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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

When the word "that" is optional and when not?

Is the word "that" optional? I think not. I think in no. 1 is optional, whereas in no. 2 it is not. Why is that?

1. It is the item that we need to bring to camp.

2. It is something that people do not need to bring to camp.

Here, the word "that" is needed, for sure, I think since it acts as a subject.

It is something that was bought yesterday.
  

Top answer

1. That can usually be omitted when it's a conjunction: I know [that] he is happy. 2.

— Cool Breeze

  • 1.
  • That can usually be omitted when it's a conjunction: I know [that] he is happy.
  • 2.
  • As a relative pronoun, that can be omitted in three contexts.
  • i.
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6 Answers
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1. That can usually be omitted when it's a conjunction:

I know [that] he is happy.

2. As a relative pronoun, that can be omitted in three contexts.

i. That is the object of a verb: He is the man [that] I saw there. | Th
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Thank you. Why is this a conjunction? It looks like a starting word for a noun clause like "That he wants to go shopping is what he wants to do." The part after the word "know" can be replaced with the word "it," I think.

You wrote:

1. That can usually be omitted when it's a conjunction:

I know [that] he is happy.

Also, do you think the wo
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It is the item that we need to bring to camp. optional; it's not the subject of the clause. We need that item.
It is something that people do not need to bring to camp. optional; it's not the subject of the clause. People do not need "that
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When is the word "that" optional and when not?

In general, that is required when it is the subject of a relative clause; it is optional otherwise.

CJ
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Hi. Clive wrote this sentence as a part of his comment in one of his responding posts and I wonder the word "that" is optional. Help.

The speaker doesn't sound like he has serious doubts that the curtain was going to go up.
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AnonymousThe speaker doesn't sound like he has serious doubts that the curtain was going to go up.
that is optional, but I think most speakers would include it in this case. There is a tendency, I think, to include complementizing that after a noun. (the doubt that ..., a request that ..., the fact that ..., etc.)

CJ
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