That-clauses

We have two types of clauses in English that are introduced with 'that.' One kind is a noun clause. The other one is the restrictive relative clause.

That-clauses in English Grammar

What Are That-clauses?

We have two types of clauses in English that are introduced with 'that.' One kind is a noun clause. The other one is the restrictive relative clause which is an adjectival clause, not a nominal one. In this lesson, we will focus on the first type.

That-clauses: Structure

Nominal that-clauses are finite (they have tense) sentences that start with a 'that' in front of them:

I told him that you were shocked.

That-clauses: Functions

As we mentioned, nominal that-clauses act a a noun, therefore they can be:

  1. subject
  2. direct object
  3. subject complement

That-clauses as Direct Objects

That-clauses as Subjects

Using that-clauses as subjects is somewhat uncommon in English because English speakers tend to put the verb early in the sentence, and 'long subjects' like that-clauses are usually placed at the end or replaced with a dummy it.

That you still live with your parents is perhaps not surprising.

Better say:

It is perhaps not surprising That you still live with your parents.

In this case, we may not omit 'that', because 'that' marks the clause as subordinate and prevents the listener from interpreting it as the main clause.

That he's only 17 appeared as a shock to me. (Not 'that he's only 17 appeared as a shock to me.')

Verbs Allowing That-clause as Subjects

Verbs that allow a that-clause as subjects are:

  • Descriptive verbs: be + expressive adjectives, such as, clear, alarming, disgusting, etc.
  • Expressive Verbs: amaze, amuse, anger, disgust, disturb, etc.

Take a look at some examples:

That Tolkien was a literary genius is clear to us.

That he got away with it disgusts me.

That-Clause Agreement

A singular that-clause needs a singular verb. Two (or more) that-clauses coordinated by 'and' need plural verbs.

That we are losing social values is/was my concern.

That we are losing social values and that young people need to appreciate values are/were my concerns.

That-clauses as Direct Objects

Many types of verbs in English need a that-clause as their direct objects. The entire that-clause is a noun that usually follows a reporting verbs, such as:

  • accept, realize, decide, discover, mean, say, consider
  • insist, repeat, know, admit, reply, see, imagine, hope
  • agree, doubt, announce, mention, assume, explain
  • believe, pretend, feel, show, expect, notice, remark
  • check, find (out), state, promise, suggest, claim
  • forget, prove, suppose, comment, guess, think
  • remember, complain, reckon, hear, understand, confirm

Now lets take a look at some examples:

Scientists believe that man is more than a mere organism.

We agreed that the wedding would be held in September.

Zero-That

In both these sentences, because that-clauses are not the subject of the clause, they can be removed from the sentence. This is sometimes called zero-that.

Scientists believe man is more than a mere organism.

We agreed the wedding would be held in September.

Reporting Verb + Indirect Object + That-clause

Some reporting verbs need two objects: one direct and one indirect. These verbs are followed by an indirect object plus a that-clause acting as the direct object. For example:

She reminded her daughter (that) they still had several people to see. (Not 'She reminded they had to...')

You promised me (that) you'd always be there for me.

Reporting Verb + Prepositional Phrase + That-clause

Some reporting verbs can take a prepositional phrase as their indirect object and a that-clause as their direct object. Take a look at some examples:

Thank you for explaining to me (that) I needed to apologize to my brother.

He mentioned to John (that) he was having problems.

That-clauses as Subject Complements

That-clauses can also be used as subject complements (also called predicate nominatives or predicate nouns). We cannot omit 'that' in this usage. Examples of that-clauses as subject complements include the following:

The fact is that divorce rate was twice as high as in the 1950s.

The problem is that no one knows who killed the victim.

Warning

We cannot use that-clauses directly after prepositions. If we have to put a that-clause after a preposition, we use the expression 'the fact' before 'that'. For example:

I'm not interested in the fact that you want a new car.

I am sure of the fact that this plan of yours won't work.

Comments

Loading recaptcha

You might also like

Restrictive and Non-restrictive Clauses

Restrictive clauses and phrases are necessary while non-restrictive clauses are not necessary for the sentence to have a meaningful thought.

Participle Clauses

To get to know participle clauses, first of all, you have to be familiar with the concept of participles and clauses separately.

If-clauses

If-clauses are used to express that the action of the main clause. There are three types of if-clauses. In this lesson, we will discuss them.

Non-finite Clauses

Non-finite clauses are based on to-infinitive and participles. They are actually subordinate clauses. Let us learn all about them.

Participles

A participle is a word that is formed from a verb and is used to make compound verb forms. We have 2 kinds of participles: past and present participle.

Present Participles

Present participles are one of the key features of English language. It is a form of verb that ends in '-ing.' In this lesson, we will learn more about them.

download langeek app for free