🔎 Lesson 2.2: This & That, a/an & Everyday Objects

Look around you now. A pen, a phone, a cup, some keys. There are many everyday things. Today you learn their names in English. You learn this / that / these / those. You choose a or an. You make one thing into many.

📚 What You'll Learn

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Use this, that, these, and those for near/far and one/many
Choose a or an before a word. Listen to the first sound.
Make plural nouns (pen → pens, box → boxes, baby → babies)
Ask and answer "What's this?" and "What are these?" about real things

⏱️ Estimated Time: ~50 minutes

🎯 Project: Point to 8 things near you. Say each one out loud with "This is a…" or "These are…" Record yourself, or ask a partner to quiz you.

In This Lesson

🔤 New Words in This Lesson

Here are some useful words from this lesson. Tap 🔊 to hear a word.

point — show a thing with your finger
this — one thing near you
that — one thing far from you
article — the small word a or an
vowel — the sounds a, e, i, o, u
consonant — a letter that is not a vowel
plural — more than one thing (pens)
umbrella — you use it in the rain

Pointing at the World

You don't know a word? You can still talk. Just point and ask! "What's this?" is a very useful question. You point at a thing. You hear its name. You say it again. Every thing near you is a free English lesson.

You need two small tools. First, the demonstratives: this, that, these, those. They tell people which thing. They also tell how far it is. Second, the articles: a and an. These little words go before one thing: a pen, an apple. They are small, but you use them in almost every sentence.

🧠 Mindset

Little words like a, an, and this worry many beginners. That's okay. Native speakers learned them over many years. You will make mistakes for a long time. That is normal, and people still understand you. Talk first, be perfect later. Every "an apple" you say right is a small win. Collect the wins. 🌱

This, That, These, Those

Demonstratives answer two questions. Is it near or far? and Is it one or many? Just four words do all the work.

	Near me 👉	Far from me 👉👉
One (singular)	this — this pen	that — that pen
Many (plural)	these — these pens	those — those pens

Read the grid like a map. THIS and THESE are near — you can touch them. THAT and THOSE are far — over there. The two plural words end in the same sound. That helps you remember them.

✅ Memory Trick

The words with an "s" inside — these and those — are the plural (many) ones. These and those = more than one. This and that = just one.

Here they are in full sentences. One thing uses is. Many things use are. This is the verb to be from the last lesson.

This is a book. (near, one)
That is a door. (far, one)
These are keys. (near, many)
Those are windows. (far, many)

💡 Note: After this/that we use one thing (this cup). After these/those we use many things (these cups). Match them: both one, or both many.

The Articles: a / an

Before one thing, we use a small word: a or an. We call it an indefinite article. It means "one" — but not a special one: a pen = one pen, any pen.

📖 The Simple Rule

Use a before a consonant sound: a pen, a book, a cup, a table.

Use an before a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u): an apple, an egg, an orange, an umbrella.

Why? Because "an" makes vowel words easier to say. Try to say "a apple" — it is hard! "An apple" is easy. 😊

Use a (consonant sound)	Use an (vowel sound)
a pen	an apple
a book	an orange
a cup	an umbrella
a bag	an egg
a table	an idea

💡 It's about SOUND, not spelling

The rule uses the first sound, not the first letter. Look at these words:

a university — "university" starts with a "you" sound /juː/. That is a consonant sound, so we say a.
an hour — the "h" is silent. The word starts with a vowel sound /aʊ/, so we say an.
an honest man — silent "h" again → an.

Don't worry about these today. For almost all words, "vowel letter → an, consonant letter → a" works. Not sure? Listen to the first sound.

⚠️ Articles are for singular only

We say a pen (one). We never say "a pens." For many things, do not use a/an: pens, three pens, some pens. a/an means "one." It can't go before "many."

One or Many: Plural Nouns

A plural noun means more than one. Most plurals are easy: just add -s. A few words need a small change. This keeps them easy to say.

Rule	When	Examples
Add -s	most nouns	pen → pens, book → books, key → keys
Add -es	after s, x, ch, sh	bus → buses, box → boxes, watch → watches, dish → dishes
Change y → ies	consonant + y	baby → babies, city → cities, story → stories

Why the -es group? Say "buss" fast — you can't hear the extra s! -es adds an "iz" sound (bus-iz). Now the plural is clear. It is the same for boxes and watches.

✅ One small warning about "y"

The y → ies change happens only after a consonant (baby, city). Is there a vowel before the y? Then just add -s: key → keys, boy → boys, day → days. Never "keies."

💡 Remember: English also has a few "wild" plurals. They break the rules — man → men, woman → women, child → children, foot → feet. We learn those later. For now, use the three rules above.

Everyday Objects & Questions

Here are your words for this lesson. They are common things in a room, a bag, or on a table. Say each one with its article: a pen, an apple.

pen — a pen ✒️
pencil — a pencil ✏️
book — a book 📕
notebook — a notebook 📓
phone — a phone 📱
bag — a bag 👜
key — a key 🔑
cup — a cup ☕
table — a table 🪑
chair — a chair 🪑
door — a door 🚪
window — a window 🪟
apple — an apple 🍎
orange — an orange 🍊
umbrella — an umbrella ☂️
watch — a watch ⌚
box — a box 📦
bus — a bus 🚌

Ask & Answer

Now put it together. Use these questions to name any thing. Remember them — they work everywhere.

What's this? What's that? What are these? What are those? It's a phone. They're keys. Is this a pen? Yes, it is. No, it isn't.

💡 The pattern in one line

Singular: "What's this?" → "It's a phone." (What's = What is · It's = It is)

Plural: "What are these?" → "They're keys." (They're = They are)

Yes/No: "Is this a pen?" → "Yes, it is." / "No, it isn't. It's a pencil."

Listen to an object-guessing game. Read both parts out loud. This is the fastest way to learn the patterns.

A: What's this?
B: It's a cup.
A: And what's that, over there?
B: That's a window.
A: Okay. What are these?
B: They're keys.
A: Is this an apple?
B: No, it isn't! It's an orange. 🍊
A: Ha! You're right. Thank you!

Practice & Project

🏋️ Exercise 1: Choose a or an

Objective: Pick the right article. Use the first sound.

Write a or an before each word.

book
apple
umbrella
chair
orange
phone
egg
key

✅ Answer

1. a book · 2. an apple · 3. an umbrella · 4. a chair · 5. an orange · 6. a phone · 7. an egg · 8. a key

The an words all begin with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).

🏋️ Exercise 2: One ↔ Many

Objective: Make the plural (or the singular) form.

Change each word. One thing → make it many. Many → write the one.

pen → ?
box → ?
watch → ?
baby → ?
bus → ?
keys → ? (singular)
cities → ? (singular)
notebook → ?

✅ Answer

1. pen → pens · 2. box → boxes · 3. watch → watches · 4. baby → babies · 5. bus → buses · 6. keys → key · 7. cities → city · 8. notebook → notebooks

Remember: -es after s/x/ch/sh, and consonant + y → ies.

🏋️ Exercise 3: Choose this / that / these / those

Objective: Match the demonstrative to near/far and one/many.

Read each one and choose the right word.

A pen is in your hand. → " is a pen."
Two chairs are across the room. → " are chairs."
Some apples are right in front of you. → " are apples."
A door is far away. → " is a door."
A cup is next to you on the table. → " is a cup."

✅ Answer

1. This is a pen. (near, one) · 2. Those are chairs. (far, many) · 3. These are apples. (near, many) · 4. That is a door. (far, one) · 5. This is a cup. (near, one)

🎯 Your Project: "This is a…" Object Tour

Now describe the world around you. Do it out loud — to a partner, a class, or your phone.

(3 min) Find 8 things near you. Get some near and some far. Get at least two plural groups (e.g. keys, books).
(5 min) Point to each one. Say a full sentence: "This is a cup." · "That is a window." · "These are keys." Use the right a/an!
(3 min) Now ask and answer about four of them: "What's this?" — "It's a book."
(2 min) Partner option: Your partner points and asks "What's this?" / "What are these?" You answer. Then swap.
Solo option: Record all 8 sentences. Then listen one time.
(2 min) Was a name or article hard? Write it down for your journal.

✅ Project Completion Checklist

☐ I named 8 real objects out loud
☐ I used this and that for single objects
☐ I used these and those for plural objects
☐ I chose a or an for each singular object
☐ I asked and answered "What's this?" / "What are these?"

🎯 Quick Quiz

Question 1: Which sentence is correct?

Question 2: Some keys are right next to you. What do you say?

Tips & Common Mistakes

✅ Do's

Listen to the first sound before you choose a/an. Not just the first letter.
Match the demonstrative to the noun: this cup (one), these cups (many).
Practice with real things at home. Say them as you touch them.
Read the dialogues out loud. Say "What's this?" until it is easy.

❌ Common Mistakes

⚠️ Watch Out

"a" with a plural: ❌ a pens → ✅ pens or a pen. The article a/an means "one."
Wrong verb: ❌ This are a book → ✅ This is a book. One thing takes is. Many things take are (These are books).
Near/far mix-up: You point at a thing in your hand and say "that". If you can touch it, use this / these.
Forgetting -es: ❌ boxs, watchs → ✅ boxes, watches.

🌍 Culture & Register Note

In stores and daily life, you can point and ask "What's this?" or "How much is this?" This is normal and polite in English. You don't know a word? Don't be shy. Point, ask, and you get your answer. Most people are happy to help a learner. 😊

📓 Learning Journal

Keep building your learning journal — a notebook or a note on your phone. After every lesson, take five minutes. Write down:

Key concepts you learned
Things that clicked for you
Questions or confusion points to revisit
Ideas you want to try
Your progress and feelings about learning English

✍️ This lesson's prompt: Look around your room now. Write five sentences about things you see — for example, "This is a table. Those are windows. These are books." Use at least one an word and one plural. Then read your five sentences out loud.

📝 Lesson Summary

🎓 Key Takeaways

This/that = one thing; these/those = many things. This/these = near, that/those = far.
Use a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound — it's about the sound, not the spelling.
Regular plurals: add -s; add -es after s/x/ch/sh; change consonant + y → ies.
Ask "What's this?" → "It's a phone." and "What are these?" → "They're keys."

🎉 What You've Accomplished

You can now go into any room and say what is in it. You can point at one thing or many. You can point near or far. You can choose the right article. You can turn one thing into a group. These are the building blocks of everyday English. You will use them in almost every lesson. Well done! 🎉

❓ Common Questions at This Stage

When do I use "the" instead of "a/an"?

Great question! A/an means "one, any one" (a pen = any pen). The means "the special one we both know" (the pen on the table). We learn the in a later lesson. For now, use a/an to name one thing.

Is it really "an hour" and not "a hour"?

Yes! The "h" in hour is silent. The word starts with a vowel sound ("our"). That's why we say an hour. Trust your ears: say the word and listen to the first sound.

What's the difference between "this" and "these" again?

This is for one thing (this book). These is for many things (these books). A quick trick: these and those have an "s" — like the "s" on plural nouns.

🔭 Looking Ahead

In Lesson 2.3 — My Family & Possessives, you learn to talk about people close to you: mother, brother, friend. You learn to say who owns things with my, your, his, her and the little 's (my sister's phone).

✅ Before the Next Lesson

Point to and name 5 things at home. Use a or an right.
Say the plural of five things out loud (pen → pens, box → boxes…).
Write your five-sentence Learning Journal entry.

🌟 Encouragement for the Journey

You just turned your whole room into English! Every thing now has a name you can say and point to. Little words like a, an, this, and these are in every conversation — and now they are yours. See you in Lesson 2.3! 👋