What part of grammar is the word that

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 þ^t.^[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]

Works cited[edit]

External links[edit]

• The dictionary definition of those at Wiktionary

The word “THAT” can be used as a Definite Article, a Conjunction, an Adverb, Pronoun, and Adjective. Take a look at the definitions and examples below to learn how “THAT” works as different parts of speech.

1. Definite Article

“That” is classified as a definite article when it is used to indicate something/someone specific that the listeners or readers already know. For instance, read the sample sentence below:

“Pick up that book on the floor.”

The person being talked to knows exactly what “book” the speaker is referring to.

Definition:

a. refers to a specific person or thing, assuming that the person being addressed understands or is familiar with it

• Examples:
• Look at that old woman
• She lived in New York at that time.
• Where is that friend of yours?

  2.   Conjunction

Sometimes, “that” can also serve as a conjunction by combining two clauses. For instance, in the sentence:

“I bought the materials that are required for the project.”

“That“ is used to introduce the clause “…are required for the project.” It combines the dependent clause with the independent clause, “I bought the materials…”

Definition:

a. used to introduce a clause that is the subject or object of a verb

• Examples:
• He said that he was hungry.

b. used to introduce a clause that completes or explains the meaning of a previous noun or adjective or of the pronoun it

• Examples:
• She was so exhausted that she couldn’t think straight.

c. used to introduce a clause that states a reason or purpose

• Examples:
• The boss seems pleased that I wanted to pursue with the training.

  3.   Adverb

The word can also be used as an adverb, especially in verbal communication. It is normally used to show the intensity of a particular adjective. Take for example the sentence below:

“He is that old.”

In this sample sentence, the word “that” somehow intensifies and shows the degree of the adjective “old.”

Definition:

a. to the degree that is stated or suggested

• Examples:
• It wasn’t that difficult.

b. to the degree or extent indicated by a gesture

• Examples:
• She wouldn’t go that far.

c. to a great degree

• Examples:
• It was that wide, perhaps even wider.

  4.   Pronoun

In some cases, the word “that” also functions as a freestanding pronoun. Look at the sample sentence below:

“That’s exactly what I thought.”

It can be presumed that the word “that” is representing or replacing a specific thought.

Definition:

a. used to identify a specific person or thing observed by the speaker

• Examples:
• That is my brother with a new car.

b. referring to a specific thing previously mentioned, known, or understood

• Examples:
• It’s not as bad as all that.
• All the people that were left behind became infected with the virus.

  5.   Adjective

The word “that” functions as an adjective when it is used to modify a noun. It is also useful in clarifying which noun the speaker is referring to in the sentence. Take for example, the sentence below:

“That cat is so adorable.”

The word “that” modifies “cat” by emphasizing that it is the particular noun being referred to.

Definition:

a. used to indicate which person, thing, or idea is being shown, pointed to, or mentioned

• Examples:
• That building is the oldest in the city.
• Do you want this bag or that one?

b. used to indicate the one that is farther away or less familiar

• Examples:
• I don’t know how it got that way.

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.

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.