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Ter Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

The function/category of "that"

What is the function/grammatical category of "that" in this sentence?

"That he confessed was a surprise."

[That he confessed] is the subject of the sentence. Within this clause, "he" is the subject, and "confessed" is the verb. Does that mean "that" is the object?

thanks for the help in advance.
  

Top answer

The traditional 'part of speech' is conjunction . It's a complementizer. It turns a sentence into a noun clause -- in this case the noun clause which is the subject of the sentence, as you correctly point out.

— CalifJim

  • The traditional 'part of speech' is conjunction .
  • It's a complementizer.
  • It turns a sentence into a noun clause -- in this case the noun clause which is the subject of the sentence, as you correctly point out.
  • It is not an object of the verb confessed .
  • CJ
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5 Answers
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The traditional 'part of speech' is conjunction. It's a complementizer. It turns a sentence into a noun clause -- in this case the noun clause which is the subject of the sentence, as you correctly point out. It is not an object of the verb confessed.

CJ
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Got it now. Thanks.
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I have a question here. It seems to me that there should be a "was" before "confused". Am I right?
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Hongkiethere should be a "was" before "confused"
Here's the sentence again.

That he confessed was a surprise.

Which part of the sentence contains the word "confused"?
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Sorry. My mistake.

I should have put on my glasses.
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