Episode 3: This Moment, That Dream

this/that/these/those — Martin Luther King Jr., 1963 (A1-A2)

Grammar Box

Meaning: We use these words to point at things. This and these are for things near us. That and those are for things far from us.

Form: this/that + one thing / these/those + many things

Example 1: This phone is new. (one phone, near me)

Example 2: Those people are my friends. (many people, far from me)

Common mistake: Wrong: These book is good. Better: This book is good.

The Question

Luna points at objects. “This pen. That window. These papers. Those birds.” She pauses. “Why do we change the word? They all mean… pointing?” The watch glows bright. Professor Wisdom nods. “Let’s go to a moment when one man pointed at a dream.”

The Journey

They stand in a massive crowd. The sun is hot. The air smells like summer grass and hope. 250,000 people fill the space. Everyone is looking forward.

This is Martin Luther King Jr. He is 34 years old. He is a pastor and a leader. He fights with words, not fists. He believes people can change. For years, he has marched and spoken and risked his life. Many hate him. Many love him. Today, everyone is watching.

This is Washington, D.C. August 28, 1963. This moment will echo for generations. King stands at the Lincoln Memorial. He has a speech written. But something happens. His friend shouts, “Tell them about the dream, Martin!” He puts his notes aside.

He speaks from his heart. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up.” He points to the ground. This nation. Here. Now. “I have a dream that my four little children…” He sees their faces. These children. His own. Close to his heart. “That dream is deeply rooted in that American dream.” He points to history. That dream. The old promise. Far but real.

His voice rises and falls like music. You can hear the crowd breathing together. You can feel tears on many faces. The moment stretches. King’s hand gestures paint the air. This injustice. These people. That future. Those possibilities. Every word lands like truth.

The Insight

Professor Wisdom stands beside Luna. “Listen to his words. ‘This’ and ‘these’ mean near. Close to you. Right here. ‘That’ and ‘those’ mean far. Over there. Or in time—past or future. ‘This’ and ‘that’ are for one thing. ‘These’ and ‘those’ are for many things. King uses them to make us see. To feel distance or closeness.”

Practice Zone

More Examples:

“This book is mine.” — The book in my hand right now.
“That building is beautiful.” — The building over there, far from me.
“These shoes are comfortable.” — The shoes I’m wearing now.
“Those days were difficult.” — The days in the past, far from now.
“Who is this person?” — Question about someone near me.
“Are those your keys?” — Question about objects over there.

Exercises:

Fill in the blank: ___ cookies smell delicious! (near you) (This / These)
Choose the correct:
a) That mountains are very high.
b) Those mountains are very high.
Match the situation:
– This → book (in your hand)
– That → star (in the sky)
– These → flowers (you’re holding)
– Those → people (across the street)
Complete: ___ problem is serious. (here, now) ___ problems were easier. (in the past)
Your turn: Point at something near you and something far. Write two sentences using this/that or these/those.

Answer Key:

These (cookies = plural and near = these)
b) Those mountains (mountains = plural and far = those)
This book / That star / These flowers / Those people
This / Those (problem = one and near = this; problems = many and past = those)
Check: Did you use this/these for things near? Did you use that/those for things far?

The Lesson

They return to Luna’s room. The watch stops glowing. Luna touches her desk. “This moment is mine. That dream is waiting.” Professor Wisdom nods. “Distance matters. What’s close shapes us. What’s far calls to us.”