That

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It's easy, what's wrong with you that you can't do it?I would like to know the meaning of "that" grammatically.I wonder if "that" is "relative pronoun" or anything else.If "that" is "relative pronoun", I wonder if "that" means "what" or anything else.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

In schoolboy English grammar, not that abstruse international professor stuff, it is a conjunction, defined adequately by the https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=that as follows: "Used to introduce a subordinate clause stating a result, wish, purpose, reason, or cause: She hoped that he would arrive on time. He was saddened that she felt so little for him."

CalifJim · Answer

anonymousI wonder if "that" is "relative pronoun" or anything else.

In modern grammar 'that' (in this construction) is called a complementizer. The whole clause (that you can't do it) is called a content clause, just as that you are right is a content clause in I know that you are right or in the fact that you are right.

It's certainly not a relative pronoun because that you can't do it does not modify anything in that sentence. Both what that you can't do it and you that you can't do it (the only possibilities for modification) are grammatically ill-formed.

The sentence What's wrong with you that you can't do it? is highly idiomatic. Much of its meaning is implicit.

It implies a chain of reasoning thus:

You can't do it.
If you can't do it, there must be something wrong with you.
I don't know what that something is that is wrong with you.
What is it?
What is wrong with you (as shown by the fact) that you can't do it?
What is wrong with you (, considering) that you can't do it?

CJ

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