"This," "that," "these," and "those"

"This," "that," "these," and "those" are demonstrative pronouns that replace nouns while specifying their nature in terms of quantity and immediacy. When these words come before a noun, they are demonstrative adjectives. "This" refers to a singular object that is close or more relevant, immediate, or accessible to the speaker, while "that" indicates a singular object that is further removed.

In the following two sentences, "this" and "that" each replace a noun, and are therefore being used as demonstrative pronouns.

This is where the most important items are discussed with the team

Caption 9, Agile workflow: in simplified terms
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That's a very nice hotel.

Caption 21, A Weekend in Amsterdam: Planning the Trip
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We do not know where the discussion was held, or which hotel is being referred to, but we can assume that these locations were provided in an previous sentence.

Here are both words used as demonstrative adjectives, which essentially answer the question "Which?" and provide specificity and clarity.

I have this red pen and this blue pen.

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You think you're so smart with that blanket.

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The word "these" is the plural form of "this," and is used for multiple items that are more immediate or relevant. "Those" is the plural form of "that."Something that is described as "this" might be right in your hand. Nouns specified with "that" might be an alternative, not the most logical choice, or something you don't have access to.