That clause

Question

e.g. The news that we are invited to the conference is very encouraging.As you see the above, that clause is an appositive.As far as I know, its function is in apposition to an antecedent. But searching on the websites recently, I have seen some explanation on appositive. It says “An appositive ‘that clause’ functions as the complement of an antecedent”. Is that right? I’m confused.Thanks in advance.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

That terminology is OK, too.

BillJ · Answer

AnonymousThe news that we are invited to the conference is very encouraging. As you see the above, that clause is an appositive.

Traditionally, such clauses were considered to be appositives of nouns, but modern grammar calls them complements. If we analyse your example, you'll see that the appositive interpretation is easily proved wrong:

"[The news that we are invited to the conference] is very encouraging".

This clearly does not entail "That we are invited to the conference is very encouraging". That would say that we are invited to the conference, and that the invitation is very encouraging; whereas in your example it is the news that is encouraging. The that-clause thus does not qualify as an appositive; it is a complement of the noun "news".

AnonymousAs far as I know, its function is in apposition to an antecedent. But searching on the websites recently, I have seen some explanation on appositive. It says “An appositive ‘that clause’ functions as the complement of an antecedent”. Is that right? I’m confused.

A that-clause does indeed function (mostly) as a complement, but we don't use the term 'antecedent' for the word or phrase it complements. The term 'antecedent' has to do with 'anaphora', as found in relative clauses, not that-clauses: it means the word, phrase or clause from which a relative pronoun derives its meaning. Instead, we simply say that a that-clause complements a noun, or an adjective, preposition or verb.

Does that ease your confusion?

BillJ

Anonymous · Answer

Does that ease your confusion?BillJ

Yes absolutely, thanks. You look magnificent, BillJ.

That clause

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