Is 'That' A Conjunction Or Relative?

Question

I was driving a car that I didn't know how fast it could go.I don't see whether I should call that a conjunction or relative. I would be tempted to call that a conjunction because the clause, I didn't know how fast it could go, is a complete sentence.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

anonymousI don't see whether I should call "that" a conjunction or relative (pronoun).

It's pointless to call it anything. It's in an ungrammatical sentence.

CJ

BillJ · Answer

I was driving a car that I didn't know [how fast ____ it could go].

Your sentence is ungrammatical for two reasons:

[1] The embedded clause in brackets already has a subject, "car", represented by the gap notation '____' so we cannot add another one such as "it".

[2] The gap is within a subordinate interrogative clause (embedded question), as bracketed. Such clauses are not permitted in examples like yours.

To answer your question, traditional grammar defines relative "that" as a pronoun, but there are sound reasons for reanalysing it as a subordinator, in accordance with modern grammar.

Is 'That' A Conjunction Or Relative?

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