Cool MateIts vs That vs This
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Its
Top 1,000 (very common)A1determiner
That
High-frequency chunkA1determiner
This
High-frequency chunkA1
| Its | That | This | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ɪts/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɪts/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ðæt/","/ðəʊz/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ðæt/","/ðəʊz/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ðɪs/","/ðiːz/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ðɪs/","/ðiːz/"]/ |
| Meaning | Belonging to it. | used to refer to a specific thing or person | Used to refer to something nearby or just mentioned. |
| Example | Turn the box on its side. | Look at that man over there. | This is my favorite book. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | High-frequency chunk | High-frequency chunk |
| CEFR level | A1 | A1 | A1 |
| Part of speech | determiner | determiner | |
| Collocations | its meaning, its value, its characteristics | that is, that way, that means, not that, that much | this time, this week, this way |
| Antonyms | his, her, their | this | that |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'it's' (it is or it has)., Used incorrectly to refer to people instead of objects., Omitted when needed to show possession. | Confusing 'that' with 'which' in restrictive vs non-restrictive clauses., Using 'that' when the antecedent is a person (use 'who')., Overusing 'that' in sentences, which can make them awkward. | Using 'this' for objects that are not close., Confusing 'this' with 'these' (plural)., Using 'this' as a standalone response without context. |
| Usage notes | Used to show that something belongs to an object or animal. Make sure not to confuse it with 'it's' (it is). | Used to refer to something already mentioned or known. In spoken English, it's often used informally. Be careful not to use it in overly formal writing where specificity is needed. | Used in both spoken and written English. When referring to something far away, use 'that' instead of 'this'. |
Frequently asked questions: Its vs That vs This
What's the difference between Its, That, and This?
Its: Belonging to it. That: used to refer to a specific thing or person This: Used to refer to something nearby or just mentioned.
Are Its, That, and This the same CEFR level?
Its: A1, That: A1, This: A1 on the CEFR scale.
Can you show an example of each?
Its: Turn the box on its side. That: Look at that man over there. This: This is my favorite book.
Can I use Its, That, and This interchangeably?
Not always. Its, That, and This are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.