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Stenka25 Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
All that mattered was what vs. that
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Could you examine the below question of choice?
I didn’t intend for my parents to punish him so severely, but they were very angry at him. In the end, it didn’t make a difference why I snitched on him. The only important thing that mattered was [that/what] I learned to mind my own business and to do my best to stay out of other peoples’ affairs.
It says the answer is 'what'.
I understand what the answer is trying to say.
Since "I learned some lesson to mind my own business," the answer is 'what'.
But when I googled around, I found the below sentence.
All that mattered was that I learned to accept it.
With this sentence in mind, it seems that 'the answer' of the above question could be 'that' as well.
What do you think of my logic?
Could you examine the below question of choice?
I didn’t intend for my parents to punish him so severely, but they were very angry at him. In the end, it didn’t make a difference why I snitched on him. The only important thing that mattered was [that/what] I learned to mind my own business and to do my best to stay out of other peoples’ affairs.
It says the answer is 'what'.
I understand what the answer is trying to say.
Since "I learned some lesson to mind my own business," the answer is 'what'.
But when I googled around, I found the below sentence.
All that mattered was that I learned to accept it.
With this sentence in mind, it seems that 'the answer' of the above question could be 'that' as well.
What do you think of my logic?
Top answer
I agree that "that" could also be used, but it does alter meaning. Two examples: The thing that mattered was what I learned. The thing that mattered was that I learned.
- I agree that "that" could also be used, but it does alter meaning.
- Two examples: The thing that mattered was what I learned.
- The thing that mattered was that I learned.
- ^The above two sentences are acceptable, but they are different in meaning.
- The first sentence says the speaker thought the learning material was most important.
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9 Answers
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I agree that "that" could also be used, but it does alter meaning. Two examples:
The thing that mattered was what I learned.
The thing that mattered was that I learned.
^The above two sentences are acceptable, but they are different in meaning. The first sentence says the speaker thought the learning material was most important. The second sentenc says the speaker thoug
The thing that mattered was what I learned.
The thing that mattered was that I learned.
^The above two sentences are acceptable, but they are different in meaning. The first sentence says the speaker thought the learning material was most important. The second sentenc says the speaker thoug
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I agree that "that" could also be used, but it does alter the meaning. Two examples:
The thing that mattered was what I learned.
The thing that mattered was that I learned.
The above two sentences are acceptable, but they have different meanings. The first says the speaker thought the learning material was most important. The second says the speaker thought the learning proc
The thing that mattered was what I learned.
The thing that mattered was that I learned.
The above two sentences are acceptable, but they have different meanings. The first says the speaker thought the learning material was most important. The second says the speaker thought the learning proc
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LakshwadeepThe thing that mattered was what I learned.
The thing that mattered was that I learned.
The above two sentences are acceptable, but they have different meanings. The first says the speaker thought the learning material was most important. The second says the speaker thought the learning process itself was most important. What you say is true, but i
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Edit. "What" is the subject of the relative clause; "that" is not.
(What I learned to mind my own business makes no sense as a clause.)
(What I learned to mind my own business makes no sense as a clause.)
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Stenka25It says the answer is 'what'.I believe that this is a mistake. The answer should have been listed as 'that'.
CJ
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Thanks all of you.
I really understand what you say.
But I still have a little more something curious about this.
Let me show you one sentence.
"All that mattered was that I learned to succeed in the business world."
"All that mattered was what I learned to succeed in the business world."
Though the above sentence is not the same in mean
I really understand what you say.
But I still have a little more something curious about this.
Let me show you one sentence.
"All that mattered was that I learned to succeed in the business world."
"All that mattered was what I learned to succeed in the business world."
Though the above sentence is not the same in mean
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Stenka25 "All that mattered was what I learned to succeed in the business world."I suppose it's possible, but it seems like kind of a reach. I guess I'll have to go to Google.
There's a usage where the infinitive works something like an infinitive of purpose:
What did you learn in school today to help you get rich?
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Edit.
That is, " . . . what I learned for the purpose of succeeding in the business world."
Really, I would never use it.
That is, " . . . what I learned for the purpose of succeeding in the business world."
Really, I would never use it.
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I agree with Avangi.
All that mattered was that I learned to succeed in the business world.
= I learned a way of succeeding in the business world. The fact that I learned this was the only thing that mattered.
All that mattered was what I learned to succeed in the business world.
All that mattered was that I learned to succeed in the business world.
= I learned a way of succeeding in the business world. The fact that I learned this was the only thing that mattered.
All that mattered was what I learned to succeed in the business world.
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