In the same nostalgic passage about winter nights and puja, choose the correct demonstrative pronoun to complete the phrase “the jingling sounds of ______ tiny bells that grandma used to ring during the puja”.

Introduction / Context:
This cloze test sentence continues the same passage about childhood memories, fireflies and family rituals. The narrator recalls hearing “the jingling sounds of ______ tiny bells that grandma used to ring during the puja.” The blank requires a demonstrative word that fits both grammatically and contextually. Such questions examine your understanding of demonstrative pronouns and determiners (this, that, these, those) and how they relate to time, distance and number. The correct choice must agree in number with “tiny bells” and sound natural in a reflective, past-oriented narrative about memories.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Key fragment: “the jingling sounds of ______ tiny bells that grandma used to ring during the puja”. • Options: these, this, those, that. • The noun phrase “tiny bells” is plural. • The speaker is recalling events from the past and picturing them in memory.

Concept / Approach:
Demonstratives must match the number of the noun: “this” and “that” are singular; “these” and “those” are plural. Since “tiny bells” is clearly plural, the choice is between “these” and “those”. The next consideration is distance in time or space. “These” suggests closeness, usually to objects that are present or immediate; “those” typically refers to things that are more distant in space or in memory. Because the narrator is reminiscing about bells that were used in the past by their grandmother, the bells are not physically present but remembered. In such reflective contexts, English speakers naturally prefer “those tiny bells”, aligning with the idea of distant yet vivid memories.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Observe that “tiny bells” is plural, so the demonstrative must also be plural. 2. Eliminate singular options: “this” and “that” cannot modify the plural noun “bells”. 3. Compare “these tiny bells” with “those tiny bells” in the full sentence. 4. Note that the sentence is set in the past, describing memories of grandma’s puja rituals, which suggests psychological distance. 5. Conclude that “those tiny bells” is the most natural choice in a nostalgic, memory-based narrative.

Verification / Alternative check:
Read the completed line: “In my mind I can still hear the jingling sounds of those tiny bells that grandma used to ring during the puja.” This version sounds like authentic, idiomatic English and clearly conveys the emotional distance and affection in the narrator’s memory. If we replace “those” with “these”, the phrase “these tiny bells” would imply that the bells are present and near the speaker, which contradicts the context that they belong to a past scene. The singular forms “this tiny bells” or “that tiny bells” are ungrammatical because they mismatch the plural noun. Therefore, “those” is the only option that is both grammatically correct and contextually appropriate.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
• “these” matches the plural noun but usually indicates physical or temporal closeness, which does not fit a distant childhood memory as naturally as “those”. • “this” is singular and cannot grammatically modify the plural noun “bells”. • “that” is also singular and ungrammatical when used before “tiny bells”.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners often confuse “these” and “those”, focusing only on number and ignoring the nuance of distance. While both can technically be used with plural nouns, context matters: “these” for near, current or emphasised items; “those” for distant or remembered items. Another pitfall is not noticing agreement between the demonstrative and the noun. Quickly checking whether the noun is singular or plural will often allow you to eliminate half of the options immediately. In narrative passages about earlier phases of life, “those days”, “those moments” and “those tiny bells” are common patterns that can guide your intuition.

Final Answer:
The best demonstrative to complete the phrase is those, giving the natural expression “the jingling sounds of those tiny bells that grandma used to ring during the puja”.