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Laborious Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

"That's what makes him my boy"?

Could you please check this short conversation and answer my questions? I want to ask you a few things about the sentence which is in bold. 

Here's the conversation (between A and B):

A: I've come to get my boy.

B: Your boy? What makes him your boy? 

A: I've trained him, and that's what makes him my boy. Now, would you please tell me where he is?

Here're my questions, please. 

1) When A says 'that's what makes him my boy', what does 'that's' refer to, please? 

2) Could A also say "I've trained him is what makes him my boy"? Or just "I've trained him makes him my boy"? 

Thanks. 
  

Top answer

Hi, Laborious 1) When A says 'that's what makes him my boy', what does 'that's' refer to, please? I've trained him Laborious 2) Could A also say "I've trained him is what makes him my boy"? Or just "I've trained him makes him my boy"?

— Imantaghavi

  • Hi, Laborious 1) When A says 'that's what makes him my boy', what does 'that's' refer to, please?
  • I've trained him Laborious 2) Could A also say "I've trained him is what makes him my boy"?
  • Or just "I've trained him makes him my boy"?
  • No.
  • " Cheers, Iman
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11 Answers
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Hi,
Laborious1) When A says 'that's what makes him my boy', what does 'that's' refer to, please?
I've trained him
Laborious2) Could A also say "I've trained him is what makes him my boy"? Or just "I've trained him makes him my boy"?
No. You could say :" Training him is what makes him my boy."

Cheers,

Iman
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imantaghaviLaborious2) Could A also say "I've trained him is what makes him my boy"? Or just "I've trained him makes him my boy"?No. You could say :" Training him is what makes him my boy."
Thanks for your reply!

Could you please tell me the grammatical reason why we can't say "I've trained him is what makes him my boy" Or "I've trained him ma
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LaboriousCould you please tell me the grammatical reason why we can't say "I've trained him is what makes him my boy" Or "I've trained him makes him my boy"?
Because they are the subjects of the sentences and in that case they must be either gerund or infinitive.
E.g: Studying Hard is what caused me to pass OR Studying hard caused me to pass.
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Laboriousthe grammatical reason why we can't say "I've trained him is what makes him my boy" Or "I've trained him makes him my boy"?
A complete independent clause (I've trained him) cannot be the subject of a sentence.

Similarly these are wrong.

I've gone to school makes me smart.
We returned before noon sur
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imantaghaviBecause they are the subjects of the sentences and in that case they must be either gerund or infinitive.E.g: Studying Hard is what caused me to pass OR Studying hard caused me to pass.
OK, thanks again! But doesn't the clause "I've trained him" replace the gerundive phrase "training him"? I think I've heard people uttering such things
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Thanks for coming, and OK, CJ; If it comes from you, then I can count on it. 
CalifJimYou can fix all of them by adding "That" or better, "The fact that", at the beginning.
Would inserting the "is what" part in those sentences be fine? 

- I've gone to school is what makes me smart.
- We returned before noon is what surprised eve
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LaboriousWould inserting the "is what" part in those sentences be fine?
No, because you still have an independent clause in the subject position. Add "that" and reverse the order, and you'll have correct, and more idiomatic, sentences.

What makes me smart is that I've gone to school.

And so on.

CJ
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OK, CJ, thanks to you for clearing the doubts I had. And thanks to you, too, imantaghavi, for your replies, though, they had made me more confused...
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Laboriousthough, they had made me more confused.
It's not absolutely necessary to say everything that's on your mind, you know.
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CalifJimIt's not absolutely necessary to say everything that's on your mind, you know.
Yes, I got what you said, CJ.

@imantaghavi, ....
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