Learn English – These kind of/ this kind of/those kind of

determinerspartitivessingular-vs-plural

Which one is the most suitable option for the following sentence and why?

I do not like these kind of novels.

  1. This kind
  2. Those kind
  3. This kinds
  4. None of the above

Please let me know the grammatical rule for this type of sentence.

Best Answer

For the pattern (this/that/these/those) kind(s) of thing(s), it's safer to use only:

  • this/that kind of thing -- when you're talking about one kind (of that thing)
  • these/those kinds of things -- when you're talking about several kinds (of such things)

The other two alternatives (this/that kind of things and these/those kind of things) will sound awkward. Even though you can find some real examples of these awkward alternatives, it's safe to assume that in your tests or exams, you're expected to make the plurality of kind(s) agree with thing(s).

So, given that novels is fixed in your sentence, it should be:

I do not like these/those kinds of novels.

But these kinds or those kinds isn't in the given options, so the answer should be None of the above.


I quoted this entry once elsewhere. I'd like to take this opportunity to quote this Usage note in Oxford Dictionaries again here:

Usage

The plural of kind often causes difficulty. With this or that, speaking of one kind, use a singular construction: 'this kind of question is not relevant'; 'that kind of fabric doesn’t need ironing'. With these or those, speaking of more than one kind, use a plural construction: 'we refuse to buy these kinds of books'; 'I’ve given up those kinds of ideas'. The ungrammatical use 'these kind' rather than 'these kinds' (as in 'these kind of questions are not relevant') has been recorded since the 14th century, and although often encountered today, it should be avoided.


A final note: this kind/type/sort of question has been raised many times on English Language & Usage Stack Exchange (and if I recall correctly, on ELL as well). You may find these related questions useful: