Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Sometimes the heavy cold rains would beat it back so that it would seem that it never come and that you are losing a season out of your life – Earnest Hemingway
A Movable Feast “That” in the above sentence of Hemingway entails three different meanings – purpose, wish and result. Since “that” has many meanings, it is more difficult to use than we think of. Originally a demonstrative pronoun, it is now used as a relative pronoun and as a conjunction.
In English Grammar, Maetzner writes: “Conjunction that is in English, in the most comprehensive sense, the conjunction of the subordinate sentence generally, so that it was once attached to almost all the conjunctions, as it still is or may be subjoined to some.”
“That” is primarily used to join the substantive sentence as a subordinate clause with its principal sentence. Beginning with the simple relation of fact or matter of fact, it takes in relations of purpose, reason, consequence and result. It sometimes represents an entire sentence.
Nevertheless, when it is used as conjunction it retains much of its force as demonstrative pronoun. Ergo, the sentence, “I am told that you are miserable,” may be transposed into “You are miserable; I am told that.”
“That” at the end represents entire sentence: You are miserable. Confusion arises when “that” has four meanings: it is a demonstrative pronoun; it is a demonstrative adjective; it is a conjunction; and it is a relative pronoun. In Queen’s English, H Alford pleads: It is possible to use six that’s consecutively in the same sentence.
“That” is such a particle that its meaning cannot be defined, but only described. Any other form of words will prove but an inadequate periphrasis until it employs (as is often done) the very word that. “That” is used to introduce a fact in subordinate relation to the principal statement: the following fact, observation and statement.
It is certain that he will soon return. It appears that he did not know. JC Nesfield has called such uses of “that” apposition. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of good fortune, must be in want of a wife – Jean Austin, Pride and Prejudice.
A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other – A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
The first “that” in the sentence is apposition. The second “that” is emphatic and qualifies “profound secret and mystery.” “That” also refers to time: at which time; when; as, it’s time that we were starting; and this is the day that the note falls due.
The February day that I stood on the Frankfort bridge the Main was sheeted with ice – Hosmer German Literature. Similarly, “that” being a pronoun represents a noun. The air of hills is cooler than that of plains. In the sentence, ‘that of plains’ represents ‘the air of hills.’ That becomes those when it refers to a plural noun. The houses of the rich are bigger than that of the poor.
Similarly, I studied Greek and Latin when I was young, and that at oxford. JC Nesfield wrote: Here by using the pronoun “that” as a substitute for the sentence “I studied Greek and Latin” we not only avoid repeating this sentence, but we give some emphasis to the words “at Oxford.”
It also denotes or introduces a reason: in as much as; as; because; and since. It is not “that” I wish it but “that” I am forced to it. The first “that” has been used for reason and the second for “effect.”
According to Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (SOED) that introduces fact, action, opinion implied in the previous statement. All three men in one ship – thank for that – Thomas Hardy.
“That” is also used to refer to time meaning on which and when; from the time that since. It’s already three weeks that I took down the curtains – Saul Bellow. “That” also contains an expression of wish, hope, aspiration or regret and usually preceeded by O Oh. ‘Oh that’ being equivalent to would that; as O that morning would come.
