Proper Usage of «That» in English
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.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the mode in northern Indian or Hindustani music, see Thaat.
That is an English language word used for several grammatical purposes. These include use as an adjective, conjunction, pronoun, adverb, and intensifier; it has distance from the speaker, as opposed to words like this. The word did not originally exist in Old English, and its concept was represented by þe. Once it came into being, it was spelt as þæt (among others, such as þet), taking the role of the modern that. It also took on the role of the modern word what, though this has since changed, and that has recently replaced some usage of the modern which. Pronunciation of the word varies according to its role within a sentence, with two main varieties (a strong and a weak form), though there are also regional differences, such as where the sound is substituted instead by a in English spoken in Cameroon.
Modern usage[edit]
The word that serves several grammatical purposes. Owing to its wide versatility in usage, the writer Joseph Addison named it «that jacksprat» in 1771, and gave this example of a grammatically correct sentence: «That that I say is this: that that that that gentleman has advanced, is not that, that he should have proved.»[1] That can be used as a demonstrative pronoun,
demonstrative adjective,
conjunction,
relative pronoun,
relative adverb,
and an intensifier.[1]
- That as a demonstrative pronoun refers to a specific object being discussed, such as in «that is a cat»;[2] the word is a distal demonstrative pronoun, as opposed to proximal, because there is distance between the speaker and the object being discussed (as opposed to words such as this, where there is a relative sense of closeness).[3]
- When used as a demonstrative adjective, that describes which specific object is being discussed; for example, in the phrase «that spotted dog is Fido», that specifies which particular dog is Fido among all spotted dogs.[4]
- In its usage as a conjunction, it connects clauses together, such as in «I know that Peter is right».[5] In sentences with several clauses, that is also used as a discriminator to differentiate between subjects of a clause.[6]
- As a relative pronoun, that introduces restrictive clauses, such as in «the different factors that are fundamental and specific to particular features»; in a study of medical science journals in Britain leading up to 2004, it was found that that had been largely replaced by the word which when used in this context,[7] while writing that is increasingly formal—ranging from verse to fiction to nonfiction—finds that usage decreasing as wh- words (interrogatives) relatively increase.[8]
- That is used as a relative adverb, such as in «it doesn’t cost that much».[9] When used in this way, that requires inferences be drawn by the listener to determine the meaning of the speaker.[9]
- The word also intensifies elements of a sentence, similar in function to the word so, such as when one says «I was that ill … I couldn’t even stand up.»[9] But just as in its use as a relative adverb, that as an intensifier is best understood when the addressee infers meaning from its usage.[9] In the example given, that intensifies and refers to a possible view already held by the addressee (whether the speaker was not seriously ill), even though the speaker does not explicitly confirm or intensify this previously-held belief.[9]
Historical usage[edit]
In Old English, that did not exist, and was only represented by þe.[10] It originated in the north of England sometime before the 1200s and spread around the country in the thirteenth century; it then rapidly became the dominant demonstrative pronoun.[11] Before the writings of Ælfric of Eynsham, þæt was normally regularized as þe in writing, but by the time Ælfric lived, þæt was common.[12] As a pronoun, þæt was widely used in Old English, though it was later replaced by wh- words.[10] Where þe had only stood in for subjects of a clause, þæt instead took on the role of both a subject and an object,[13] and when þe and þæt were both used, þæt was always relative in orientation.[14] The symbol ꝥ (
) was used as an abbreviation, before it was phased out by the Romantic þt.[15] Similarly, yͭ was a ligature to represent that,[16] as seen in the gravestone of William Shakespeare: «Bleste be yͤ man yͭ spares thes stones«.[17] In Middle English, þe was entirely replaced by þat (among other representations), before again being replaced by the modern that.[10] Among all relative markers in the English language, including who, which, whose, and what, that—through its ancient form of þæt—appears to be the oldest.[11]
In Old English translations of Latin (but only sparsely in original Old English texts), the phrase þæt an is frequently used—typically meaning «only»—but its origins and characteristics are not well-understood.[18] Frequently, the construction of þæt an was in the original Latin, which referred then to a following clause.[19] The use of þæt an was for cases in which there was exclusivity (to distinguish between general and specific objects), but translators also used it in situations where exclusivity was already given through other syntactical elements of the sentence.[20] In these texts, þæt seems to be used pleonastically (redundantly), and it began to be used as an independent adverb.[21] In the context of weather events, þæt was never used, such as in the example sentence þæt rigneð (translated as «that rains»).[22]
Similarly, for several centuries in Old English and early Middle English texts, the phrase onmang þæt (translated as «among that») persisted.[23] In the hundreds of years of its existence, it was used infrequently, though the usage was stable.[24] Even in Old English, usage of hwile («while») was much more commonplace, with its frequency some six times as large as onmang þæt in a surveyed corpus.[25] Onmang þæt experienced grammaticalisation (turning a word into a grammatical marker),[25] and as a result of its low usage, possibly underwent a period of specialization, where it competed with other grammaticalised phrases.[26]
After verbs such as said, and more generally in introducing a dependent clause, contemporary English grammar allows the speaker to either include that or to omit it.[27] This construction—as in «I suspect (that) he is right»—is called the zero form when that is not used.[27] While there has been some analysis of the relative frequency of Old and Middle English usage of the zero form, these studies are of limited value, since they rely on unique text corpora, failing to give a general view of its usage.[28] In the late period of Middle English, the linguist Norihiko Otsu determined, the zero form was generally as popular as the form in which that is included.[29] The zero form was common in documents closely relating to speech, such as sermons, suggesting spoken English often omitted that in these contexts.[30]
Pronunciation[edit]
That has several pronunciations. While in received pronunciation, it is pronounced either as or , in Cameroonian English, for example, the /ð/ is alveolarised as /d/, resulting in a pronunciation of /dat/.[31] The weak and strong forms (the two of received pronunciation) of that vary according to their grammatical roles, with one as a demonstrative and the other as an anaphoric (referencing adverb).[32] In this way, /ðæt/ represents a determining pronoun (such as in «what is that?»), while /ðət/ is a subordinating word (as in «that is as it should be»).[33]
See also[edit]
- Dependent statement
- Deixis
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^ a b Cheshire 1995, p. 370.
- ^ Weinstein 1974, p. 180.
- ^ Pavesi 2013, p. 105.
- ^ Reimer 1991, pp. 194–195, 201.
- ^ Mańczak 1973, p. 58.
- ^ Otsu 2002b, p. 226.
- ^ Sonoda 2004, p. 1.
- ^ Van den Eynden Morpeth 1999, p. 121.
- ^ a b c d e Cheshire 1995, p. 378.
- ^ a b c Suárez 2012, p. 80.
- ^ a b Cheshire, Adger & Fox 2013.
- ^ Morris 1868, p. ix.
- ^ Suárez 2012, p. 89.
- ^ Seppänen 2004, p. 73.
- ^ Honkapohja 2019, pp. 60–61.
- ^ Sutherland 2020, p. vii.
- ^ Bovilsky 2011, p. 292.
- ^ Rissanen 1967, p. 409.
- ^ Rissanen 1967, p. 412.
- ^ Rissanen 1967, p. 425.
- ^ Rissanen 1967, p. 417.
- ^ Naya 1995, p. 28.
- ^ Nykiel 2018, pp. 575, 586.
- ^ Nykiel 2018, p. 575.
- ^ a b Nykiel 2018, p. 586.
- ^ Nykiel 2018, p. 588.
- ^ a b Otsu 2002a, p. 225.
- ^ Otsu 2002a, pp. 225–226.
- ^ Otsu 2002a, p. 227.
- ^ Otsu 2002a, p. 232.
- ^ Ngefac 2005, p. 44.
- ^ Poussa 1997, p. 691.
- ^ Cornish 2018, p. 438.
Works cited[edit]
- Bovilsky, Lara (2011). «Early modern ecostudies: From the Florentine Codex to Shakespeare (review)». Shakespeare Quarterly. 62 (2): 292–295. doi:10.1353/shq.2011.0017. S2CID 191566397.
- Cheshire, Jenny (March 1995). «That jacksprat: An interactional perspective on English that«. Journal of Pragmatics. 25 (3): 369–393. doi:10.1016/0378-2166(95)00032-1.
- Cheshire, Jenny; Adger, David; Fox, Sue (March 2013). «Relative who and the actuation problem». Lingua. 126: 51–77. doi:10.1016/j.lingua.2012.11.014.
- Cornish, Francis (November 2018). «Revisiting the system of English relative clauses: Structure, semantics, discourse functionality» (PDF). English Language and Linguistics. 22 (3): 431–456. doi:10.1017/S136067431700003X. S2CID 125481529.
- Honkapohja, Alpo (2019). «Anchorites and abbreviations: A corpus study of abbreviations of Germanic and Romance lexicon in the Ancrene Wisse«. In Stenroos, Merja; Mäkinen, Martti; Thengs, Kjetil Vikhamar; Traxel, Oliver Martin (eds.). Current explorations in Middle English. Berlin: Peter Lang. ISBN 9783631784730.
- Mańczak, Witold (1973). «The use and omission of the conjunction that«. Linguistics. 11 (95): 51–58. doi:10.1515/ling.1973.11.95.51. S2CID 144204069.
- Morris, Richard (1868). Old English homilies and homiletic treatises (Sawles Warde, and þe Wohunge of Ure Lauerd: Ureisuns of Ure Louerd and of Ure Lefdi, &c.) of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. London: Early English Text Society.
- Naya, Belén Méndez (1995). «‘Hit’ AND ‘ðæt’ anticipating subject clauses in OE: True syntactic equivalents?». Neuphilologische Mitteilungen. 96 (1): 23–37. ISSN 0028-3754. JSTOR 43346052.
- Ngefac, Aloysius (2005). «Homophones and heterophones in Cameroon English». Alizés: Revue angliciste de la Réunion: 39–53.
- Nykiel, Jerzy (November 2018). «Onmang Þaet – Incipient grammaticalisation in Old and Middle English». Transactions of the Philological Society. 116 (3): 574–593. doi:10.1111/1467-968X.12140. S2CID 149971418.
- Pavesi, Maria (2013). «This and that in the language of film dubbing: A corpus-based analysis». Meta: Journal des traducteurs. 58 (1): 103–133. doi:10.7202/1023812ar.
- Reimer, Marga (1991). «Demonstratives, demonstrations, and demonstrata». Philosophical Studies. 63 (2): 187–202. doi:10.1007/BF00381687. ISSN 0031-8116. JSTOR 4320229. S2CID 170148319.
- Rissanen, Matti (1967). «Old English þæt an ‘only’«. Neuphilologische Mitteilungen. 68 (4): 409–428. ISSN 0028-3754. JSTOR 43342366.
- Seppänen, Aimo (May 2004). «The Old English relative þe«. English Language and Linguistics. 8 (1): 71–102. doi:10.1017/S136067430400125X. S2CID 122524683.
- Sonoda, Kenji (2004). «The restrictive relative pronouns that and which in BrE». Bulletin of the School of Allied Medical Sciences Nagasaki University. 17 (2): 1–4.
- Suárez, Cristina (1 January 2012). «The consolidation of þat as an invariable relativizer in the history of English». Nordic Journal of English Studies. 11 (1): 79. doi:10.35360/njes.256.
- Sutherland, Kristina Regan (2020). Conduct and carnival: Domestic soft power in early modern comedies (PhD). University of Georgia.
- Otsu, Norihiko (2002a). «On the absence of the conjunction that in late Middle English». In Saito, Toshio; Nakamura, Junsaku; Yamazaki, Shunji (eds.). English corpus linguistics in Japan. Amsterdam: Rodopi. ISBN 9789042013698.
- Otsu, Norihiko (November 2002b). «On the presence or absence of the conjunction þæt in Old English, with special reference to dependent sentences containing a gif-clause». English Language and Linguistics. 6 (2): 225–238. doi:10.1017/S1360674302000217. S2CID 120420972.
- Poussa, Patricia (1997). «Derivation of it from Þat in eastern dialects of British English». In Hickey, Raymond; Puppel, Stanislav (eds.). Language history and linguistic modelling. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
- Van den Eynden Morpeth, Nadine (1999). «Jack Sprat that and the humble wh- relatives: Reconstructing social contexts by means of commercial CD-ROMS». In Tops, Guy A.J.; Devriendt, Betty; Geukens, Steven (eds.). Thinking English Grammar To Honour Xavier Dekeyser, Professor Emeritus. Peeters. ISBN 9789042907638.
- Weinstein, Scott (1974). «Truth and demonstratives». Noûs. 8 (2): 179–184. doi:10.2307/2214785. ISSN 0029-4624. JSTOR 2214785.
External links[edit]
The dictionary definition of those at Wiktionary
The dictionary definition of those at Wiktionary
Get the grammar rules for using that and which.
There’s a lot of confusion about that and which. These two words are often used interchangeably, even though they’re not necessarily interchangeable.
Historically, that and which may have carried the same meaning, and some English dialects may allow for that and which to be swapped without affecting the meaning of a sentence.
However, in American English, the grammar rules offer a distinct difference between the two words. By the time you’re done reading this post, you’ll fully understand the difference between that and which, and you’ll be able to use both words correctly.
That and Which
As with most grammar rules, there are exceptions and exemptions from the standard ways that and which should be used in a sentence. To gain understanding of confusing word pairs, it’s always best to start with the basics. As we look at how to properly use that and which, we’ll focus on simple, standard usage.
That and which can be categorized into several different parts of speech. Both words can function as adjectives and pronouns. Additionally, that can serve as a conjunction and as an adverb. Today, we’re looking at how that and which should be used when they are working as relative pronouns.
Relative Pronouns
From Wikipedia: “A relative pronoun is a pronoun that marks a relative clause within a larger sentence. It is called a relative pronoun because it relates to the word that it modifies.”
Like adjectives and adverbs, relative pronouns modify other words. Adjectives modify nouns:
- I have a car.
- I have a red car.
Adverbs modify verbs:
- I am walking.
- I am walking quickly.
The main difference between adjectives and adverbs is that adjectives usually modify things (nouns) while adverbs modify actions (verbs). Relative pronouns also modify words, but they often do so as clauses rather than as single, descriptive words. In the examples below, the clauses are italicized.
- Bring me the bucket.
- Bring me the bucket that has apples in it.
- The bucket, which has apples in it, is blue.
The difference between the words that and which and how they are used as relative pronouns depends on whether the clause they belong to is restrictive or nonrestrictive.
Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses
Restrictive Clauses Are Necessary
A restrictive clause is necessary to the meaning of a sentence. For example:
- I want the bucket that has apples in it.
If you removed the clause “that has apples in it,” the meaning of the sentence would be lost. Nobody would know which bucket the speaker wants. The clause is necessary to the meaning of the sentence and is therefore a restrictive clause. Because it’s a restrictive clause, it should take the relative pronoun that.
Nonrestrictive Clauses are Unnecessary
A nonrestrictive clause is not necessary to the meaning of a sentence. In fact, it can be removed from a sentence without affecting its meaning. For example:
- The bucket, which is blue, has apples in it.
- There are apples in the bucket, which is blue.
If you removed the nonrestrictive clause “which is blue,” from either of the sentences above, the meaning of the sentences would not be lost. We’d still know that the bucket has apples in it. Note that in the second example, the nonrestrictive clause adds information about something that has already been identified. Because the clause is unnecessary to the meaning of the sentence, we know it’s a nonrestrictive clause, and therefore should take the relative pronoun which.
- Use that before a restrictive (necessary) clause.
- Use which before a nonrestrictive (unnecessary) clause.
The Easy Way to Remember the Difference Between That and Which
I Needed That
If you need the clause to maintain a sentence’s meaning, then use that. A quick trick for remembering this grammar rule is the phrase “I needed that.”
Which?
Because which is also an interrogative pronoun used to mark questions, it is questionable. You can take it or leave it. It’s not necessary. Think of the word which with a question mark (which?) to remind yourself that if the clause’s presence is questionable and can be removed, then you should use the word which to introduce the clause.
Exceptions and Notes
Here are some exceptions and notes to these rules:
- Which can be used restrictively when it’s preceded by a preposition. For example, “The bucket in which the apples have been stored is blue.”
- Which is almost always preceded by a comma, parenthesis, or a dash.
- In British English, there is little distinction between that and which.
Has this article helped clarify any questions you’ve had about grammar rules? Do you have any other questions about that and which? Do you have any tips to share for remembering how to use these two words? Leave a comment.
Sources (aff links):
- The Chicago Manual of Style
- Grammar Girl, “Which Versus That“
- Wikipedia, “Relative Pronouns“
Demonstrative pronouns in English
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Demonstrative pronouns in English (demonstrative pronouns / demonstratives) indicate a person, object, or their signs. There are several demonstrative pronouns in English.
Single number The many number
| this — this, this, this | these — these |
| that — that, that, that | those — those |
| such — such, similar | such — such like |
| the same — the same | the same — the same |
| it is | it is |
Now you know what demonstrative pronouns are in English. Next, we will consider the cases when each of them is used.
Demonstrative pronouns this and these
This is used with singular nouns, the pronoun these — with plural nouns. These pronouns should be used in the following cases:
- When we talk about people or things that are near us. Sometimes in sentences with this and these, the adverb here (here) is used, which also indicates the proximity of the subject to us.
- When a situation occurs in the present or future tense, we describe this situation using this / these.
- When we talk about the same thing several times and want to avoid repetition.
- When we introduce people or introduce ourselves in a telephone conversation.
This table is wooden. — This table wood. (the table is nearby, and we point to it)
These books belong to me. — These books belong to me. (several books are next to me)
this girl is here and she is waiting for you. — This girlhereand she is waiting for you.
We are going to meet this week… — We are going to meet at this week.
This month you are making a great progress. — V this month you are making tremendous progress.
I don’t want to discuss this but I have to. — I do not want it discuss, but I have to. (it is assumed that this event has already been called before, thus avoiding repetition)
Look at this! He seems to be looking for his money. — Look at it! He seems to be looking for his money. (the pronoun indicates the situation described in the second sentence)
This is the main goal in my life. — This is the main goal in my life.
Jim, These are my brothers, Tom and Carl. — Jim, it my brothers, Tom and Karl.
Hello! This is Kate speaking! Can I speak to Mary? — Hey. This is Kate. Can I talk to Mary?
Demonstrative pronouns that and those
The demonstrative that is used with singular nouns, the pronoun those with plural nouns. Let’s see when we can use the demonstrative pronouns that and those:
- When we talk about people or things that are far away from us. Sometimes the adverb there is used in sentences with the demonstrative pronouns that and those.
I don’t this piece of cake. Give me That one, please. — I don’t like this piece of cake. Give me that, please. (the piece of cake that the speaker liked is farther from him)
Source: https://engblog.ru/demonstrative-pronouns
Demonstratives this, that, these and those
| Singular | Plural | ||
| This — this, this, this | What color is this shirt? What color is this skirt? | These — these | Thesis buildings are new. |
| That is that, that, that | I don’t know That girl. I don’t know this girl. | Those — those | Who broght Those cakes? Who brings em cakes? |
- This and these only indicate close objects or moments in time.
Let’s sit on These chairs, they are the closest.
Let’s sit on these chairs, they are the closest to us.
I’m too tired this weekend.
I am very tired this week.
If the pronoun this is used with the words government, city, country, etc., it means the country, city, place to which the speaker belongs. When translated, instead of the obscure Russian pronoun «this», you can name a city or a country.
This country is very interesting. — The person is in the UK
Great Britain is very interesting.
- That and those indicate objects that are distant in time or distance.
They can also be translated into Russian as «this», since the pronoun «that» is used much less often than that or those in English.
Let’s sit on Those chairs next to the stage. — Let’s sit on those chairs next to the stage.
Don’t got ill on Saturday. That day was the most difficult for him. — Don got sick on Saturday. That (this) day was the most difficult for him.
These pronouns can be put together with nouns and serve as a definition:
He owns this car. — He owns this car.
Or replace nouns and be used separately:
This is what John was searching for. “This is what John was looking for.
Pronoun such
Demonstrative pronouns in English include such — such. Its form does not change depending on the number, but the singular requires the use of the indefinite article if the noun is countable.
It is Such a boring book. — It’s such a boring book.
I don’t Such boring books. — I don’t like such boring books.
Pronoun same
Source: https://lingua-airlines.ru/kb-article/ukazatelnye-mestoimeniya-v-anglijskom-yazyke/
LESSON 17 English
Abstract of the 17th lesson in PDF format can be viewed, printed and downloaded at this link
Do you know what is the most frequently used word in English? This is the article the! There is also an article a/an, and in some cases the article should not be used at all.
The topic of the correct arrangement of articles, despite its apparent simplicity, remains one of the «stumbling blocks» even for those who have been studying English for a long time.
In this lesson we will try to understand why this interesting part of speech is needed, in which cases it is necessary to use articles and how to do it correctly.
The meaning and use of articles
In English before everyone noun, as a rule, the article is put. Of course, there are cases when the article is not used (the so-called Article zero). But in general, the rule remains in force — this part of speech goes along with the noun «in conjunction». If a noun is used with adjective, the article is placed before the adjective, and all article placement rules remain in effect.
This topic seems difficult to us because in the Russian language there is no such part of speech as the article. However, we still have words that seem to play his role. Let’s look at how the definite and indefinite articles differ, and with what words they can be replaced in Russian.
Use of the indefinite article ‘a / an’
Article a/an in English comes from the word one — «one«. The analogue of this article in Russian will be the word “one”, But not in the meaning of quantity, but in the meaning of“ one of many ”. For example: “I knew one doctor «.
If the article is followed by a word that begins with a consonant, we put the article a, if with a vowel — use an… If a noun is used with an adjective, the rule applies to the adjective preceded by the article. For example: to book (book), an actress (actress), a nice girl, an interesting film (interesting film).
Pay attention! This rule is determined by phonetics (pronunciation), not spelling. For example, the word an hour [auə] («Hour») begins with a consonant, but with a vowel, so we put the article an. The words a university
Source: http://en1632.com/d/1635634/d/lesson32_17_synopsis.html
Demonstrative pronouns in English: what does it mean?
In today’s English, demonstrative pronouns are those pronouns that denote a person or object located near or at a distance, as well as their signs.
There are several demonstrative English pronouns: this — this, this, this; That — that, that, that; Such — such, similar; same — the same. In pl. number of pronouns such and the same does not change, but the form of the pronouns this and that in plural. number changes to these and those.
The demonstrative pronouns
In unit. number number of
| This (this, this, this) | These (these) |
| That (that, that, that) | Those |
Let’s look at the possible uses of all demonstrative pronouns, as well as determine what they have in common, and what are the differences between them.
This is a rhino.
Pronouns this — these
This — these are used when we mean persons or objects that are at close range from us.
In sentences with this (this, singular) or These (these, plural) can be used here —here, so that there is no doubt that a certain object or person is in the vicinity of the speaker.
Pronoun this in singular form. numbers are used when an action or situation is implied that occurs in a given period of time, or that will occur in the near future: this year (this year), this month (this month), etc.
The demonstrative pronoun this usually used when talking on the phone or meeting another person:
Usually this / these are used when discussing objects or places that are near us.
Those bears are very funny!
Pronouns that — those
That — those are used when they mean things or persons located at a distance from the interlocutor, therefore the adverb «there — there» is sometimes used together with that.
In the case when a situation from the past is implied.
During a telephone conversation, when we specify who we are talking to.
look! Those are monkeys.
Pronouns the same and such
Rules for using demonstrative pronouns same (the same) and Such (such) are identical.
It is enough just to remember that in the case of using such with nouns (countable) in singular. number, it is correct to use it with an indefinite article, and with uncountable nouns or plural nouns after such an article is not needed.
Anchoring test
1 is my friend.
- a) There
- b) This
- c) These
2 are fish.
Source: https://crownenglishclub.ru/dlya-nachinayushhih/ukazatelnye-mestoimeniya-v-anglijskom-yazyke-kakoj-chto-oznachaet.html
This, That, These, Those — demonstrative pronouns in English
The demonstrative pronouns in English, they do not name a person or an object, but indicate it. Usually, demonstrative pronouns include this, that and their plural forms these, those.
Demonstrative pronouns This — That and the difference between them
Pronoun this used to indicate an object or person in the vicinity, like “this” in Russian. Pronoun That indicates an object, a person in the distance, like “that” or “that” in Russian. This plural is these, that the plural is those:
Single number The many number
| Close | This | Thesis |
| Far | That | Those |
This and that refer to noun determinants, words that clarify the meanings of nouns.
examples:
I hold the book in my hands, looking at the pictures.
I this book. — I like this book.
I don’t These pictures. — I do not like these Pictures.
At the bookstore, I point to the books on the shelf:
I That book. — I like and book.
I don’t Those books. — I do not like those books.
Pronoun That It is far from always appropriate to translate into Russian as “that, that”. More often «this, this» is suitable. For example, I’m talking about a book that the other person mentioned in the conversation. There is no book nearby, it is only mentioned.
I That book. — I like this book.
This is That as pronouns-nouns
The pronouns this and that can act not as determinants of a noun, but in roles characteristic of the nouns themselves. For example:
As a subject:
This is what we wanted. — This is what we wanted.
That was a good show. — It was a good show.
As an add-on:
I don’t this. — I do not like this.
Can you see that? — You it see?
Demonstratives Such, Same
Demonstrative pronouns also include Such и same… Both pronouns do not have special plural forms.
1. Pronoun Such
The pronoun such means «such», «this type, kind». If such comes before a singular noun, the article “a an” is placed between them:
It was such a moment interesting movie. — It was such an interesting film.
beer? At such as time? — Beer? At this hour?
The pronoun such is often used in surprised exclamations — happy or not:
Such a wonderful place! — What a wonderful place!
Such a mess! — What a mess!
If such comes before a plural noun, the article is not needed:
I don’t know Such people. — I don’t know such people.
Why would she ask me Such questions? — Why would she ask me such questions?
2. Pronoun Same
The pronoun same means “the same”, “the same”. Since same identifies a specific noun, it is always preceded by the definite article the.
I have same jacket. — I have the same jacket.
they had same idea. — They had the same idea.
Source: https://langformula.ru/english-grammar/this-that/
Pronouns in English. Exercises for beginners
The «Pronouns» section is one of the most important sections of the grammar of any language and to start pronouns in English it is necessary already at the first level of study.
In this article, I publish exercises for beginners on the most important pronoun groups. References are given to theoretical material on the topic «Pronouns in English».
Pronoun exercises for beginners are arranged as the difficulty increases and contain only the most common vocabulary.
:
* * *
1. Personal pronouns. Exercises for beginners
Exercise 1. Select words from the list that can be replaced with “He”, “she”, “it”, “they”.
Children, a cat, animals, Mary, parents, Oleg, friends, a pen, books, a family, rain, a house, mice, February, summer, a river, Peter and Mike. a dog, windows, tuesday
* * *
Exercise 2. Replace the highlighted words with personal pronouns.
1. Nick is from Great Britain. 2. Iren is a student. 3. Bert and his brother live in London. four. Helen and me are good friends. 5. Are you and your sister twins? 6. The cat is drinking milk.
* * *
2. Demonstrative pronouns: this, these, that, those
Exercise 3. Build sentences by reference. Use the imperative of the verb cool and demonstrative pronouns this — this (this) and These -these.
Imperative verb stands in the first form (from a dictionary). look — look Look at — Look at
SAMPLE
- man / fat — Look at this man. He is fat. — Look at this man. He’s fat.
- hat / new — Look at these hats. They are new. — Look at these hats. They are new.
1.woman / thin2. sportsman / tall3. sportswoman / short4. children / noisy5. feet / clean6. hands / dirty7. dogs / spotty
8. cats / old
* * *
Exercise 4. Choose English Pronoun Equivalents this, these, that,Those.
1. What color are (those) pens? 2. (That) boy is my friend. 3. I want to read (that) book. 4. (Those) children are my friends. 5. What is (this)? 6. (This) table is round. 7. (These) cats are white.
8. (Those) flowers are roses.
* * *
Exercise 5. Make the sentences plural.
SAMPLE. This is a spider. — These are spiders.
1. This is a spider. 2. That is a snail. 3. This is a star. 4. This is a boy. 5. This is a baby. 6. That is a flower. 7. That is a shelf. 8. Is this a sofa? 9. Is this a bookcase? 10. Is this a man? 11. Is that a woman? 12. Is that a train? 13. Is that a plane? 14. Is the window open? 15. Is the door closed? 16. That is not a king. 17. That is not a queen. 18. That is not a bus. 19. This isn’t a mountain. 20. This isn’t a mouse.
* * *
Exercise 6. Translate sentences with turnover «It«Into English.
SAMPLE
- This is a child. — This is a child.
- These are kids. — These are children.
1. This is a hat. 2. It’s a car. 3. These are toys. 4. This is a pen.
5. These are pencils.
* * *
3. Personal and possessive pronouns
Exercise 7. Fill in the blanks with pronouns my, your, his, her, our, their.
REMEMBER: I would = I’d — I would like to
- I’d some ice in orange juice.
- We’d to have breakfast in.room.
- The children would to watch TV in. room.
- He’d some milk in .. cereal.
- She’d lemon in ..tea.
* * *
* * *
Exercise 8. Fill in the gaps with possessive pronouns.
Source: http://englishinn.ru/mestoimeniya-v-angliyskom-yazyike-uprazhneniya-dlya-nachinayushhih.html
The use of the pronoun both in English
Pronoun both in English can be used in different situations in different ways. Both translated as «both«,»both«, etc.
For example:
I want both books.
I want both books.
Both shirts are good.
Both shirts are good.
Following pronoun both possessive pronoun or definite article the often omitted.
For example:
You can take both shirts… (NOT both the shirts.) You can take both shirts.
He lost both parents when he was a child. (NOT both his parents)
He lost both parents when he was a child.
Both and both of
Before a noun with a determinative (for example: the, this, my, your, those, etc.), can be used as bothAnd both of… In American English, the more commonly used both of.
For example:
I want both of these books… = I want both these books.
I want both of these books.
Before the personal pronoun is used both of.
For example:
Both of them are good. They are both good. Both of us want to go. We both want to go.
If a pronoun is used as an object in a sentence, both can be used after it.
For example:
She has invited us both… She invited both of us.
She has sent you both her love.
She says hello to both of you.
Both and neither
In negative sentences instead of both is used neither.
For example:
Neither of them came. (NOT Both of them did not come.)
Both of them are not have come.
Place both in a sentence
When the pronoun both used to describe the subject in a sentence, it is used together with the predicate, and is placed after the auxiliary verb, but before the semantic verb. When there are two auxiliary verbs, both usually placed after the first one.
For example:
They are both good. They are both good.
We both want to go.
We both want to go.
We have both been invited.
We were both invited.
They have both gone home.
They both went home.
Note that in such cases, the same value can be passed using the construction both (of) + noun / pronoun.
For example:
Both of them are good. They are both good.
Both of us want to go.
We both want to go.
Both of us have been invited.
We were both invited.
Both of them have gone home.
They both went home.
Both and
Pay attention to the use both in this construction, which is a relational union. This construction translates as “both «,»and, and «.
For example:
She is both Beautiful and smart.
It as smart and beautiful.
She both sings and dances.
It и sings, и dancing.
Source: http://www.correctenglish.ru/mistakes/features/both/
Demonstrative pronouns. Demonstrative Pronouns
In English, there are four demonstrative pronouns (demonstrative pronouns): this (These), That (Those), Such и same.
Demonstrative pronouns indicate a person, an object or their signs and serve to distinguish them from other persons, objects, signs.
Demonstrative pronouns
| Singular | this [ðis] this, this, thisThat [ðæt] that, that, that (sometimes this, this, this) |
| Plural | These [ði: z] theseThose [ðəuz] those |
| Pronouns such and the same categories do not have numbers | Such [sʌtʃ] such, suchsame [seim] the same, the same |
Demonstratives this, these, that, those
1. Demonstrative pronouns this / these indicate items that are near with the speaker. And pronouns that / those indicate items that removed from the speaker.
Examples: Take this plum. It looks very ripe. — Take this plum. She looks very ripe. (This refers to a plum that the speaker sees directly in front of him or holds in his hand)
That house is very beautiful. — The one (this) the house is very beautiful. (We are talking about a house located at some distance from the speaker)
2. Before the noun to which the demonstrative pronoun belongs this, these, that, those, the article is not used.
Examples: I have read That book twice. — I’ve read that book twice.
Those houses are rather new. — Those the houses are quite new.
3. In expressions of time, demonstrative pronouns this / these refer to moment of speech or to current time period. A that / those to the past moment or the future.
Examples: Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. — Louis, I think it the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
I remember that he woke up early That morning. — I remember that he woke up the early in the morning.
4. After pronouns this и That pronoun is often used one, in order not to repeat the previously mentioned noun twice.
Examples: Will you give me another cola? I don’t this one… — Give me another cola. I do not like this.
5. In the meaning of the demonstrative pronoun instead of That the pronoun is sometimes used it. It in this case translates as it.
Examples: What is That? — What it? (singular)
It is my cocktail dress. — This is my cocktail dress.
But!
What are These? — What is it? (plural)
They are my dresses. — These are my dresses.
6. Demonstrative pronouns That и this are often part of established expressions of the English language.
That’s right… — It’s right. Everything is correct. Exactly.
That’s a bit of all right… — Fine.
Not at all! That’s all right… “Please don’t be grateful.
this… — Thus.
before… — Thus.
To know better that that… — Be smarter.
Oh, hardly that… — No, not really. Not at all about that.
And all that… — Etc.
That’s why… — That’s why.
After that… — After that.
So that’s that… — That’s it.
Such and such things.
etc.
Demonstrative pronouns such and same
1. Demonstrative pronoun Such translated as such, such.
Examples: There are Such interesting people here! — There is such interesting people!
Why don’t all Chinese restaurants serve Such delicious food? — Why not all Chinese restaurants serve such a yummy?
2. Pronoun Such defines a noun. If it comes before a countable noun in the singular, then after Such the indefinite article is used.
Examples: It is such a moment honor to be nominated for this award. — It a honor to be nominated for this award.
3. Demonstrative pronoun same has the meaning the same, same… Front same the definite article is always used.
Examples: Don’t tell me same… — Do not tell me то же самое.
She bought same perfumes. — She bought the same perfume.
Source: http://englishstyle.net/grammar/pronoun/demonstrative-pronouns/
TOP 13 mistakes that prevent learning English grammar
: 14.11.2014
Is it easy for you to learn English grammar? In fact, every student periodically has some kind of learning difficulties. This is completely normal: you are improving your knowledge, which is why such moments arise. Today we will talk about what difficulties with grammar most often arise in the process of learning English and how to cope with them.
We advise you to watch the webinar of our methodologist Maria on the topic «Learning English from the mistakes of others.»
The main difficulties in learning English grammar and methods of getting rid of them
Do not be afraid of grammar: with our tips you will cope with all the difficulties. Russian students are often afraid of grammar in a foreign language. Let’s take a look at the most popular «hacks» and formulate some tips to help you cope with them.
1. Absence of the verb to be
Beginners often forget about the verb to be in an affirmative sentence. We are used to speaking Russian «I am free«,»She is at school now«And so on. Therefore, in English I just want to say»I free» instead of «I’m free«And»She at school now» instead of «She is at school now”. How to train yourself to use an auxiliary verb?
- Remember the main point: there is ALWAYS a verb in a sentence in English.
- Learn the most common uses of the verb to be, it is used:
- when you need to tell WHO you or another person (for example, by name or profession): “My name is Sam«;
- when you need to tell WHERE you or someone is: “He is at the hospital«;
- when you need to tell WHAT you or another person (quality): “You are beautiful«.
2. The absence of the auxiliary verb do / does
The next mistake is the absence of the auxiliary verb do / does in a negative or interrogative sentence in the present simple tense.
We are speaking «She does not go to school«, That’s why I just want to say»She didn’t go to school» instead of «She doesn’t go to school«.
And the sentence “Do you know Jim?«I want to translate»You know Jim?«, And the correct option is»Do you know Jim?”. How not to forget about the verb?
- Remember an easy rule: in general questions and negative sentences, there is ALWAYS an auxiliary verb (an exception if there is a modal verb in the sentence), even if it was not in the affirmative sentence.
- Another «foundation» of English grammar is word order: in the general question, the auxiliary (or modal) verb ALWAYS comes first, followed by the subject (subject) and only after that the predicate (action), for example: “Does she go to school?”(“She goes to school?») — in the first place is the auxiliary verb — does, then the subject — she (she), then the predicate — go (walks).
3. Wrong word order in an affirmative sentence
The great Russian language allows us to speak and “I love English«, And»I love English«, And»I love english«. And this most beloved English language does not spoil us with such a variety of options. Therefore, instead of “Love I English«We have to make do with the unoriginal and the only correct»I love english«.
- In this case, you need to forever remember the scheme for constructing a sentence in English: subject — predicate — the rest of the sentence. Therefore, if you are translating a sentence from Russian into English, first determine WHAT is the subject and WHAT is the predicate.
- Grammar and translation exercises are a great opportunity to hone your English sentence construction skills. Do these exercises as often as possible.
4. Lack of -s / -es
It is also often forgotten about -s / -es in verbs used after pronouns and nouns in the third person and the singular (he, she, it, Tom, car, park, cat, etc.) in the present simple tense (Present Simple ).
It’s not just those who recently started learning English grammar make this mistake: colloquially, we are so focused on WHAT to say that we sometimes forget HOW to say. Example: we say “I play chess» and «She plays chess».
We translate as “I play chess«, I just want to say similarly»She play chess«, Instead of the correct option»She plays chess”. How not to lose the ending?
- First, take your time to speak. As a rule, students remember very well to add the ending -s / -es, but they are in such a hurry to express their idea that they forget about it. You will still have time to acquire fluency, but grammatical errors need to be corrected as they appear.
- Secondly, we recommend installing the Polyglot application (iOS, Android) on your tablet or smartphone. It is free and does not require an Internet connection. Of course, you won’t be able to learn English in 16 hours, as the authors of the program of the same name promise. But you will hone your skills in using the Simple tenses and the ending -s / -es will be pronounced automatically.
5. Incorrect use of demonstrative pronouns
Another common mistake is the misuse of the demonstrative pronouns that (that, that, that), this (this, this, this), these (these), those (those). The only reason why we admit confusion is ignorance of these words and their rare use in speech.
- The advice will be simple and reliable: you just need to remember what this and these say about objects that are next to us, in close proximity to the speaker. And that and those we are talking about distant objects. This and that speak of things in the singular, and these and those in the plural.
- Practice on the surrounding objects, accustom yourself to say these words so that when talking with an English-speaking interlocutor, you no longer think about which pronoun to speak, but pronounce the right word automatically.
6. Absence of articles
They are not in Russian, so it seems that the cunning Englishmen invented them on purpose, so that we puzzled over when to say a dog, and when the dog. Even at levels like Pre-Intermediate or Intermediate, students forget about articles. They often explain this by the fact that “I don’t want to put it here”, “the instinct of the language did not suggest”.
Some people consider articles to be a trifle, an optional part of speech. This is a misconception: a native speaker will, of course, understand what you are talking about, but he will have to guess if there is a specific subject or something in common.
In addition, if you miss the article, some words (for example, hand or fly) from nouns can turn into verbs, which is completely unacceptable.
- To make it easier to learn the use of articles, you can memorize simple associations. The article a / an comes from the English numeral one, which is why it is placed only before a countable noun (one that can be counted) in the singular. Some philologists suggest associating it with the word any, that is, a / an means «any, any» subject. The article the evolved from the word that, so it means a specific object that is well known to the interlocutors.
- To check how well you have learned the rules, take the tests on the use of articles in English, presented in our blog.
For information on how to use articles correctly in English, see the video.
7. Incorrect use of words any / some, a few / little, many / much
It would seem that these pairs of words are similar. But if we want to ask “How much tea do you drink?«, offer «How many teas do you drink?«Will be incorrect, but it would be correct to say»How much tea do you drink?
Source: https://englex.ru/13-most-common-grammar-mistakes/
Demonstrative pronouns in English. Use of demonstrative pronouns in English
There are not so many demonstrative pronouns in the English language, but they play an important role, indicating the subject of conversation. Already in grade 3, students are taught to actively use these elements and understand the difference between them. Since demonstrative pronouns are very common in colloquial speech, you need to know the rules for their use.
Introduction to demonstrative pronouns
The task of this class of pronouns is to indicate an object, a person, or their signs. In Russian, the following pronouns correspond to them: this (this, this, these), that (that, that, those), such (such, such, such), the same.
Demonstrative pronoun table in English
These pronouns change in numbers, with the exception of such, the same… Let’s consider separately the use cases of these words.
Features this, that, these, those
These pronouns are used when the speaker’s goal is not only to indicate the object in question, but also to show how far the object is in relation to the interlocutor. The following table makes it clear when to use each of these pronouns.
So, if the narrator points to one close object, we use this, if there is an indication of many objects, then these are set. Pay attention to the following suggestions:
- This is my new T-shirt.
- These boots are very dirty.
In both versions, it is said about objects that are in the speaker’s field of vision.
Accordingly, we will talk about physically distant objects, using that for one object and those for several. For example:
- I would to buy that parrot (I would like to buy that parrot).
- We don’t know those guys (We don’t know those guys).
In addition, these pronouns can indicate the temporal proximity of events. In this case, this and these are used in relation to the present time, and that and those — to the past or future.
Those days were nice.
The use of demonstrative pronouns in relation to people is considered appropriate only for acquaintance. In other situations, this shows a dismissive attitude towards the person under discussion.
Demonstrative pronoun such
The role of this pronoun is to indicate the quality of the object or the object itself. It can be translated into Russian as «such» or «similar». Moreover, if after such there is an object in the singular, be sure to put an indefinite article! Naturally, it will not be in the plural.
- Such a silly outfit!
- I have never seen such amazing creatures.
Pronoun the same
As for the pronoun the same, which translates as «similar», «the same», it is always used with the definite article the. In this case, it does not matter in what number the subsequent part of the speech is. Here’s an example:
We with friends have the same interests.
Along with the pronoun this (this), you can use it, the difference will be only in logical stress — highlighting a certain word in intonation.
Take a look at the following examples:
- THIS is my classmate (This particular person, and not someone else, is my classmate).
- It is my CLASSMATE (This person is my classmate, not my brother or best friend).
When using several demonstrative pronouns in a choice situation, in order not to repeat the corresponding noun, the second time it is replaced by one or ones (for plural):
- He has chosen this coat, not that one.
Source: https://ik-ptz.ru/fizika/ukazatelnye-mestoimeniya-angl-upotreblenie-ukazatelnyh-mestoimenii-v.html
When it is written these and when those. Using this, that, these, and those: rules and examples. When the pronoun that is used
This, that, these, those are demonstrative or demonstrative pronouns in English. Typically, this, that, these, and those are used to refer to a specific object, creature, or phenomenon. When should you refer to these pronouns? What is the difference between them? Read more in the article.
Fundamental rules
So, the rule about this, that, these and those testifies: in English speech, these words can play the role of not only pronouns, but also determinatives. Consider the following table.
It’s also worth noting that these is the plural form of this and those are the plural form of that.
Thus, this and that should be used with singular nouns, and these and those should be used with plural nouns.
Using the pronouns this, that, these and those: rule
The first thing to remember is that we use this and that with uncountable nouns as well as singular nouns.
Try to repeat this exercise every morning and evening.What does this music make you think.I’ve never been to that part of France.Can I have some of that juice, please?
- Try to repeat this exercise every morning and evening.
- What does this music make you think about?
- I have never been to this part of France.
- Can I have some of this juice, please?
The English rule of thumb about this, that, these and those indicates that these and those should only be used with plural nouns:
You can use any one of these computers.
- You can use any of these computers.
- I need to paint those windows.
Interestingly, according to the rules of the English language, this, that, these and those are used in the context of time.
Demonstrative pronouns and tense
So, for example, we often use this with words describing the time and date (morning, afternoon, evening, week, month, year).
In this case, it is important to refer to the time in which the speaker speaks directly, or the time that comes. For example:
I’ll be with you some time this evening.Johan seemed very happy this afternoon.Ian is in Germany all this week.
- I’ll be with you tonight.
- Johan seemed very happy this afternoon.
- Jan is in Germany this week.
This, that, these, those is the rule of using further pronouns.
This, that, these, those — pronouns
We use the above words as pronouns, referring to things or phenomena:
Put the butter, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan. Heat this over a low flame until it melts.
Add butter, chocolate, and sugar to the saucepan. Heat it (this / container with the mixture) over low heat until the food is melted.
What color are those? Black or dark blue. I can’t see.
What color are they? Black or blue. I do not understand.
You can use this and that if you want to point to a person:
Linda, this is my mother, Anne. Is that your brother over there?
- Linda, this is my mother, Ann.
- Is that your brother over there?
Demonstrative pronouns are often used in telephone conversations.
Hello, is that Ken Orm? This is Jane Bromham here.
Hi, is this Ken Orme? This is Jane Bromham calling.
Use cases for this and these, that and those
In many ways, the selection of the correct pronoun is determined by the physical proximity of the object / person / phenomenon to the speaker. Those and these, this, that and the spelling rules are presented in the following examples:
Translation: Should I use this knife?
Source: https://my-kross.ru/porody/kogda-pishetsya-these-a-kogda-those-ispolzovanie-this-that-these-i-those/
.
“That” is actually five different words spelt the same, of which one is a multi-use conjunction
THE VARIETY OF USES OF “that”
The word that is very much “multi-use” – variable in its grammar as well as its meaning (see 3. Multi-Use Words) and can easily cause confusions as a result (see 68. How Computers Get Grammar Wrong 1). Its main uses may be illustrated as follows:
(a) Caesar took control of Rome. That led to his assassination.
(b) Caesar marched on Rome. That step changed history.
(c) Any changes that appear should be noted.
(d) Learning languages is not that difficult.
(e) Doctors BELIEVE that exercise IS vital.
In (a), that is an ordinary pronoun like it or themselves: it represents either a nearby noun or one understandable from the context of the sentence (see 28. Pronoun Errors). In some sentences it means “the one” (see 63. Constraints on Using “the one[s]”). It can be put into the plural form those. Grammar books call it a “demonstrative” pronoun, reflecting its attention-drawing meaning.
In (b), that is like an adjective: adding to the meaning of a directly-following noun (step). It again has the plural form those. Grammarians give it the technical name “determiner” (see 110. Nouns without “the” or “a”), further sub-classifying it as “demonstrative”. In this blog it is considered, along with use (a) above, in 234. Adjective and Pronoun Uses of “that”.
In (c), that is again a pronoun, but this time “relative”, in other words replaceable by which. It is pronounced differently from the other two uses: with the soft vowel /Ə/ instead of the normal “a” one /æ/. More can be read about it within this blog in 34. Relative Pronouns and Commas and 200. Special Uses of Relative Pronouns.
In (d), that is an informal adverb meaning “as much as that”. In Standard English, it usually needs to follow not, hardly, rarely or scarcely.
In (e), finally, that (again with /Ə/) is a conjunction. It resembles the relative pronoun use in its need for a following verb (is above) – a feature that can lead to double meanings (see 182. Structures with a Double Meaning 2, #2). It is distinguishable by its inability to be replaced by which. This is the use I wish to examine more closely here, since it takes a number of different forms and raises some interesting questions.
A useful term for discussing the conjunction uses of that is “that clause”. This means that plus its following verb plus all of the other words associated with that verb, such as its subject and adverbials. The underlined words in (e) are a that clause.
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“that” CLAUSES THAT ACT LIKE NOUNS
Noun-like that clauses occupy the main noun positions in sentences (object, subject, complement, partner of a preposition). Sentence (e) above is of this kind. The conjunction nature of that is what overcomes the normal impossibility of a verb with a subject, like is in (e), to be in these positions (see 70. Gerunds).
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1. Object “that” Clauses
The that clause in (e) is of this more specific kind, being the object of the verb believe. A characteristic of most object that clauses is that that can be left unsaid but still “understood”. When present, it normally has no comma before or after it (see 50. Right and Wrong Comma Places).
Not all object clauses can have that. Those that are indirect questions start with a question word like where, how or what (see 57. Indirect Questions in Formal Writing). Others just make the object verb either an infinitive (with to) or a gerund (with -ing – see 70. Gerunds). To illustrate this variation, consider the following:
(f) A spell check will ensure (that) most errors ARE FOUND.
That is needed here because ensure requires it before any object containing a verb (see 296. Tricky Word Contrasts 12, #1). However, if help replaced ensure, the object would be …most errors to be found (see 208. Verbs with an Object + Infinitive, #7), while facilitate would require …most errors being found (see 250. Synonym Pairs with Contrasting Grammar 1, #5).
The problem that all this creates for learners of English, of course, is to know which verbs need which following pattern. The main clue – a rather unreliable one – is perhaps the kind of meaning expressed by the verb. A major kind expressed by that verbs is the idea of speech or thought without asking or commanding, as in SAY or BELIEVE. However, some verbs of this type require a different kind of object or even no object at all (see 279. Grammatical Differences between Citation Verbs). Thus, caution is always necessary.
Other types of verb meaning that allow an object that clause include causation (sometimes) with verbs like ENSURE, ENTAIL and MEAN (see 65. Verbs that Mean “Must” or “Can”), and arrangement with ARRANGE, FIX and SEE TO. However, after these latter that cannot be left invisible and must follow it (arrange it that…: see 190. Special Uses of “it“, #4). The same is true of like/dislike verbs (APPRECIATE, ENJOY, [DIS]LIKE, LOVE, ABHOR, DETEST, HATE, LOATH). These can additionally replace it that with it if, it when or the fact that.
Some verbs – notably CONTRADICT, HIGHLIGHT and INCLUDE – only allow a following subject + verb with the fact that.
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2. Subject “that” Clauses
That clauses occasionally occupy the subject position:
(g) That air pollution kills is obvious.
However, such uses sound very formal. It is commoner to begin the fact that, or to start with it, like this:
(h) It is obvious that air pollution kills.
This kind of that clause is a subject located after its verb (is) and anticipated by a “dummy” pronoun it (see 103. Representing a Later Statement with “It”). An occasional alternative to a starting it, though not here, is there (+ is + NOUN) (see 161. Special Uses of “There” Sentences, #4).
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3. Complement “that” Clauses
Complements work with special verbs to communicate a name, role, identity or description of a preceding noun (see 220. Features of Complements). That complements typically follow BE or similar to say something about a speech or thought noun before it:
(i) THE BELIEF is that success will come.
The purpose of this use is to say in more detail what the earlier noun (belief above) is referring to (see 117. Restating Generalizations More Precisely). An idiomatic alternative to BE after speech nouns is GO (see 176. Ways of Using GO, #1).
Other nouns like belief include argument, assumption, attitude, claim, concern, conclusion, expectation, feeling, hope, hypothesis, idea, implication, indication, meaning, message, news, notion, plan, point, report, suggestion, theory, thinking, view and word. For more, see 287. Speech and Thought Nouns, #1.
Some nouns that do not represent speech or thought can also have a that complement:
(j) The EVIDENCE is that nobody takes responsibility.
Similar nouns include (dis)advantage (+ synonyms – see 277. Advantages & Disadvantages, #4), arrangement, characteristic, clue, consequence (+ synonyms – see 32. Expressing Consequences), curiosity, custom, danger, difference, evidence, future, likelihood, outlook, possibility, principle, probability, proof, prospect, reason, risk and situation.
Many other subject nouns can have a complement containing a verb, but only with a joining device other than that – either the to form of the verb (see 119. BE before a “to” Verb) or -ing.
A feature of many non-reporting sentences like (j) is that, unlike (i), they allow the fact that as well as that. I feel the meanings differ slightly: the fact that implies the reader’s previous knowledge of the fact (making the sentence only about its equivalence to the subject noun), while that has no such implication. For more about how information familiarity affects language choices, see 156. Mentioning What the Reader Knows Already.
Some of the other nouns like problem allow the same choice. They are underlined above. Exceptions include nouns referring to the future, probably because the future is not a fact.
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4. “that” Clauses after Prepositions
A that clause can also follow certain prepositions, normally alongside the fact:
(k) Smoking is made attractive BY the fact that it looks “cool”.
(l) The spread of cold viruses DEPENDS ON the fact that people breathe them out.
An exception to this need for the fact is after in clarifying a similarity or difference (are similar in that …: see 82. Common Errors in Making Comparisons, #7). After except one can say either …that or …for the fact that (see 215. Naming Exceptions).
Verbs after a preposition can also be in the -ing (gerund) form, but the meaning can differ. In (l), for example, the fact that indicates that viruses are inevitably breathed out (it is a fact), whereas -ing suggests that it may sometimes not happen.
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“that” CLAUSES THAT ACT LIKE ADVERBS AND ADJECTIVES
That is often part of a longer phrase introducing an adverb clause:
(m) IN THE EVENT THAT the rains fail, stored water maintains irrigation.
This clause is adverb-like because it is not the subject, object or complement of the main verb maintains (see 174. Eight Things to Know about Conjunctions, #8). Phrases ending in that are quite numerous, other examples being assuming that, except that, given that, in order that, in that, so that and provided that (see 230. Multi-Word Conjunctions, #1).
A second adverb-like use of that clauses follows adjectives, e.g. happy that wages rose. Not all adjectives allow that, and even those that do sometimes have a to verb, preposition or -ing instead (see 203. Expanding an Adjective with Words after it).
That-allowing adjectives may express an emotion (e.g. angry, convinced, delighted, determined, disappointed, happy, hopeful, jealous, keen, sad), a mind state (e.g. aware, certain [= convinced], clear, convinced, doubtful, sceptical, sure), or a way of speaking (e.g. convincing, correct, definite, emphatic, insistent, right). That clauses after these, especially the latter two kinds, often function as indirect speech (see 300. Adjective Indicators of Indirect Speech). If they name a desired future, their verb can have the “subjunctive” form (see 269. Exotic Grammar Structures 7, #7).
Other adjectives, e.g. certain (= unarguable), curious, definite (= proven), interesting, strange, sometimes go between it is… and a that clause. However, these clauses are noun-like rather than adverb-like, repeating it rather than expanding the adjective (see 103. Representing a Later Statement with “It”). Certain and definite are unusual in allowing both that uses, albeit with different meanings (see 226. Words with Complicated Grammar 2, #2).
The final use of that clauses is adjective-like, describing a noun just before:
(n) DENIAL that God exists is a belief like its opposite.
Technically, such clauses are still noun ones (forming an “apposition” structure with the noun before: see 253. Descriptive Wording after Nouns 2, #3), but their similarity to adjectives is clear. They tend to accompany the same nouns that complement that clauses follow, as in (i) and (j) above. One other is no doubt after there is (see 157. Tricky Word Contrasts 5, #1).
That clauses after a noun can often become a verbless preposition phrase, e.g. the denial of God‘s existence. After nouns like advice, desire and wish, they can become a to verb (see 239. Noun Phrases Made with a “to” Verb).