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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.

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Wiki User

∙ 11y ago

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You could. If referring to something near you, you can say «That
toy is my sister’s favorite one» or «That store is going to close
soon.» My favorite sentence starting with that would have to be
«That meteorite is heading towards my town and it would be so cool
if it was some other town.»

Wiki User

∙ 15y ago

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Q: Can you start a sentence with the word ‘that’?

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Still have questions?

imp

Harmless drudge

:up:

I was wondering if it is okay to start a sentence with “that”.
For example,

The letter must at least include the following.

The reason why you would like to apply for this program.

That you have obtained consent from your parents about your participating this program.

…

…

For No. 2, I guess “The fact that you have…” is better, but I think I’ve seen similar sentences without «The fact».
So please tell me whether it is okay to omit “the fact” and just start the sentence with “that”.
Thank you.

The trouble with the list is a lack of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallelism_(grammar): the first list element is a noun phrase; the second is a subordinate clause. A sentence can start with ‘That’, but that (the second LE) isn’t a sentence anyway.

That you can start a sentence with ‘that’ in BrE is something I have often said.

That you can start a sentence with ‘that’ in BrE is something I agree with.
Just not the «sentence» in the OP.

Thank you, everyone.

So,
— The example I posted is a phrase, not a sentence.
— You can start a sentence or a phrase with «that».
Is that correct?

That you can start a sentence with ‘that’ in BrE is something I agree with.
Just not the «sentence» in the OP.

What do you mean by «OP»?

emsr2d2

Thank you, everyone.

So,
— The example I posted is a phrase, not a sentence.
— You can start a sentence or a phrase with «that».
Is that correct? Yes.

What do you mean by «OP»?
This stands for «Original Poster» — the person who started the thread — in this case, you.

See above.

I see. Thank you.So… (I hope this is going to be my last question about this topic.)
Regarding the example in my first post (2. That you have obtained consent from …),if I ask is it okay to start this «phrase» (not «sentence») with «that», is the answer Yes (when not taking into account the issue of parallelism)? If not (and the example in my second post, (a) That the trial involves research is okay,could anyone please tell me the reason or the difference between the two examples?

Last edited: Feb 23, 2012

BobK

Harmless drudge

…

What do you mean by «OP»?

It’s a shame that in the last upgrade (tjat is, the one before the most recent one) ‘, when ‘Threadstarter’ first appeared, it didn’t reflect the accepted usage ‘OP’. If instead of the new word ‘Threadstarter’, a post’s header designated the OP as ‘Original Poster’ it would be clearer (and save questions like this)

(and save questions like this)

I agree. I guess OP means not only «original poster» but also » original post» though.
I now think bhaisabhab meant the orinigal «post» (not the original «poster»).

And I’m still waiting for a reply to my last two questions in #11. Please.

Last edited: Feb 23, 2012

Barb_D

A noun phrase, either acting as the subject in a full sentence or as one noun phrase among many in a list, can start with «That.»

Does that answer both questions?

5jj

A noun phrase, either acting as the subject in a full sentence or as one noun phrase among many in a list, can start with «That.»

That that ‘that’ that you ended your sentence with can start a noun phrase seems clear.

BobK

Harmless drudge

That that ‘that’ that you ended your sentence with can start a noun phrase seems clear.

And Tom, where Dick had had ‘had’ had had ‘had had’. ‘Had had’ had had the examiner’s approval.

But yours was probably original.

A noun phrase, either acting as the subject in a full sentence or as one noun phrase among many in a list, can start with «That.»

Does that mean Yes?

emsr2d2

What do you think it means?

Red5

Webmaster, UsingEnglish.com

It’s a shame that in the last upgrade (tjat is, the one before the most recent one) ‘, when ‘Threadstarter’ first appeared, it didn’t reflect the accepted usage ‘OP’. If instead of the new word ‘Threadstarter’, a post’s header designated the OP as ‘Original Poster’ it would be clearer (and save questions like this)

b

It is a plugin and has nothing to do with any of the forum upgrades. If you want it to use the phrase ‘Original Poster’ instead of ‘Threadstarter’ then you only need suggest the change and I’ll see if it’s possible.

Red5

Webmaster, UsingEnglish.com

It now states «Threadstarter / Original Poster».

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This is something that I’ve recently had someone tell me is not grammatically correct. Now, to be honest, it’s not something I would likely ever use in everyday language but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not perfectly acceptable.

So, as an example:

That that you have eaten is poisonous.

This is similar (in my mind) to «That which…».

There are certainly examples of this both in modern usage (if you want to call it that), in the form of a Wikipedia article about ambiguity in a phrase that is missing punctuation:

That that is is that that is not is not is that it it is

According to this article’s text, this phrase is grammatically acceptable:

The sequence can be understood as any of three grammatically-correct sequences, each with at least three discrete sentences, by adding punctuation:

That that is, is. That that is not, is not. Is that it? It is.

That that is, is that that is. Not is not. Is that it? It is.

That that is, is that that is not. Is not «is that» it? It is.

But, Wikipedia is not always trustworthy.

This also appears historically, possibly the most noteworthy appearance is in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Hamlet, though the latter may not be the same usage.

Twelfth Night, Act 4 Scene 2:

Bonos dies, Sir Toby: for, as the old hermit of
Prague, that never saw pen and ink, very wittily
said to a niece of King Gorboduc, ‘That that is is;’
so I, being Master Parson, am Master Parson; for,
what is ‘that’ but ‘that,’ and ‘is’ but ‘is’?

This is the fool, speaking in jest, though… one might suppose that poor grammar is used intentionally?

Hamlet, Act 5 Scene 1:

Imperious Caesar, dead and turn’d to clay,
Might stop a hole to keep the wind away:
O, that that earth, which kept the world in awe,
Should patch a wall to expel the winter flaw!
But soft! but soft! aside: here comes the king.

Here, I could see this as being a stand-alone sentence (That that earth should patch a wall…), so it may be applicable here… but I think the first «that» is not a pronoun here, so it may not be the same.

So, is there an explanation of this form? Is it acceptable? As you may expect, this is difficult to look up because there certainly are acceptable forms of «that that» that appear internally in sentences. This is not what I’m interested in.

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Greetings,

Hope you’re doing well.

Is my use of «whether» or «that» correct in the following examples?

«Whether I’m here is just because of you.»

«That I’m here is just because of you.»

They seem to serve as the equivalents of the longer phrase «The fact that» in those sentences, am I right?

Many thanks

Please explain why you would want to say either of these two sentences. I can’t think of a context where either of them would be correct.

Thanks a lot, Glasguensis.

Actually, I want to say: «My being here is just because of you.»
I also found these examples in some other forum, they seem to have been made by a native speaker:

«That you asked me first instead of just doing it your own way as you used to shows me that you are trying to learn.»
«That you would presume to come here and ask this of me shows you just how arrogant you are.»
«That you were able to reach the summit at all is a great testament to your willpower. Never mind that the others in your group got there so far ahead of you.»

Here’s another example by Teddy in a response he made to one of my other threads.

We form impressions of the outside world. But whether you can «discuss the matter rationally» is not just about the outside world: it is also about your internal feelings.

Please explain using different words why you would want to say either of these two sentences. Please describe the situation, your motivations, without using the words of your proposed sentences.

If you don’t know why you would want to say it, then you obviously don’t need to say it.

Note that I am referring to your specific examples in your original post, not the three other examples you posted from that forum. Those other three examples are perfectly fine and I understand why someone would want to say them. Your sentences, on the other hand, are not something I would ever want to say, and are probably incorrect, but since you are unable to say what you actually mean, I can’t correct them.

That I’m now here not somewhere else indicates how much I love you.

Is that any better?

PaulQ

Context — you require context. The «that» needs a referent of some sort. That is a pronoun: a pronoun must have a referent.

Charming Lady: «Oh, G. Determinism! You have come so far! Do you really love me?»
GD: «That (referencing the Charming Lady’s words) I’m now here not somewhere else indicates how much I love you.»
GD(i): «The fact that (modifying fact by what follows) I’m now here not somewhere else indicates how much I love you.»

Thanks a lot, Paul.

Could you please explain a little more about this:
GD: «That (referencing the Charming Lady’s words) I’m now here not somewhere else indicates how much I love you.»
It becomes this:
«That I have come so far I’m now here not somewhere else indicates how much I love you.»
How do you relate «that» to the lady’s words? If we do so, don’t you think we need a conjunction or so before «I’m now here …»

Much obliged

PaulQ

Yes, a conjunction is fine — it is the general gist of her words that count, not the literal, word-for-word quotation — she actually said, «You have come so far» and this is the part that the «that» is referencing.

A: You have come far…
B: The very fact that I have come far … -> shortened to «The fact that I have come far …» -> shortened to «That I have come far …»

We can easily foresee a situation in which the lady gives a long and involved speech, and the second speaker merely uses «that» to reference one part of it: the part he finds significant and/or answers the main question.

Less emotively:

«The fact that the gold dissolves in this liquid shows that the liquid is aqua regis.»»That the gold dissolves in this liquid shows that the liquid is aqua regis.» -> «The gold dissolves in this liquid and that (i.e.that fact) shows that the liquid is aqua regis.»

Actually, I want to say: «My being here is just because of you.»

That’s fine. Even better: «I’m here only because of you.»

Like Glasguensis, I can’t imagine why you would want to say it in either of the extremely awkward ways you suggest in post #1.

Last edited: Nov 23, 2015

Thanks a lot, Paul and Parla.

I’m a little baffled!!
According to Paul’s latest post I can analyze my proposed sentence as follows:

«I’m now here not somewhere else and that indicates how much I love you.»
I presume that the fact in the above sentence is «my presence» not the so called lady’s words. Am I wrong?

Thanks

Loob

Hi G.Determinism

«That I’m here is just because of you.» is just about possible, though it sounds rather strange. «The fact that…» would be better; others have given even better alternatives.

«Whether I’m here is just because of you.» does not work at all. Don’t forget that «whether…» = «whether or not…»

Hi G.Determinism

«That I’m here is just because of you.» is just about possible, though it sounds rather strange: «The fact that…» would be better; others have given even better alternatives.

«Whether I’m here is just because of you.» does not work at all. Don’t forget that «whether…» = «whether or not…»

Thank you very much, Loob.

< Comment no longer needed and removed. Cagey, moderator. >

Last edited by a moderator: Nov 23, 2015

I think this one needs your attention.
(Dear mods, I wouldn’t want to bump the thread, I just thought this question might have been overlooked because of the mess I made)

Thanks

Thanks a lot, Paul and Parla.

I’m a little baffled!!
According to Paul’s latest post I can analyze my proposed sentence as follows:

«I’m now here not somewhere else and that indicates how much I love you.»
I presume that the fact in the above sentence is «my presence» not the so called lady’s words. Am I wrong?

Thanks

I’m a little confused, since your original sentence/question said nothing about «love», which wasn’t mentioned until post #7. Are you now asking specifically about a sentence in which the speaker is addressing a loved one?

Not really, one of the guys asked me to put my original sentence into other words to make it more clear, I did so.

Loob

There are different sorts of «that», G.D

…that indicates how much I love you.

«that» is a pronoun.

That I’m here is just because of you.»

«that» is a subordinating conjunction.

It’s common to start a sentence with pronoun«that»; it’s much less common to start a sentence with subordinating conjunction «that».

Thanks, actually the original sentence I made started with «that», so we have:

«That I’m now here not somewhere else indicates how much I love you.»
versus
«That I’m here is just because of you.»

Are these «that» different?

Thanks

Loob

No, they’re both subordinating conjunctions, G.D.

So both of the sentences sound rather unusual.

What is the difference between the following sentence and those I made?

«That you were able to reach the summit at all is a great testament to your willpower. Never mind that the others in your group got there so far ahead of you.»

PaulQ

1. What is the source of your sentence
2. What do you think «that» means?
3. What happens if you remove the word «that»? -> you do not have a sentence.

1. You mean the one quoted in my last message? I got it from a forum, apparently some native guy’s posted it. I’ve already posted the link to that forum above.

2. I think it serves as a shorten of «the fact that»

3. I don’t really know. It may be something I carry over from my mother tongue. But those I posted above were made by native speakers, not me.
Here I’m quoting them again:

Thanks a lot

Greetings all round

A Cloud of Witness here, which has helped G.Determinism not a whit.

It is perfectly proper, though slightly old-fashioned, English to invert the subordinate and main clauses. Thus:

«In the exam he scored low marks because he did not work hard» =
«He scored low marks in the exam because he did not work hard»

So too…

«I did not know that he had been here» =
«That he had been here I did not know».

The differences are of rhetorical emphasis, not of sense.

In fact, this is quite stylish English.

PaulQ

OK, GD, use sentence that begin with the subordinating conjunction «That», but bear in mind:.

It is not particularly idiomatic,
Its usefulness is restricted, and
It costs nothing to add «The fact» to make a construction that everyone likes.

In fact, this is quite stylish English.

That’s one adjective… It can also come across as «arrogant or affected.» The context needs to be chosen carefully to avoid social disaster. As a consequence, this is a construction to use after much experience.

Last edited: Nov 24, 2015

So we invert the subordinate and main clause.

«I did not know that he had been here» =
«That he had been here I did not know».

In GD’s second example, I think the inverted pair would be these (cleft and simple sentence):

It is just because of you that I am here.
I am here just because of you.

~~That I am here is just because of you.~~

Thanks a lot, Scholiast, Paul and velisarius. I very much appreciate your help.

«That he had been here I did not know».

The thing is we have two complete clauses (two subjects) in the above sentence, but in those I proposed (including those I quoted from the other forum) this is not the case at all. I mean it is like there’s a long queue of words acting as the subject of the verb shows/indicates/is.

«Subject=[That ……… ] shows/indicates ….. .»

Thanks

Last edited: Nov 24, 2015

Loob

…So too…

«I did not know that he had been here» =
«That he had been here I did not know».

The differences are of rhetorical emphasis, not of sense.

Sorry, Scholiast, that’s not the same construction as G.D’s.
In G.D’s examples, the «that» clause is the subject of the sentence, as G.D says in post 27.

I agree with Paul’s comments.

Is «that» in the sectence below a subordinating conjunction or a pronoun?

That you were able to reach the summit at all is a great testament to your willpower. Never mind that the others in your group got there so far ahead of you.»

Thanks

Loob

It’s a subordinating conjunction, G.D. And that sentence works because it’s fairly formal and literary.

Using the same construction in an informal, conversational sentence about «being here because of you» really wouldn’t work. It would sound either odd or — to use Paul’s words — «arrogant or affected».

Thanks, dear Loob. I think I’ve got what I needed to get out of this.

Paul suggested that I better use «the fact that» instead of a solitary «that». It’s interesting because I’ve always regarded «the fact that» as formal. I wouldn’t have thought «that» would be considered literay someday. Normally the longer it is the more formal it sounds.

Thank you, all for your help.

Greetings

Sorry, Scholiast, that’s not the same construction as G.D’s.
In G.D’s examples, the «that» clause is the subject of the sentence, as G.D says in pos

Granted, in my sentence it is the object rather than the subject, but it is a noun-clause and can equally well be the subject:
«That he had been there was not generally known».
Σ

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