эти тетради = these notebooks

Это тетради. = These are notebooks.

Yes, this doesn't make sense to me either.

Take heart, it's actually not as complex as it appears at first glance, and could definitely be harder. Usually, with language learning, you hit walls, and you struggle for a while, but then you have a breakthrough and it all makes sense.

Keep at it, and don't get discouraged. It will do wonders for your brain and for you as a person.

If a singular word ends in ь, the plural version of it will end in и instead of ы :)

Это = this is Вот = here is

Yes! I think there should be either вот or "this is"...

I think the same

Because “it” in English is only for a single object. You never use it with multiple objects. That’s why it’s wrong.