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My younger sister is reviewing for an upcoming exam using quia, which her teacher suggested.

She ran across the following question:

Help me carry _______ boxes into the house.

The options are 'those' and 'them.' The service indicates that the correct answer is 'them,' which is utterly baffling to me. I am not particularly great with grammar, but I don't think this can be right -- it is nearly painful to my ears.

What is the correct answer? If it is 'them,' then what is the explanation.

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    Like, what, were them boxes too heavy for one person to carry? :) . . . Then again, if them there boxes lie on the lawn too long, they tend to start walking themselves away, which ain't a good thing.
    – F.E.
    Commented Jun 15, 2014 at 2:44
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    @F.E. Puh-leeze. In that register it's lay, not lie.
    – StoneyB on hiatus
    Commented Jun 15, 2014 at 2:56

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The OED says that using them as a demonstrative adjective — as though it were modern those — is now considered passé:

III. 5. As demonstr. adj. = those. Now only dial. or illiterate.

Therefore, under all reasonable scenarios, that was the wrong answer.

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