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JungKim Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

Relative Clause

This is what Brad Pitt said in his acceptance speech at the Oscars:
I know I speak for everyone standing behind me that it has been an absolute privilege to work on Solomon’s story.

The 'that' clause seems to be a relative clause, referring to 'everyone'. If so, shouldn't it have been like this?
I know I speak for everyone standing behind me that it has been an absolute privilege to work with on Solomon’s story.

The entire transcript is here.
  

Top answer

The original sentence is not correct English, but I don't think he meant "that" as a relative pronoun. I imagine that he meant this: I know I speak for everyone standing behind me when I say that it has been an absolute privilege to work on Solomon’s story.

— GPY

  • The original sentence is not correct English, but I don't think he meant "that" as a relative pronoun.
  • I imagine that he meant this: I know I speak for everyone standing behind me when I say that it has been an absolute privilege to work on Solomon’s story.
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32 Answers
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The original sentence is not correct English, but I don't think he meant "that" as a relative pronoun. I imagine that he meant this:

I know I speak for everyone standing behind me when I say that it has been an absolute privilege to work on Solomon’s story.
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Thanks, GPY.

Is it possible to interpret "that" to be not a relative pronoun but an object of the verb "speak"?
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Do you mean with the meaning essentially like "I speak that it has been ..."? No, that isn't possible. While you can "say that" something, you can't "speak that" something,
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I may be wrong with this interpretation from a linquistic perspecitive. My approach toward the use of "that" in patterns similar to the OP, and the ones below is that it doesn't function as pronoun, rather, for the lack of a better term, a separator, and perhaps puts an emphasis in the context that follows. In conversation or casual dialog, it can be omitted and
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grammarfreak for the lack of a better term, a separator,
That is a conjunction in your sentences.

CB
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So, is the use of "that" as a conjunction possible in the OP's context?

Even though it's not possible to say "I speak that it has been an absolute privilege to work on Solomon’s story", is it still possible to say "I speak for everyone standing behind me that it has been an absolute privilege to work on Solomon’s story"?
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JungKimSo, is the use of "that" as a conjunction possible in the OP's context?Even though it's not possible to say "I speak that it has been an absolute privilege to work on Solomon’s story", is it still possible to say "I speak for everyone standing behind me that it has been an absolute privilege to work on Solomon’s story"?
No.
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Hi CB,
Thanks for your comments. But I beg to differ.
Cool Breeze grammarfreak for the lack of a better term, a separator,That is a conjunction in your sentences.CB
That is the reason I said " for the lack of a better term.." it was not a conjunction. The property of a conjunction functions as a connector for the two ideas. The patterns of examples I posted
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that–conj.
18. (used to introduce a subordinate clause as the subject or object of the principal verb or as the necessary complement to a statement made, or a clause expressing cause or reason, purpose or aim, result or consequence, etc.): I'm sure that you'll like it. That he will come is certain. Hold it up so that
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Cool Breeze8. (used to introduce a subordinate clause as the subject or object of the principal verb or as the necessary complement to a statement made, or a clause expressing cause or reason, purpose or aim, result or consequence, etc.): I'm sure that you'll like it. That he will come is certain. Hold it up so that everyone can see it.
Just an aside. The mos
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