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Sb70012 Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
It / that
First example:
They sold their camera. They didn’t need it.
Second example:
"They had to decide what to keep and what to sell. They decided to keep the cell phone and the TV since they used those everyday. But they sold their camera. They didn't need that."
Hello,
I want to know why "it" does not work in the second example. I say to myself "it" can work in the second example.
Because "their camera" is specific so "it" stands for "their camera"
Why "it" works in the first example but does not work in the second example?
Thank you
They sold their camera. They didn’t need it.
Second example:
"They had to decide what to keep and what to sell. They decided to keep the cell phone and the TV since they used those everyday. But they sold their camera. They didn't need that."
Hello,
I want to know why "it" does not work in the second example. I say to myself "it" can work in the second example.
Because "their camera" is specific so "it" stands for "their camera"
Why "it" works in the first example but does not work in the second example?
Thank you
Top answer
'It' is fine in the second example. The demonstrative 'that' just adds a little more emphasis to the statement. Clive
- 'It' is fine in the second example.
- The demonstrative 'that' just adds a little more emphasis to the statement.
- Clive
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9 Answers
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'It' is fine in the second example.
The demonstrative 'that' just adds a little more emphasis to the statement.
Clive
The demonstrative 'that' just adds a little more emphasis to the statement.
Clive
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Clive'It' is fine in the second example.The demonstrative 'that' just adds a little more emphasis to the statement.CliveThank you. Then, why "that" does not work in the first example?
Can't it have more emphasis in the first example as it has in the second example?
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First example:
They sold their camera. They didn’t need it.
You can also say 'that' here. But it sounds slightly odd because you have only mentioned 1 item in your context. If there is just one item, you don't really need to 'demonstrate' which item it is.
They sold their camera. They didn’t need it.
You can also say 'that' here. But it sounds slightly odd because you have only mentioned 1 item in your context. If there is just one item, you don't really need to 'demonstrate' which item it is.
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They sold their camera. They didn’t need it. (This sounds fine and natural.)
They sold their camera. They didn’t need that. (This is not so natural, especially without any additional context.)
Bro
They sold their camera. They didn’t need that. (This is not so natural, especially without any additional context.)
Bro
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sb70012Why "it" works in the first example but does not work in the second example?I'd go with the "contrast" theory here. In the second sentence 'that' not only refers to 'their camera' (which 'it' can do as well), but it also selects between cell phone, TV, and camera, saying, in effect, 'that last-mentioned item'. In the first sentence there is no reason
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CliveFirst example:They sold their camera. They didn’t need it.You can also say 'that' here. But it sounds slightly odd because you have only mentioned 1 item in your context. If there is just one item, you don't really need to 'demonstrate' which item it is.CliveBut once a native English speaker gave me another example which in that example we talk about one
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You have said: "If there is just one item, you don't really need to 'demonstrate' which item it is." Same comment for this example.
Then isn't "that" incorrect in this new example? I didn't say 'that' was incorrect if there is just one thing involved. I said you don't need it. It seems your speaker wants to add some
Then isn't "that" incorrect in this new example? I didn't say 'that' was incorrect if there is just one thing involved. I said you don't need it. It seems your speaker wants to add some
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CliveIt seems your speaker wants to add some emphasis.Then, why that "emphasis" does not work in here?
They sold their camera. They didn’t need that. = (incorrect)
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sb70012They sold their camera. They didn’t need that. = (incorrect)Nobody said it was incorrect; it's just that the demonstrative pronoun seems uncalled-for in your example.
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