Those is a word we use to point out specific things or people that are farther away from us, either in distance or in our conversation. When you're in the library and want the books on the top shelf, you might ask, “Could you hand me those books up there?” You're pointing to particular books that are not within easy reach.

The word helps us be precise about what we mean. If you say “I like those cookies,” you're talking about specific cookies, probably ones you can see across the table, not the ones right in front of you (which would be “these cookies”). In a conversation, you might say “Those were the best days of summer” when talking about a specific week at camp you already mentioned.

Those is the plural form of “that,” just as “these” is the plural of “this.” So one cookie over there is “that cookie,” but multiple cookies over there are “those cookies.” The word creates clarity: it tells your listener exactly which things you mean in a world full of possibilities.