsis – ellipses

 If the singular noun ends in -on, the plural ending is -a.

phenomenon – phenomena
criterion – criteria

 Some nouns don’t change at all when they’re pluralized.

sheep – sheep
series – series
species – species
deer –deer

You need to see these nouns in context to identify them as singular or plural. Consider
the following sentence:
Mark caught one fish, but I caught three fish.

Plural Noun Rules for Irregular Nouns

Irregular nouns follow no specific rules, so it’s best to memorize these or look up the
proper pluralization in the dictionary.
child – children
goose – geese
man – men
woman – women
tooth – teeth
foot – feet
mouse – mice
person – people

Phrasal Verbs
- combination of two or three words from different grammatical categories – a verb
and a particle, such as an adverb or a preposition – to form a single semantic
unit on a lexical or syntactic level.

phrasal verb meaning example sentence

ask somebody out invite on a Brian asked Judy out to
date dinner and a movie.
ask around ask many I asked around but nobody
people the has seen my wallet.
same
question
add up to something equal Your purchases add up
to $205.32.
back something up reverse You'll have to back up your
car so that I can get out.
back somebody up support My wife backed me up over
my decision to quit my job.
blow up explode The racing car blew up after
it crashed into the fence.
blow something up add air We have to blow 50
balloons up for the party.
break down stop Our car broke down at the
functioning side of the highway in the
(vehicle, snowstorm.
machine)
break down get upset The woman broke
down when the police told
her that her son had died.
break something down divide into Our teacher broke the final
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
smaller parts project down into three
separate parts.
break in force entry to Somebody broke in last night
a building and stole our stereo.
break into something enter forcibly The firemen had to break
into the room to rescue the
children.
break something in wear I need to break these
something a shoes in before we run next
few times so week.
that it doesn't
look/feel new
break in interrupt The TV station broke in to
report the news of the
president's death.
break up end a My boyfriend and I broke
relationship up before I moved to
America.
break up start laughing The kids just broke up as
(informal) soon as the clown started
talking.
break out escape The prisoners broke out of
jail when the guards weren't
looking.
break out in something develop a I broke out in a rash after our
skin condition camping trip.
bring somebody down make This sad music
unhappy is bringing me down.
bring somebody up raise a child My
grandparents brought me up 
after my parents died.
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
bring something up start talking My mother walks out of the
about a room when my father brings
subject up sports.
bring something up vomit He drank so much that
he brought his dinner up in
the toilet.
call around phone many We called around but we
different weren't able to find the car
places/peopl part we needed.
e
call somebody back return a I called the
phone call company back but the offices
were closed for the weekend.
call something off cancel Jason called the
wedding off because he
wasn't in love with his fiancé.
call on somebody ask for an The professor called on me
answer or for question 1.
opinion
call on somebody visit We called on you last night
somebody but you weren't home.
call somebody up phone Give me your phone number
and I will call you up when
we are in town.
calm down relax after You are still mad. You need
being angry to calm down before you
drive the car.
not care for somebody/ not like I don't care for his behaviour.
something (formal)
catch up get to the You'll have to run faster than
same point that if you want to catch
as somebody up with Marty.
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
else
check in arrive and We will get the hotel keys
register at a when we check in.
hotel or
airport
check out leave a hotel You have to check out of the
hotel before 11:00 AM.
check somebody/ look at The company checks out all
something out carefully, new employees.
investigate
check out somebody/ look at Check out the crazy hair on
something (informal) that guy!
cheer up become She cheered up when she
happier heard the good news.
cheer somebody up make happier I brought you some flowers
to cheer you up.
chip in help If everyone chips in we can
get the kitchen painted by
noon.
clean something up tidy, clean Please clean up your
bedroom before you go
outside.
come across something find I came across these old
unexpectedly photos when I was tidying the
closet.
come apart separate The top and bottom come
apart if you pull hard enough.
come down become sick My nephew came down
with something with chicken pox this
weekend.
come forward volunteer for The woman came
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
a task or to forward with her husband's
give evidence finger prints.
come from some place originate in The art of origami comes
from Asia.
count on somebody/ rely on I am counting on you to
something make dinner while I am out.
cross something out draw a line Please cross out your old
through address and write your new
one.
cut back on something consume less My doctor wants me to cut
back on sweets and fatty
foods.
cut something down make We had to cut the old tree in
something our yard down after the
fall to the storm.
ground
cut in interrupt Your father cut in while I was
dancing with your uncle.
cut in pull in too The bus driver got angry
closely in when that car cut in.
front of
another
vehicle
cut in start The air conditioner cuts
operating (of in when the temperature gets
an engine or to 22°C.
electrical
device)
cut something off remove with The doctors cut off his leg
something because it was severely
sharp injured.
cut something off stop The phone company cut
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
providing off our phone because we
didn't pay the bill.
cut somebody off take out of a My grandparents cut my
will father off when he remarried.
cut something out remove part I cut this ad out of the
of something newspaper.
(usually with
scissors and
paper)
do somebody/ beat up, He's lucky to be alive. His
something over ransack (BrE, shop was done over by a
informal) street gang.
do something over do again My teacher wants me
(AmE) to do my essay over because
she doesn't like my topic.
do away with something discard It's time to do away with all
of these old tax records.
do something up fasten, close Do your coat up before you
go outside. It's snowing!
dress up wear nice It's a fancy restaurant so we
clothing have to dress up.
drop back move back in Andrea dropped back to
a third place when she fell off
position/grou her bike.
p
drop in/ by/ over come without I might drop in/by/over for
an tea sometime this week.
appointment
drop somebody/ take I have to drop my sister off at
something off somebody/ work before I come over.
something
somewhere
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
and leave
them/it there
drop out quit a class, I dropped out of Science
school etc because it was too difficult.
eat out eat at a I don't feel like cooking
restaurant tonight. Let's eat out.
end up eventually We ended up renting a movie
reach/do/deci instead of going to the
de theatre.
fall apart break into My new dress fell apart in the
pieces washing machine.
fall down fall to the The picture that you hung up
ground last night fell down this
morning.
fall out separate The money must have fallen
from an out of my pocket.
interior
fall out (of hair, His hair started to fall
teeth) out when he was only 35.
become
loose and
unattached
figure something out understand, I need to figure out how to fit
find the the piano and the bookshelf
answer in this room.
fill something in to write Please fill in the form with
information in your name, address, and
blanks, as on phone number.
a form (BrE)
fill something out to write The form must be filled out in
information in capital letters.
blanks, as on
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
a form (AmE)
fill something up fill to the top I always fill the water
jug up when it is empty.
find out discover We don't know where he
lives. How can we find out?
find something out discover We tried to keep the time of
the party a secret, but
Samantha found it out.
get something across/ over communicate I tried to get my
, make point across/over to the
understandab judge but she wouldn't listen.
le
get along/on like each I was surprised how well my
other new girlfriend and my
sister got along/on.
get around have mobility My grandfather can get
around fine in his new
wheelchair.
get away go on a We worked so hard this year
vacation that we had to get away for a
week.
get away with something do without Jason always gets away
being noticed with cheating in his maths
or punished tests.
get back return We got back from our
vacation last week.
get something back receive Liz finally got her Science
something notes back from my room-
you had mate.
before
get back at somebody retaliate, take My sister got back at me for
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
revenge stealing her shoes. She stole
my favourite hat.
get back into something become I finally got back into my
interested in novel and finished it.
something
again
get on something step onto a We're going to freeze out
vehicle here if you don't let us get
on the bus.
get over something recover from I just got over the flu and
an illness, now my sister has it.
loss, difficulty
get over something overcome a The company will have to
problem close if it can't get over the
new regulations.
get round to something finally find I don't know when I am going
time to do to get round to writing the
(AmE: get thank you cards.
around
to something
)
get together meet (usually Let's get together for a BBQ
for social this weekend.
reasons)
get up get out of bed I got up early today to study
for my exam.
get up stand You should get up and give
the elderly man your seat.
give somebody away reveal hidden His wife gave him away to
information the police.
about
somebody
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
give somebody away take the bride My father gave me away at
to the altar my wedding.
give something away ruin a secret My little sister gave the
surprise party away by
accident.
give something away give The library was giving
something to away old books on Friday.
somebody for
free
give something back return a I have to give these
borrowed skates back to Franz before
item his hockey game.
give in reluctantly My boyfriend didn't want to go
stop fighting to the ballet, but he
or arguing finally gave in.
give something out give to many They were giving out free
people perfume samples at the
(usually at no department store.
cost)
give something up quit a habit I am giving up smoking as of
January 1st.
give up stop trying My maths homework was too
difficult so I gave up.
go after somebody follow My brother tried to go
somebody after the thief in his car.
go after something try to achieve I went after my dream and
something now I am a published writer.
go against somebody compete, We are going against the
oppose best soccer team in the city
tonight.
go ahead start, proceed Please go ahead and eat
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
before the food gets cold.
go back return to a I have to go back home and
place get my lunch.
go out leave home We're going out for dinner
to go on a tonight.
social event
go out with somebody date Jesse has been going out
with Luke since they met last
winter.
go over something review Please go over your answers
before you submit your test.
go over visit I haven't seen Tina for a long
somebody time. I think I'll go over for an
nearby hour or two.
go without something suffer lack or When I was young, we went
deprivation without winter boots.
grow apart stop being My best friend and I grew
friends over apart after she changed
time schools.
grow back regrow My roses grew back this
summer.
grow into something grow big This bike is too big for him
enough to fit now, but he should grow
into it by next year.
grow out of something get too big for Elizabeth needs a new pair of
shoes because she
has grown out of her old
ones.
grow up become an When Jack grows up he
adult wants to be a fireman.
hand something down give I handed my old comic
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
something books down to my little
used to cousin.
somebody
else
hand something in submit I have to hand in my essay
by Friday.
hand something out to distribute We will hand out the
to a group of invitations at the door.
people
hand something over give (usually The police asked the man
unwillingly) to hand over his wallet and
his weapons.
hang in stay positive Hang in there. I'm sure you'll
(informal) find a job very soon.
hang on wait a short Hang on while I grab my coat
time and shoes!
(informal)
hang out spend time Instead of going to the party
relaxing we are just going to hang
(informal) out at my place.
hang up end a phone He didn't say goodbye before
call he hung up.
hold somebody/ prevent from I had to hold my
something back doing/going dog back because there was
a cat in the park.
hold something back hide an Jamie held back his tears at
emotion his grandfather's funeral.
hold on wait a short Please hold on while I
time transfer you to the Sales
Department.
hold onto somebody/ hold firmly Hold onto your hat because
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
something using your it's very windy outside.
hands or
arms
hold somebody/ rob A man in a black
something up mask held the bank up this
morning.
keep on doing something continue Keep on stirring until the
doing liquid comes to a boil.
keep something from some not tell We kept our
body relationship from our parents
for two years.
keep somebody/ stop from Try to keep the wet
something out entering dog out of the living room.
keep something up continue at If you keep those
the same rate results up you will get into a
great college.
let somebody down fail to support I need you to be on time.
or help, Don't let me down this time.
disappoint
let somebody in allow to enter Can you let the cat in before
you go to school?
log in (or on) sign in (to a I can't log in to Facebook
website, because I've forgotten my
database etc) password.
log out (or off) sign out (of a If you don't log off somebody
website, could get into your account.
database etc)
look after somebody/ take care of I have to look after my sick
something grandmother.
look down on somebody think less of, Ever since we stole that
consider chocolate bar your dad
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
inferior has looked down on me.
look for somebody/ try to find I'm looking for a red dress
something for the wedding.
look forward to something be excited I'm looking forward to the
about the Christmas break.
future
look into something investigate We are going to look into the
price of snowboards today.
look out be careful, Look out! That car's going to
vigilant, and hit you!
take notice
look out for somebody/ be especially Don't forget to look out
something vigilant for for snakes on the hiking trail.
look something over check, Can you look over my essay
examine for spelling mistakes?
look something up search and We can look her phone
find number up on the Internet.
information in
a reference
book or
database
look up to somebody have a lot of My little sister has
respect for always looked up to me.
make something up invent, lie Josie made up a story about
about why we were late.
something
make up forgive each We were angry last night, but
other we made up at breakfast.
make somebody up apply My sisters made me up for
cosmetics to my graduation party.
mix something up confuse two I mixed up the twins' names
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
or more again!
things
pass away die His uncle passed away last
night after a long illness.
pass out faint It was so hot in the church
that an elderly lady passed
out.
pass something out give the The professor passed the
same thing to textbooks out before class.
many people
pass something up decline I passed up the job because
(usually I am afraid of change.
something
good)
pay somebody back return owed Thanks for buying my ticket.
money I'll pay you back on Friday.
pay for something be punished That bully will pay for being
for doing mean to my little brother.
something
bad
pick something out choose I picked out three sweaters
for you to try on.
point somebody/ indicate with I'll point my
something out your finger boyfriend out when he runs
by.
put something down put what you You can put the
are holding groceries down on the
on a surface kitchen counter.
or floor
put somebody down insult, make The students put the
somebody substitute
feel stupid teacher down because his
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
pants were too short.
put something off postpone We are putting off our trip
until January because of the
hurricane.
put something out extinguish The neighbours put the
fire out before the firemen
arrived.
put something together assemble I have to put the
crib together before the baby
arrives.
put up with somebody/ tolerate I don't think I can put up
something with three small children in
the car.
put something on put clothing/ Don't forget to put on your
accessories new earrings for the party.
on your body
run into somebody/ meet I ran into an old school-friend
something unexpectedly at the mall.
run over somebody/ drive a I accidentally ran over your
something vehicle over bicycle in the driveway.
a person or
thing
run over/ rehearse, Let's run over/through these
through something review lines one more time before
the show.
run away leave The child ran away from
unexpectedly home and has been missing
, escape for three days.
run out have none We ran out of shampoo so I
left had to wash my hair with
soap.
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
send something back return My letter got sent back to me
(usually by because I used the wrong
mail) stamp.
set something up arrange, Our boss set a
organize meeting up with the president
of the company.
set somebody up trick, trap The police set up the car thief
by using a hidden camera.
shop around compare I want to shop around a little
prices before I decide on these
boots.
show off act extra He always shows off on his
special for skateboard
people
watching
(usually
boastfully)
sleep over stay You should sleep
somewhere over tonight if the weather is
for the night too bad to drive home.
(informal)
sort something out organize, We need to sort the
resolve a bills out before the first of the
problem month.
stick to something continue You will lose weight if
doing you stick to the diet.
something,
limit yourself
to one
particular
thing
switch something off stop the The light's too bright. Could
energy flow, you switch it off.
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
turn off
switch something on start the We heard the news as soon
energy flow, as we switched on the car
turn on radio.
take after somebody resemble a I take after my mother. We
family are both impatient.
member
take something apart purposely He took the car
break into brakes apart and found the
pieces problem.
take something back return an I have to take our new
item TV back because it doesn't
work.
take off start to fly My plane takes off in five
minutes.
take something off remove Take off your socks and
something shoes and come in the lake!
(usually
clothing)
take something out remove from Can you take the
a place or garbage out to the street for
thing me?
take somebody out pay for My
somebody to grandparents took us out for
go dinner and a movie.
somewhere
with you
tear something up rip into I tore up my ex-boyfriend's
pieces letters and gave them back to
him.
think back remember When I think back on my
(often + to, youth, I wish I had studied
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
sometimes + harder.
on)
think something over consider I'll have to think this job
offer over before I make my
final decision.
throw something away dispose of We threw our old
furniture away when we won
the lottery.
turn something down decrease the Please turn the
volume or TV down while the guests are
strength here.
(heat, light
etc)
turn something down refuse I turned the
job down because I don't
want to move.
turn something off stop the Your mother wants you
energy flow, to turn the TV off and come
switch off for dinner.
turn something on start the It's too dark in here.
energy, Let's turn some lights on.
switch on
turn something up increase the Can you turn the music up?
volume or This is my favourite song.
strength
(heat, light
etc)
turn up appear Our cat turned up after we
suddenly put posters up all over the
neighbourhood.
try something on sample I'm going to try these
clothing jeans on, but I don't think
they will fit.
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
try something out test I am going to try this new
brand of detergent out.
use something up finish the The kids used all of the
supply toothpaste up so we need to
buy some more.
wake up stop sleeping We have to wake up early for
work on Monday.
warm somebody/ increase the You can warm your feet up in
something up temperature front of the fireplace.
warm up prepare body I always warm up by doing
for exercise sit-ups before I go for a run.
wear off fade away Most of my make-up wore
off before I got to the party.
work out exercise I work out at the gym three
times a week.
work out be successful Our plan worked out fine.
work something out make a We have to work out the total
calculation cost before we buy the
house.

Separable Phrasal Verbs

You can insert other words into the middle of a separable phrasal verb. Consider the
following example, using the phrasal verb take back:

I need to take back the shirt I lent you.

Where’s that shirt I lent you? I need to take it back .

Inseparable Phrasal Verbst

Inseparable phrasal verbs can be transitive (i.e., they can take a direct object), but you
can’t insert that direct object into the middle of the phrasal verb. In other words, they
can’t be separated, thus their name. ].;

Consider the following examples:

If you focus your education solely on one area, you’ll have nothing to fall back on if you
change your mind.
Each child should have at least one older child to look up to .
What does i.e. stand for? It stands for id est, or that is.

Transitive and Intransitive

All verbs can either be transitive or intransitive. When a verb is transitive it means it
has an object. For example,

Throw  a ball.

Phone  someone.

Study  English.

When a verb is intransitive, it doesn’t need an object. For example,

Walk  to school.

Arrive  on time.

Go  to the cinema.

Transitive Phrasal Verbs

The same meaning of transitive and intransitive applies to phrasal verbs in the same
way as it does to normal verbs. A transitive phrasal verb takes an object, for example:

Hang up  your jacket.

When a phrasal verb is transitive, it’s possible to put the object between the verb and
the adverb/preposition, or put it afterwards. There is no difference in meaning. For
example,

Take off  your jacket.  OR Take  your jacket  off.

However, when we use a pronoun, it must go in the middle. For example,

Take it off.  (Not Take off it.)

Here are some other examples of transitive phrasal verbs:

Before you use the computer you need to  turn it on.
She looked at the magazine then  put it down.

There are lots of dead leaves in the garden. We need to  clear them up.

Make sure you  fill in  your landing card.

What a pretty dress! Why don’t you  try it on?

If we’re going to have fish for dinner, you’d better  take it out  of the freezer.

That old building looks awful. They should  knock it down.

If you’ve got a good idea,  bring it up  at the meeting.

Jill phoned. She wants you to  call her back.

Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

Intransitive phrasal verbs are easier to use because there is no object to worry about.
Here are some examples of intransitive phrasal verbs:

The plane  took off  and landed on time.  (left the ground)

Where did you  grow up? – In a small town just outside this city.  (live your childhood)

This car is terrible. It  breaks down  all the time!  (stops working)

You’re doing really well, so  carry on  like this.  (continue)

He started a university course but  dropped out  after one year.  (left/stop participating)

My colleague and I  get on  really well.  (have a good relationship)

Pete and Sue had an argument but they’ve  made up  now.  (reconcile)

Did you get the tickets? No, they’d  sold out.  (sell all those available)

What Does There Mean?

There can be used in a couple of ways. As an adverb, there is the exact opposite of the
word here and means “at that place”:
Example
He asked me to go there and check on his fish while he’s away.
There is also often used as a pronoun. In that case, its role is usually to introduce a
word or a clause:
Example
There is something strange going on with Sydney today.

What Does Their Mean?

Their is the third-person plural possessive pronoun:
Example
All of those kids with their contagious laughter really made my day.
They didn’t want to see all of their hard work go to waste.

What Does They’re Mean?

They’re is what you get when you contract “they are” or “they were.” It’s the same kind
of thing that happens when you contract “we are” into “we’re,” or “you are” into “you’re”:

They’re going to a party tomorrow.

You should meet my work friends; they’re a real hoot.
Examples
There is, however, one way to save this policy.
There are lots of ads that encourage you to buy things at stores or eat at restaurants,
but how many actually encourage you to physically go there at that exact moment?
Here are some of their own stories, their experiences at the camp and their reasons for
joining the protest — in their own words.
This act of sportsmanship and brotherhood had a profound effect on a nation that
already adored them for their talent and toughness.
This time, it’s about an alleged issue with subscribers—suddenly, they’re disappearing.

This, that, these, those
This, that, these and those are demonstratives. We use this, that, these and those to
point to people and things. This and that are singular. These and those are plural. We
use them as determiners and pronouns.
This, that, these, those as determiners

Pointing to things
We use this and that with singular and uncountable nouns:

Try to repeat this exercise every morning and evening. (this + singular countable noun)
What does this music make you think of? (this + singular uncountable noun)
I’ve never been to that part of France. (that + singular countable noun)
Can I have some of that juice, please? (that + singular uncountable noun)

We use these and those with plural nouns:

You can use any one of these computers. (these + plural noun)
I need to paint those windows. (those + plural noun)

Time phrases
We often use this with words describing time and dates like morning, afternoon,
evening, week, month, year to refer to ‘the one that’s coming’ or ‘the one we’re currently
in’:

I’ll be with you some time this evening.

Johan seemed very happy this afternoon.
Ian is in Germany all this week.

This, that, these, those as pronouns

Referring to things or ideas
We normally use this, that, these and those as pronouns to refer to things or ideas:
Put the butter, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan. Heat this over a low flame until it
melts.
We’re going to eat first and then go to the film. Are you happy with that? (Are you happy
with the idea of eating first, then going to the film?)
[talking about the TV]

Can you turn that off if you’re not watching it?

[talking about shoes]

What colour are those? Black or dark blue. I can’t see.

This, that, these, those

This, that, these and those are demonstratives. We use this, that, these and those to
point to people and things. This and that are singular. These and those are plural. We
use them as determiners and pronouns.

What’s in this box?

That water tastes strange.
I might get myself a pair of those shoes.
Come and look at this. That’s a very good idea.
Can I have one of these?

This, that, these, those as determiners

Pointing to things
We use this and that with singular and uncountable nouns:

Try to repeat this exercise every morning and evening. (this + singular countable noun)
What does this music make you think of? (this + singular uncountable noun)
I’ve never been to that part of France. (that + singular countable noun)
Can I have some of that juice, please? (that + singular uncountable noun)
We use these and those with plural nouns:
You can use any one of these computers. (these + plural noun)
I need to paint those windows. (those + plural noun)

Time phrases
We often use this with words describing time and dates like morning, afternoon,
evening, week, month, year to refer to ‘the one that’s coming’ or ‘the one we’re currently
in’:

I’ll be with you some time this evening.

Johan seemed very happy this afternoon.
Ian is in Germany all this week.

This, that, these, those as pronouns

Referring to things or ideas
We normally use this, that, these and those as pronouns to refer to things or ideas:

Put the butter, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan. Heat this over a low flame until it
melts.

We’re going to eat first and then go to the film. Are you happy with that? (Are you happy
with the idea of eating first, then going to the film?)
[talking about the TV]

Can you turn that off if you’re not watching it?

[talking about shoes]

What colour are those? Black or dark blue. I can’t see.

Referring to people
We can use this and that as pronouns to refer to people when we want to identify
ourselves or others, or to ask the identity of other speakers:

Linda, this is my mother, Anne.

Is that your brother over there?
We often do this in telephone calls and in answer-phone messages:
Hello, is that Ken Orm? This is Jane Bromham here.

This and these, that and those: uses

Physical closeness and distance
We use this and these most commonly to point to things and people that are close to
the speaker or writer, or things that are happening now:

Shall I use this knife here?

[pointing to something]
Is this what you mean?
I’ll post these letters on my way home.
[pointing to a pile of books]

Do these belong to the Bradshaws?

We use that and those most commonly to point to things and people which are not easy
to identify in a situation. They are often more distant from the speaker, and sometimes
closer to the listener:

What’s in that bottle over there?

Could you blow out those candles near you?
Sometimes they are not visible to either the speaker or listener:
Budapest! That’s my favourite place!

Emotional distance
We sometimes use this, these, that, those to identify emotional distance. We use this
and these to refer to things that we feel positive about, that we are happy to be
associated with, or we approve of:

I love these new woolen mobile phone covers that you can get.
We use that and those to create distance:
What are you going to say to that sister of yours?
[talking about a restaurant]
I didn’t like the decoration. It had those awful paintings.