Idioms for that
Origin of that
before 900; Middle English; Old English
thæt (pronoun, adj., adv. and conjunction), orig., neuter of
se the; cognate with Dutch
dat, German
das(s), Old Norse
that, Greek
tó, Sanskrit
tad
usage note for that
4. When
that introduces a relative clause, the clause is usually restrictive; that is, essential to the complete meaning of the sentence because it restricts or specifies the noun or pronoun it modifies. In the sentence
The keys that I lost last month have been found, it is clear that keys referred to are a particular set. Without the
that clause, the sentence
The keys have been found would be vague and probably puzzling.
That is used to refer to animate and inanimate nouns and thus can substitute in most uses for
who (
m ) and
which: Many of the workers that (or
who )
built the pyramids died while working. The negotiator made an offer that (or
which )
was very attractive to the union. Experienced writers choose among these forms not only on the basis of grammar and the kind of noun referred to but also on the basis of sound of the sentence and their own personal preference.
The relative pronoun that is sometimes omitted. Its omission as a subject is usually considered nonstandard, but the construction is heard occasionally even from educated speakers: A fellow ( that ) lives near here takes people rafting. Most often it is as an object that the relative pronoun is omitted. The omission almost always occurs when the dependent clause begins with a personal pronoun or a proper name: The mechanic ( that ) we take our car to is very competent. The films ( that ) Chaplin made have become classics. The omission of the relative pronoun as in the two preceding examples is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.
13. The conjunction that, which introduces a noun clause, is, like the relative pronoun that, sometimes omitted, often after verbs of thinking, saying, believing, etc.: She said ( that ) they would come in separate cars. He dismissed the idea ( that ) he was being followed. As with the omission of the relative pronoun, the omission of the conjunction almost always occurs when the dependent clause begins with a personal pronoun or with a proper name. This omission of the conjunction that occurs most frequently in informal speech and writing, but it is a stylistic option often chosen in more formal speech and writing.
The relative pronoun that is sometimes omitted. Its omission as a subject is usually considered nonstandard, but the construction is heard occasionally even from educated speakers: A fellow ( that ) lives near here takes people rafting. Most often it is as an object that the relative pronoun is omitted. The omission almost always occurs when the dependent clause begins with a personal pronoun or a proper name: The mechanic ( that ) we take our car to is very competent. The films ( that ) Chaplin made have become classics. The omission of the relative pronoun as in the two preceding examples is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.
13. The conjunction that, which introduces a noun clause, is, like the relative pronoun that, sometimes omitted, often after verbs of thinking, saying, believing, etc.: She said ( that ) they would come in separate cars. He dismissed the idea ( that ) he was being followed. As with the omission of the relative pronoun, the omission of the conjunction almost always occurs when the dependent clause begins with a personal pronoun or with a proper name. This omission of the conjunction that occurs most frequently in informal speech and writing, but it is a stylistic option often chosen in more formal speech and writing.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH that
that which (see usage note at the current entry)Words nearby that
British Dictionary definitions for that is
Word Origin for that
Old English
thæt; related to Old Frisian
thet, Old Norse, Old Saxon
that, Old High German
daz, Greek
to, Latin
istud, Sanskrit
tad
usage for that
Precise stylists maintain a distinction between
that and
which :
that is used as a relative pronoun in restrictive clauses and
which in nonrestrictive clauses. In
the book that is on the table is mine, the clause
that is on the table is used to distinguish one particular book (the one on the table) from another or others (which may be anywhere, but not on the table). In
the book, which is on the table, is mine, the
which clause is merely descriptive or incidental. The more formal the level of language, the more important it is to preserve the distinction between the two relative pronouns; but in informal or colloquial usage, the words are often used interchangeably
Idioms and Phrases with that is (1 of 2)
that is
Also, that is to say. To explain more clearly, in other words, as in It's on the first floor, that is, at street level, or We're coming next month, that is to say, in November. [Early 1600s] Also see under that's.
Idioms and Phrases with that is (2 of 2)
that