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Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
difference between what and that
I understood everything that the teachers told me.
I understood what the teachers told me.
I am a native speaker so of course I feel that both of these are correct, but I need to explain why in the first sentence we use "that" and the second "what". Please help
I understood what the teachers told me.
I am a native speaker so of course I feel that both of these are correct, but I need to explain why in the first sentence we use "that" and the second "what". Please help
Top answer
1. everything that the teachers told me 2. what the teachers told me Both of those are noun phrases containing a relative clause.
- 1.
- everything that the teachers told me 2.
- what the teachers told me Both of those are noun phrases containing a relative clause.
- In #1, the relative word is that and the antecedent is everything .
- In #2, the relative word and the antecedent are fused into the single word what .
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3 Answers
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1. everything that the teachers told me
2. what the teachers told me
Both of those are noun phrases containing a relative clause. In #1, the relative word is that and the antecedent is everything.
In #2, the relative word and the antecedent are fused into the single word what. This is called a fused relative. It means “that which the teachers tol
2. what the teachers told me
Both of those are noun phrases containing a relative clause. In #1, the relative word is that and the antecedent is everything.
In #2, the relative word and the antecedent are fused into the single word what. This is called a fused relative. It means “that which the teachers tol
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Anonymous I understood everything that the teachers told me.I understood what the teachers told me.I am a native speaker so of course I feel that both of these are correct, but I need to explain why in the first sentence we use "that" and the second "what". Please helpeverything that = what
That's the difference; "what" includes the relative p
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