this (these) two men

Using the singular demonstrative "this" before a counted plural sounds wrong: "This two men are my colleagues" clashes because "this" is singular and "two men" is plural. The fix is simple, but recognizing the pattern prevents repeated errors.

Below: a quick answer, clear rules, common traps, many realistic examples (work, school, casual), a short rewrite toolkit, hyphenation and spacing notes, related mistakes, and a brief FAQ. The widget lets you test a sentence in context.

Quick answer

No - "this two men" is incorrect. Use "these two men" because a numeral like "two" creates a plural noun phrase and requires the plural demonstrative "these".

Rule: "this/that" = singular; "these/those" = plural.
Quick fix: change "this" to "these" when a count >1 appears (This two → These two).
Fast check: replace the noun with a single item. If you'd say "this man," then the plural becomes "these men."

Core explanation: demonstratives must match number

Demonstratives point to items and must agree with the head noun's number. "This" and "that" modify singular nouns; "these" and "those" modify plural nouns. When a numeral (two, three, etc.) marks plurality, choose the plural demonstrative: "these two."

this + singular count (this man, this idea)
these + plural count (these men, these ideas, these two files)

Wrong: This two men are my colleagues.
Right: These two men are my colleagues.

Common sentence patterns that cause the mistake

Speakers sometimes default to "this" when a nearby noun or the idea of a unit feels singular. Grammatically, the plural marker wins: use "these two + plural noun" or rephrase with "the two" or "this pair of".

If a number appears (two, three...), use these/those + number + plural noun.
To treat items as a single unit, rephrase: "this pair of X" or "the two X."

Wrong: This two people will attend the meeting.
Right: These two people will attend the meeting.
Wrong: I prefer this two options over the rest.
Right: I prefer these two options over the rest.

Work examples: emails, reports, and meetings

In business writing, mismatched demonstratives look unprofessional. In speech the error is minor; in written memos, slides, and reports, fix the demonstrative or rephrase for clarity.

Work - Wrong: This two reports summarize the quarter's performance.
Work - Right: These two reports summarize the quarter's performance.
Work - Wrong: This two candidates meet our criteria.
Work - Right: These two candidates meet our criteria.
Work - Wrong: Please review this two slides before the presentation.
Work - Right: Please review these two slides before the presentation.

School examples: essays, lab reports, and presentations

Clear grammar matters in academic writing. Use "these two" for two items, or rephrase if you mean the pair as a single unit.

School - Wrong: This two theories contradict one another.
School - Right: These two theories contradict one another.
School - Wrong: In the lab, this two samples showed contamination.
School - Right: In the lab, these two samples showed contamination.
School - Wrong: This two slides explain the method.
School - Right: These two slides explain the method.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just the phrase. Context usually makes the correct demonstrative clear. Paste your sentence into the widget below and check the recommendation.

Casual examples: texting and conversation

People sometimes say "this two" in fast speech. In written casual contexts - chats, comments, captions - swap "this" for "these" or use a natural alternative like "those two" or "the two of them."

Casual - Wrong: This two friends always show up late.
Casual - Right: These two friends always show up late.
Casual - Wrong: Can't believe this two didn't answer my text.
Casual - Right: Can't believe these two didn't answer my text.
Casual - Wrong: This two of them are obsessed with coffee.
Casual - Right: These two of them are obsessed with coffee. (Or: The two of them are obsessed with coffee.)

Rewrite help: quick steps to fix any sentence

Step 1: Find the demonstrative and its head noun. Step 2: If the noun is plural or has a numeral >1, change "this"→"these" (or "that"→"those"). Step 3: Read aloud; if it still sounds odd, rephrase with "the two", "this pair of", or "those two".

Watch for hyphenated modifiers where the head noun is singular - those are different (see next section).

Checklist: demonstrative → number → noun. Match singular/plural.
Alternatives: "the two X", "this pair of X", "those two X".

Rewrite - Wrong: This two options are better.Rewrite: These two options are better.
Rewrite - Wrong: This two of them arrived late.Rewrite: These two arrived late. (Or: The two of them arrived late.)
Rewrite - Wrong: This two-year study showed growth.Rewrite: This two-year study showed growth. (Here "two-year" is a hyphenated adjective; the head noun "study" is singular, so "this" stays.)

Hyphenation, spacing and edge cases

When a number and a noun form a hyphenated adjective (two-year study, three-man team), the phrase modifies a singular noun, so "this" can be correct: "this two-year study." The problem appears when the number directly modifies a plural noun: "two men" requires "these two men."

Spacing and hyphenation errors are separate issues. Don't confuse demonstrative-number agreement with incorrect hyphenation or stuck-together words like "thistwo."

Correct: This two-year study is complete. ("two-year" modifies singular "study")
Incorrect: This two men are late. → These two men are late.
Wrong spacing: "thistwo" is always incorrect.
Wrong: These two-year study suggests otherwise.
Right: This two-year study suggests otherwise.

Similar mistakes and related traps

Other common errors: "that two men" (should be "those two men"), using singular verbs with plural subjects ("This two men is..." → "These two men are..."), and awkward possessives ("these two's schedule" → "the schedule of these two").

Collective nouns matter: "this pair of socks" (pair = singular) vs. "these two socks" (socks = plural). Identify the head noun to choose the correct demonstrative and verb.

that two → those two
Match the verb: plural subject → plural verb (these two men are)
Use "pair" or "the two" when you want to keep "this" or "that"

Wrong: That two men were late.
Right: Those two men were late.
Wrong: This two of us is going on the trip.
Right: These two of us are going on the trip. (Or: The two of us are going on the trip.)
Wrong: These two's result was unexpected.
Rewrite: The result for these two was unexpected. (Or: The two's result was unexpected.)

FAQ

Is "this two men" correct?

No. "Two" makes the noun phrase plural, so use "these two men."

Can I say "this two people" in speech?

You may hear it in casual speech, but it's nonstandard. In writing, use "these two people." In speech you can also say "those two people" depending on distance or emphasis.

When is "this" correct with a number?

"This" is correct when the head noun is singular, often because the number is part of a hyphenated adjective (e.g., "this two-year study"). When the noun is plural (two cars, two men), use "these."

How can I proofread fast to catch this mistake?

Find the demonstrative (this/that/these/those), identify its head noun, and ask whether that noun is singular or plural. If it's plural or has a numeral >1, switch to "these" or "those".

Why do I sometimes hear native speakers say "this two"?

Informal speech and dialectal shortcuts can produce "this two" when speakers treat a pair as a single unit. Standard written English requires number agreement: "these two."

Want a quick check?

If you hesitate between "this" and "these," paste the sentence into a quick checker to see suggested fixes and alternative rewrites (these two, those two, this pair) so your writing stays clear and polished.