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Proper Usage of «That» in English

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Updated on November 26, 2019

The word ‘that’ is a common word in English that is used in many different ways. Did you notice the use of ‘that’ in the previous sentence? In this case, ‘that’ was used as a relative pronoun as a complement. Often ‘that’ can be used or left out of a sentence entirely. For example, many English students know (that) you can leave out ‘that,’ depending on the instance. This guide to the use of ‘that’ will help you understand when to use the word, as well as when it’s okay to leave it out.

‘That’ as a Determiner

‘That’ is used as a determiner at the beginning of sentences to indicate one object which is far from the speaker. Note that the plural form of ‘that’ as a determiner is ‘those.’ ‘That’ and ‘those’ is generally used with ‘there’ to indicate that the object(s) is not close to the speaker.

Examples

That’s my friend Tom over there.
That’s a pencil you have in your hand.
Those paintings are by Cezanne.
That is my house on the corner of the street.

‘That’ as a Relative Pronoun

‘That’ can be used as a relative pronoun to connect two clauses. In this case, ‘that’ can also be substituted by ‘who’ or ‘which.’

Examples: That = Which

Tom bought the apples that the man was selling.
OR
Tom bought the apples which the man was selling.

Examples: That = Who

Peter invited the boy that was new in class.
OR
Peter invited the boy who was new in class.

‘That’ in a Clause as an Object

‘That’ can be used in clauses that act as the object of a verb.

Examples

Jennifer hinted that she would be late for class.
Doug knew that he needed to hurry up.
The teacher suggested that we finish our homework.

‘That’ in a Clause as a Complement to a Noun or an Adjective

‘That’ can be used in a clause following a noun or an adjective as a complement. A complement helps give additional information about the noun or adjective. It answers the question ‘why.’

Examples

Peter is upset that his sister wants to drop out of high school.
Mr. Johnson appreciates our efforts that have brought in a lot of donations.
She is certain that her son will be accepted to Harvard.

‘That’ Clause as Subject of a Sentence

‘That’ clauses can introduce a phrase acting as the subject of a sentence. This use of ‘that’ clauses is somewhat formal and is not common in everyday speech.

Examples

That it is so difficult is hard to understand.
That Mary feels so sad is very upsetting.
That our teacher expects us to do two hours of homework every day is crazy!

The Fact That …

Related to the use of ‘that’ clauses as a subject is the more common phrase «The fact that…» to introduce a sentence. While both forms are correct, it is much more common to begin a sentence with the phrase «The fact that….»

Examples

The fact that he wants to see you should make you happy.
The fact that unemployment is still high proves what a difficult economy this is.
The fact that Tom passed the test shows how much he has improved.

Compound Conjunctions with ‘That’

There are a number of compound conjunctions (words that connect) with ‘that.’ These expressions tend to be used in formal English and include:

«in order that,» «so that,» «providing that,» «in case that,» «now that,» «given that»

Examples

He purchased the computer so that he might improve his typing.
Susan told him she would marry him providing that he found a job.
Alice feels happy now that she has moved into a new home.

After Reporting Verbs

‘That’ can be dropped after reporting verbs such as say (that), tell someone (that), regret (that), imply (that), etc.

Examples

Jennifer said (that) she was in a hurry.
Jack told me (that) he wanted to move to New York.
The boss implied (that) the company was doing very well.

After Adjectives

Some adjectives can be followed by ‘that’ when answering the question ‘why.’ ‘That’ can be dropped after the adjective.

I’m happy (that) you found a new job.
She’s sad (that) he’s going to move to New York.
Jack is anxious (that) he didn’t pass the test.

As Object in Relative Clauses

It’s common to drop ‘that’ when it is the object of the relative clause it introduces.

He invited the boy (that) he met on the train.
Shelly purchased the chair (that) she had seen at the auction.
Alfred wants to read the book (that) Jane recommended.

Источник

I took a college English class, and the instructor taught that it is incorrect to begin a sentence with the word «that»; i.e., That is a pretty car.» She explained why this is incorrect, but I never could understand the reason.

I try to be very conscious of my grammar so, if you could explain this rule to me very remedially, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

Welcome to the forum, ImaKingskid.

I’d be interested in her reasoning, too.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.

That’s advice you could safely ignore. That you couldn’t understand the reason is probably evidence that it was nonsense.

Ima, is this instructor a native English speaker?

***** NOT A TEACHER *****Hello, Ima:

1. I found something on the Web that might interest you. «RW» wrote:

«When I first became a newspaper reporter, my editor struck out any sentence I wrote that began with That is/ was, There is/was, or It is/was. She couldn’t rationalize [explain] her objection.»

Then he added: «I eventually realized that you will tend to write the really bad stuff if you start a sentence on the wrong foot — i.e. with that, there and it.»

2. That Web article actually was mostly concerned with sentences such as:

«That Ima is an excellent student

is very obvious.» (Using a noun clause as the subject.)

Is that the kind of sentence that your teacher was warning you against?

Some

people feel (that) that kind of sentence is «pretentious» or «awkward.»

They would prefer something more «natural» such as: «It’s obvious that Ima is an excellent student.»

Source: «RW» ‘s comments were just one of many contributions to the Google article entitled: Can I get a ruling: Beginning a sentence with «that» | Nathan

Last edited: May 8, 2015

I took a college English class, and the instructor taught that it is incorrect to begin a sentence with the word «that»; i.e., That is a pretty car.» She explained why this is incorrect, but I never could understand the reason.

I try to be very conscious of my grammar so, if you could explain this rule to me very remedially, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

THAT is the silliest advice I’ve heard today. And it’s already lunchtime!

Источник

I’m back! Happy ’09, everyone. May all of you win the lottery.

Longtime readers may have noted that in an effort to make this blog more… well, professional, I have cut back on the amount of virtual ink I devote to reality television. Yes, I know. I was attacked by a bout of seriousness. I’m sure I fooled everyone.

But there are times when men are shaped by momentous events that leave us powerless to the whims of fate, and swift, forceful action is required as a result. Such an epochal event is occurring this evening. And that is the premiere of The Bachelor.

NOT JUST ANY BACHELOR. You see, this year’s Bach is Jason, perhaps the most achingly earnest Bachelor in the history of Bachelors. Not only did Jason so wholeheartedly believe in the premise of finding true love on the Bachelorette that even host Chris Harrison had to have been confused, he is also proud father of young Ty, and thus the first single dad Bach.

So many questions. Will Ty give out the roses to the bachelorettes? Will Chris Harrison sit down with Ty for serious interviews? Will the bachelorettes try to bribe Ty with cool toys? Will people feel guilty for deriving so much guilty entertainment at the expense of Ty’s lifetime of therapy bills?

It will be…. something.

Meanwhile:

Call me crazy, but I have been getting stuck on sentences that begin with the word “that.” Not just as in, “That was cool,” I mean actual complex sentences. As in:

That I am asking you this question should tell you that I develop strange aversions from from to time.

That he had the smelliest breath in the general vicinity was not in doubt.

Is this a conversational trope I just haven’t heard? Is this some sort of Southern hemisphere thing? Are the kids beginning their sentences with the word “That” and I’m just hopelessly uncool? Can it be done well?

Please give me a ruling.

Reader Interactions

Источник

Hello,

Is that sentence correct ? and if it is, does «that» mean «Given that» here ?

» That 15 RBAS countries are at different stages of their new planning and programming cycles, UNDP Country Offices, together with their broad‐based national partners, are in a unique position to determine the most appropriate entry points for UNDP’s value‐added».

Thank you

I’ve seen this usage in the US. It means because.

Loob

Hello, sab

I found your text on page 8 of this UNDP document.

I’m sure the «that» at the beginning of the sentence is a mistake. The authors probably meant to write «given that», as you suggest.

—-

EDIT: Cross-posted with Albionneur. I see we have different views….

I’ll break this brief tie by siding with Loob. When I saw it, I thought it was very awkward and would be better replaced with «Given that,» as you and Loob suggest.

I’m struggling with this one. I feel like Albionneur might be correct, but even if so I would say that it still is very awkward even if it is correct. For example, consider the simpler sentence:

That I won such a sum of money, I shall retire immediately!

I could be wrong, but I actually this might be grammatically correct. Even if so, I highly recommend avoiding this usage. It sounds to me like either old English or something that I might find in pre-20th century literature.

Thank you all for your explanations !

sab952
I can’t tell you if beginning sentences with «that» is right or wrong. Anyway, I think that in this case, it doesn’t sound good. But I have found another situation where «that» is in the beginning of a sentence, and unlike the first example, it didn’t sound bad at all (this is a commentary I found on a website where they were discussing the same thing).

Becky Mushko said… You can indeed begin a sentence with that.

That you are thinking of a TV show instead of thinking about the publishing world is a matter of concern to your fans.

In the above sentence, «That you are thinking of a TV show» is a noun clause used as the subject.

A noun clause may start with that.

(Note: I am a retired English teacher.)

Indeed, in your example, it sounds correct.

Thanks sophieamudsen !

Cagey

post mod (English Only / Latin)

The context and the sentences preceding the sentence in the original post are helpful for understanding how this sentence works. The preceding discussions emphasizes the fact that different countries in the Arab regions are affected differently by changes in the region.

Therefore, this UNDP regional response strategy needs to be validated by, and appropriately tailored and calibrated to, the specificities, fluidities and dynamics in each country context. In this light, this response strategy is presented as a “living document.” Given that 15 RBAS countries are at different stages […], UNDP Country Offices, […], are in a unique position to determine the most appropriate entry points for UNDP’s value‐added and how ….

(I find the use of ‘value-added’ as noun strange, but perhaps it is a use familiar to those who read and write about this subject. In any case, that is not the topic of this thread.)

Last edited: May 19, 2011

Indeed, in your example, it sounds correct.

But don’t get too carried away! Those are completely different.

That

(as, because, for the reason that, since) 15 RBAS countries are at different stages of their new planning and programming cycles,
UNDP Country Offices, together with their broad‐based national partners, are in a unique position to determine the most appropriate entry points for UNDP’s value‐added».

That you are thinking of a TV show instead of thinking about the publishing world is a matter of concern to your fans.

All I want to know now is whether it’s OK to start sentences with that meaning because.

Albionneur,
yes, it’s true, those are completely different. But I really think that «that» used as «as, because, for the reason that, since» sounds really bad.
I’ve looked up on the dictionary and couldn’t find any mention of «that» being used in this context. Anyway, I’ll keep searching for something!

Sofie,

concerning the because meaning of the conjunction that, as someone who lived in the US for a long time, I can assure you it DOES have a meaning like this. There is no doubt about it whatsoever. There is a post above, by an American, that confirms that.

But don’t get too carried away! Those are completely different.

«

That

(as, because, for the reason that, since) 15 RBAS countries are at different stages of their new planning and programming cycles,
UNDP Country Offices, together with their broad‐based national partners, are in a unique position to determine the most appropriate entry points for UNDP’s value‐added».

That you are thinking of a TV show instead of thinking about the publishing world is a matter of concern to your fans.

All I want to know now is whether it’s OK to start sentences with that meaning because.

Allow me to explain, Albion.

All sentences introducing a subject clause with «that» are perfectly correct if they are used with a single verb:

That (you think English is a difficlt language or any other clause) is quite a different story.

At the end of the day, it boils down to a simple «that-is» agreement.

Last edited: May 19, 2011

All I want to know now is whether it’s OK to start sentences with that meaning because.

concerning the because meaning of the conjunction that, as someone who lived in the US for a long time, I can assure you it DOES have a meaning like this. There is no doubt about it whatsoever. There is a post above, by an American, that confirms that.

If you know the answer, I’m wondering why you’re asking?

That’s the thing, I’m not sure, buddy. Once again, the question is:

Are we allowed to start a sentence with that meaning because?

There you go.

Sofie,

concerning the because meaning of the conjunction that, as someone who lived in the US for a long time, I can assure you it DOES have a meaning like this. There is no doubt about it whatsoever. There is a post above, by an American, that confirms that.

My opinion as a native speaker of American English, is that the word «that» is not used in this way to mean «because». I think in the original text it is simply a mistake, and the intention probably was to say «Given that».

The funny part of this thread is that I asked this question in the english-french forum, but nobody answered

Thank you all for you interesting remarks !

I’m sorry, Albionneur. I think that just like Copyright, I misunderstood what you said.
Anyway, I would recomend you the same thing the American person did: avoiding this usage.

Well, divisortheory is an American too and he wrote this moments ago:

«That I won such a sum of money, I shall retire immediately!
I could be wrong, but I actually

admit

this might be grammatically correct. Even if so, I highly recommend avoiding this usage. It sounds to me like either old English or something that I might find in pre-20th century literature.»

I can’t but agree, though, that here rather means given that.

cubaMania,
I don’t know if I am making a mistake, but if you go a little backwards on the text, you will find this:

While every country in the Arab region is, perforce, affected—whether directly or indirectly, at the margins or at the core—by this seeming tidal wave of youth-led popular contestations, it is important to recognize and bear in mind that the extent and impact of the development failures underlying this rising tide, as well as the means and measures taken or to be taken to redress them, differ from country to country; also, that the course, dynamics and outcomes of transformative change processes vary as well, sometimes considerably. Therefore, this UNDP regional response strategy needs to be validated by, and appropriately tailored and calibrated to, the specificities, fluidities and dynamics in each country context. In this light, this response strategy is presented as a “living document.” That 15 RBAS countries are at different stages of their new planning and programming cycles, UNDP Country Offices, together with their broad-based national partners, are in a unique position to determine the most appropriate entry points for UNDP’s value-added and how best to respond to the emerging challenges and opportunities brought to the fore by the processes of transformative change.

Couldn’t it be that all these «thats» were being used for the same reason? I don’t know how to explain this, but they would work like a «sequence» of facts.
Sorry if I am wrong, I was just thinking about this possibility.

cubaMania,
I don’t know if I am making a mistake, but if you go a little backwards on the text, you will find this:

Couldn’t it be that all these «thats» were being used for the same reason? I don’t know how to explain this, but they would work like a «sequence» of facts.
Sorry if I am wrong, I was just thinking about this possibility.

The first two that’s ARE, but the 3rd one has a different use — to suggest WHY they CAN do it. Although, what you are suggesting is not beside the point either, Sofie.

Hello sofieamundsen,
No, these three would not fit into a parallel sequence.

The skeleton structure for your first two phrases with «that» is this:
It is important to recognize this fact («that the extent…and…differ…») and also this fact («that the course, dynamics and outcomes…vary…»).

The third instance of «that» does not fit into this sequence. The sentence is just grammatically incomplete. It has a noun clause («That 15 RBAS countries are…») just dangling there with nothing to relate it to the rest of the sentence. We can only guess as to what the intended wording might have been, but one way to correct this sentence would be to insert a verb:

That 15 RBAS countries are at different stages of their new planning and programming cycles

means

that UNDP Country Offices, together with their broad-based national partners, are in a unique position to determine the most appropriate entry points for UNDP’s value-added and…
That converts the skeleton structure into this:

This fact («that 15 RBAS are at …..») means this fact («that UNDP Country Offices…are…»).

Other possible ways to make the sentence coherent:
Because 15 RBAS countries are…, UNDP Country Offices…are in a unique position…
Given that 15 RBAS countries are…, UNDP Country Offices…are in a unique position…

Last edited: May 19, 2011

Well, divisortheory is an American too and he wrote this moments ago:

«That I won such a sum of money, I shall retire immediately!
I could be wrong, but I actually

admit

this might be grammatically correct. Even if so, I highly recommend avoiding this usage. It sounds to me like either old English or something that I might find in pre-20th century literature.»

I can’t but agree, though, that here rather means given that.

I can’t but disagree
That here is probably part of the subjunctive mood, rather the clipped version of:
[I wish] that I won such a sum of money, [then] I shall retire immediately!
But I do

not

insist on that. I simply don’t see it meaning «given that» or «because».

In fact, could you please give an example of that used at the beginning of a sentence meaning «because». (I’m not saying this because I don’t believe you, I’m just curious about that construction and meaning of that. )

By the way, I agree that the sentence in post 1 is simply mistaken and/or incomplete. It certainly sounds ungrammatical to me.

Albionneur and cubaMania, thank you very much for the explanations.

I’m just curious about that construction and meaning of that.

I’m not saying that could be used in that meaning at the beginning of a sentence. In fact, I’ve been asking others about it. Now, here is what that also means:

a (1) —used as a function word to introduce a subordinate clause expressing purpose or desired result <cutting down expenses that her son might inherit an unencumbered estate — W. B. Yeats> (2) —used as a function word to introduce a subordinate clause expressing a reason or cause <rejoice that you are lightened of a load — Robert Browning> (3) —used as a function word to introduce a subordinate clause expressing consequence, result, or effect <are of sufficient importance that they cannot be neglected — Hannah Wormington>
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/that?show=1&t=1305818366

I’m happy we can learn by coming here.

Cagey

post mod (English Only / Latin)

I am closing this thread.

The topic question has been answered. A discussion about the possible use of «that» to mean because is a second question. Anyone who wants to discuss it should start another thread, including a clear example of this use.

Cagey,
moderator.

Last edited: May 19, 2011

Источник

The demonstrative adjectives this/that/these/those, which may also be pronouns, tell us where an object is located and how many objects there are.

This and that are used to point to one object. This points to something nearby, while that points to something “over there.”
Examples:	This dog is mine. This is mine. That dog is hers. That is hers.
These and those refer to more than one object. These points to things nearby, while those points to things “over there.”
Examples:	These babies have been smiling for a while. These are mine. Those babies in the nursery have been crying for hours. Those are yours.

If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the «Comment» box at the bottom of this page.

Proper Usage of «That» in English

‘That’ as a Determiner

‘That’ as a Relative Pronoun

‘That’ in a Clause as an Object

‘That’ in a Clause as a Complement to a Noun or an Adjective

‘That’ Clause as Subject of a Sentence

Compound Conjunctions with ‘That’

After Reporting Verbs

After Adjectives

As Object in Relative Clauses

Reader Interactions

Cagey

post mod (English Only / Latin)

Cagey

post mod (English Only / Latin)

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