Essential That is and Those are Worksheet | Grade 1 ELA

This Essential That is and Those are Worksheet helps early learners master demonstrative pronouns through engaging visual cues and animal-themed practice. Students will identify whether to use singular or plural demonstratives based on distance and quantity, building a strong foundation for grammatical accuracy and descriptive writing in Grade 1 ELA.

At a Glance

• Grade: Grade 1 · Subject: English Language Arts (ELA)
• Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.H — Use demonstratives such as this, that, these, and those in sentences.
• Skill Focus: Demonstrative Pronouns (That/Those)
• Format: 2 pages · 10 problems · Answer key included · PDF
• Best For: Independent practice and formative grammar assessment
• Time: 15–20 minutes

What's Inside

This two-page printable resource contains 10 distinct tasks designed to reinforce functional grammar. The first page features five visual scenarios where students choose the correct pronoun to complete a sentence. The second page shifts focus to reading comprehension and vocabulary, challenging students to match detailed animal descriptions to the correct illustrations. A complete answer key is included for quick grading.

Skill Progression

• Guided practice: Items 1-2 provide clear visual anchors and sentence stems to help students differentiate between "That is" (singular) and "Those are" (plural).
• Supported practice: Items 3-5 increase complexity by requiring students to apply the pronoun rules to varied animal groups with minimal scaffolding.
• Independent practice: The matching section on page two requires students to synthesize their knowledge of descriptive language and demonstratives to identify animals autonomously.

The worksheet follows a gradual-release model, moving from structured identification to independent application.

Standards Alignment

This worksheet aligns with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.H, which requires Grade 1 students to "Use demonstratives (e.g., this, that, these, those)." By focusing on the distal demonstratives "that" and "those," this resource ensures students can accurately refer to objects in the distance while maintaining subject-verb agreement. This standard code can be copied directly into lesson plans, IEP goals, or district curriculum mapping tools.

How to Use It

Use this worksheet during the "Independent Practice" phase of a direct instruction lesson on demonstrative pronouns. It is also an excellent formative assessment tool to gauge student understanding of singular vs. plural noun-verb agreement. Teachers should observe if students are correctly identifying the number of animals in each image to determine if further intervention is needed. Expected completion time is 15-20 minutes.

Who It's For

Designed for Grade 1 students, this resource is also suitable for advanced Kindergarten learners or Preschoolers working on early language development. The visual nature of the tasks makes it an ideal differentiation resource for English Language Learners (ELL) and students with IEPs. Pair this worksheet with a "That/This" anchor chart or a short descriptive passage about animals for a complete grammar lesson.

The acquisition of demonstrative pronouns is a critical milestone in early language development, as it allows students to bridge the gap between simple naming and complex spatial referencing. This worksheet targets CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.H by isolating the distal forms "that is" and "those are" in a controlled linguistic environment. By requiring students to process both quantity and distance simultaneously, the 10 included tasks provide the necessary cognitive load to move from rote memorization to functional mastery. This printable resource provides scaffolded grammar practice through visual identification, ensuring students can accurately apply demonstrative pronouns across various communicative contexts while building essential vocabulary.