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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
That
"That" can function as a relative pronoun, e.g. This is the hat that I want.
"That" can be used many other ways, e.g. We are certain that this is true.
Merriam-Webster calls this usage a "function word" (conjunction). Can anyone explain the latter usage in more detail? Thanks!
"That" can be used many other ways, e.g. We are certain that this is true.
Merriam-Webster calls this usage a "function word" (conjunction). Can anyone explain the latter usage in more detail? Thanks!
Top answer
Anonymous Merriam-Webster calls this usage a "function word" (conjunction). Can anyone explain the latter usage in more detail? Thanks!
- Anonymous Merriam-Webster calls this usage a "function word" (conjunction).
- Can anyone explain the latter usage in more detail?
- Thanks!
- I call that "a conjunction after certain verbs or expressions", and it's usually not necessary (you can leave it out).
- I think (that) you should talk to her.
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2 Answers
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AnonymousMerriam-Webster calls this usage a "function word" (conjunction). Can anyone explain the latter usage in more detail? Thanks!I call that "a conjunction after certain verbs or expressions", and it's usually not necessary (you can leave it out).
I think (that) you should talk to her.
They told me (that) her mom was sick.
Are you sure
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For one thing, a function word doesn't have a referent in the real world. It is more important as a way of making sense of the relationships of other words in a sentence. So a function word is not definable in the same way that other words are defined. A function word has to be defined by explaining the way it acts in a sentence, that is, by its purpose, by the way it combines with other word
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