CURS LEC 2 Subordinate Clauses introduced by THAT

1. Definition
2. Extraposition and It Insertion with that clauses
3. Distribution of that clauses
4. Cases when that can be deleted
5. Sequence of tenses
6. The subjunctive mood

1. Definition

That clauses are a type of subordinate clauses which are finite and fulfill nominal functions, namely
the same functions that a noun can fulfill. This type of nominal clauses, also called that clauses,
should not be confused with relative clauses that can be also introduced sometimes by that.

So a sentence such as

1. I know that Sarah is away includes a that clause (that Sarah is away) which acts as a direct
object) while
2. The man that sent the mail is Tom, includes a relative clause where that can be replaced by
who.

Please remember that that clauses refer only to the nominal type (as in the first example).

In order to illustrate the nominal character of the that clauses here are a few examples, in which the
noun phrase in the first example is replaced by a that clause in the second example.

Eg.1. a. She demonstrated the theorem.

1.b. She demonstrated that the world is not flat.

Or

2.a. What he said was the truth.

2.b. What he said was that he did not know the solution.

2. 2.1.Extraposition and It Insertion with that clauses

Extraposition and It Insertion is a transformational rule that affects the common topic of the
sentence. It is usually an optional transformation, which moves one constitutent from its
usual place (in our case the constitutent is the subordinate that clause) to sentence final
position and in the place that is now empty an IT is inserted, thus marking the initial place of
the constitutent. The IT is empty of meaning, having the formal role of marking the place
from where the the meaningful constituent was moved.
Eg. 1.a.That he is upset is obvious.
The constituent of this sentnce, THAT HE IS UPSET is the subject of the sentence. If moved to
sentence final position and if it is inserted, the new sentence will be
e.g. 1.b.It is obvious that he is upset.
In example 1.b. that he is upset is still the logical or the deep structure subject of the
sentence, while IT is the formal or the surface structure subject.
The pronoun IT carries no meaning, its only function being to announce the logical subject
which comes later in the sentece. The fact that it is empty of meaning can be proved
by questioning the subject expressed by IT
*What is obvious that he is upset? This is a meaningless question, which cannot be
answered and which proves that IT is not a meaningful subject.
However, when we question the deep structure subject, or the logical subject, the question is
meaningful:
What is obvious?

2.2. Extraposition and It Insertion can be applied in the case of the subordinate clauses
introduced by that from three different positions – subject, direct object and
prepositional object.
Here are a few examples for each case:

2.2.1.From Subject position

1.a. That Susan lied is most unlikely
1.b. It is most unlikely that Susan lied.
In certain cases Extraposition and It Insertion from subject position is obligatory – this is the
case with verbs such as seem, happen, turn out, appear.
For example it is correct to say:
It appears that Susan lied - where Extraposition and It Insertion has been applied, but
incorrect to say
*That Susan lied appears.

2.2.2. From Direct Object position

1.a. I don’t like that he spends so much time with our children very much.
1.b. I don’t like it very much that he spends so much time with our children. In 1b
Extraposition and It Insertion from Direct Object position has been applied.

2.2.3. From Prepositionl Object position

e.g.1.a. You may depend that he will help his friends.
The verb to depend is followed by the preposition on (to depend on), so if Extraposition and
It Insertion is applied the preposition surfaces:
e.g.1.b. You may depend on it that he will help his friends.

Another example illustrating the same situation is provided below:

2.a. He will answer for it that his friend is honest.
 In most cases, this transfromation, Extraposition and It Insertion, optional. Nevertheless,
there are cases when it is obligatory; this case applies mainly for idioms. Please
consider the examples below, which illustrate this situation:
1. I take it that you don’t want to leave ( I understand)
2. I don’t buy it that he is your best friend (I don’t believe)
3. He can’t swallow it that you dislike him (He can’t accept)
4. He finally got it that you wanted to leave (He finally understood).

3. DISTRIBUTION OF THAT CLAUSES

That clauses have the same syntactic distribution as nouns. In different words, whatever
syntactic position a noun can fill in a simple sentence, can be filled by a that clause in a
complex sentence. The syntactic positions discussed below are:
- Subjects
- Direct objects
- Prepositional objects after verbs
- Prepositional objects after adjectives
- Subject complements
- Appositions

3.1.SUBJECT
That clauses are distributed in subject positions:
- after the following verbs: seem, appear, turn out, happen, come about – for which
Extraposition and It Insertion is obligatory.
e.g. It seems that she will be late again.
It turns out that they had run out of patience.
It came about that the reaction was highly adverse.

- after adjectives such as : likely, unlikely, sure, good, bad, helpful,astonishing,

surprising, etc.
e.g.It is likely that they can live under difficult circumstances.
It is sure that she will take responsibility for the accident.
It is astonishing that Tom did not write the report.
Please note that in all these examples Extrasposition and It Insertion has been
applied as an optional ttransformation.

- After nouns such as: problem, thing, fact, idea, surprise, miracle, illusion, mystery,
wonder.

e.g. It’s a wonder he was not killed in the crash.

It’s a fact that the numbers are declining.

It’s a surprise that she is always trying to please everybody.

Please note again that Extraposition and It Insertion has been appplied as an optional
transformation.

- After psychological transitive verbs of the type: alarm, amaze, bother, comfort,
disgust, displease, horrify, insult, please, relieve, sadden, surprise, soothe, etc.
e.g. That she was not at home alarmed her friends.
That nothing came out of it pleased everybody.
That she left very late surprised her colleagues.

3.2.DIRECT OBJECT
This syntactic position is probably the most common one for the subordinate clauses
introduced by that.
Here are a few examples:
1. I claim that he is entitled to the property.
2. He knows that the weather will change.
3. The engineer wrongly figured it out that the building will collapse.
4. Emily confided in Helen that John had proposed to her.
5. Let me put it to you that he invented the while story.
6. Tom begged of his friends that they should lend him the money.

By studying the examples above we can make the following comments:

In sentences 1 and 2 that can be deleted (that deletion will be discussed below).

Sentence 3 and 5 are examples of Extraposition and It Insertion of that clause that the building will
collapse and that he invented the whole story.

Sentence 4 and 6 illustrate inversion between the direct object expressed by the that clause (that
John had proposed to her and that they should lend him the money) and the prepositional object in
Helen and of his friends.

3.3.PREPOSITIONAL OBJECT AFTER VERBS

It should be remembered that subordinate clauses introduced by that do not keep the preposition
before them. The preposition only surfaces when the structure of the sentence is changed.

Please consider the following example:

To decide is a verb that is followed by the preoposition on – to decide on

He decided on the Italian car.

However if the verb decide is followed by a that clause, the preposition disappears:
He decided that he should buy the Italian car.

Nevertheless, if we change the structure of the sentence, the preposition surfaces:

What he decided on was that he should buy the Italian car.

So, even if the preposition is not expressed, the function of that clauses is of Prepositional Object.

Here are a few more examples of that clauses distributed in Prepositional Object position:

1. He argued with his friends that they should part. (to argue with somebody about smth)
2. Remind him that he should be back before 8. (to remind somebody of smth)
3. We agreed with our neighbours that they would watch our house. (to agree with smb. on
smth)

3.4.PREPOSITIONAL OBJECT AFTER ADJECTIVES

This situation is very similar with the one discussed above, namely Prepositional Objects after verbs.
The difference is that this time the that clause follows an adjective. Such that clauses, following an
adjective are called Prepositional Objects (as in 3,5) or Adjective Complements. Like the Prepositional
Objects after verbs, the that clauses following adjectives do not accept a preposition before them.
The preposition, however, surfaces, if the structure of the sentence is changed. Here is an example to
illustrate the situation:

Afraid of

He is afraid that he will miss the train.

What he is afraid of is that he will miss the train.

Below are further examples which illustrate the same function – Prepositional Object after adjectives
or Adjective Complements. Please note that the preposition is not expressed:

1. I was amazed that the team had won. (amazed at)

2. She was aware that things were not going well (aware of)
3. She was thankful that her family helped (thankful for)

3.5.SUBJECT COMPLEMENTS
The subject of such clauses is usually an abstract noun such as : fact, idea, trouble claim, etc.
e.g. The fact is that they never wanted to leave.
The trouble is that they have too much word to do.

3.6.APPOSITIONS
Appositive that clauses should not be confused with relative clauses introduced by that. If we
look at the following examples:

1.a. The claim that he is rich is false.

1.b. The claim that he made has no ground.

In 1.a. that he is rich is an apppositive sentence, therefore of a nominal nature and that cannot be
replaced by any other word.
In 1.b. that he made is a relative clause, therefore of an adjectival nature and that can be replaced by
the relative pronoun which.

So, the test to distriguish between appositive and relative clauses, both introduced by that, is to try
and replace that with WHO or WHICH. If the replacement is possible, this means that the clause is a
relative one. If the replacement is not possible, then the clause is an appositive one.

Here are two more examples:

1.a.There is not doubt that he will come. appositive clause

1.b. The doubt that he expressed was valid. relative clause The doubt which he expressed

2.a.The evidence that progress is made is overwhelming. appositive

2.b. The evidence that he gave was false. relative The evidence which he gave

4. CASES WHEN THAT CAN BE DELETED

That can be deleted if the governing word of the subordinate clause introduced by that (verb or
noun) immediately precedes the that clase.

VERB

e.g. He knows that things are going well.

The verb to know immediately precedes the that clause,so that can be deleted.

He knows things are going well.

NOUN

He got the message that Tom was coming.

The noun message immediately precedes the that clause, so that can be deleted:

He got the message Tom was coming.

Nevertheless, when the relation between the that clause and the governing word is less clear, that
deletion is no longer allowed.

- If Extraposition and It Insertion is applied, that must stay.

e.g. I believe it that he is kind to our children. versus I believe he is kind to our children.

- If another clause separates the governing word from the that clause, that must stay:

e.g. They claim they are innocent. Vs. They claim, as everbybody knows, that they are
innocent.
 - If the subordinate that clause is at the beginning of the complex clause, than that
stays in order to make the subordination relation clear:

e.g. That he is innocent amazed everybody. That he is innocent is a subordinate clause in

subject position,and this relation of subordination is overlty expressed by THAT.

Here are a few more examples:

- That she refuses any suggestions bothers her parents.

- That she will ever achieve her dreams is doubtful.
- That she was such a hard working person impressed everybody.

5. SEQUENCES OF TENSES
Subordinate clauses introduced by that enter into a temporal dependence with the main
clause.
As such, the tense in the subordinate that clause depends on the tense of the verb in the
main clause.
There are two main cases as far as the sequence of tenses between the main and
subordinate clause is concerned.
5.1. The Sharing Principle
The tense of the that clause depends on the tense in the main clause. This is the most
frequent situation.
Here are examples to illustrate the Sharing Principle.
1. Mary comes.
2. Mary is coming.
3. Mary has come.
4. Mary came.
5. Mary will come.

If sentences 1-5 are turned into subordinate clauses and the reporting verb in the main
clause is in the past, the tense in the subordinate clauses must change:
1. She said Mary came.
2. She said Mary was coming.
3. She said Mary had come.
4. She said Mary had come.
5. She said Mary would come.

The most common changes in this type of sentences (where a reporting verb in the
past is used in the main clause) are:

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Present Simple Past Simple

Present Continuous Past Simple Continuous

Present Perfect Simple Past Perfect Simple

Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

Past Tense Simple Past Perfect Simple

Past Tense Continuous Perfect Continuous

Future Future in the Past

OTHER CHANGES

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Here there

Now then

Today that day

Last night the night before

Yesterday the day before

This evening that evening

Tomorrow the next/following day

Next week the next/following week

5.2.The Orientation Principle

The second case is called the Orientation Principle and the time references in the main and the
subordinate clase are not the same.

e.g. The doctor will claim next week that he talked to the patient’s relatives two days earlier.

The main clause has a future reference while the subordinate clause has a past reference, a time
independent of that of the main clause.

Finally, the two sentences below are to be interpreted as explained below:

e.g. 1.a. Tom said that Mary would arrive in time.

1.b. Tom said that Mary will arrive in time.

Sentences 1.a means that both Tom’s saying and Mary’s arriving have already taken place, while
sentence 1.b. indicates that Tom’s saying is a past action,but Mary’s arrival has not taken place yet.
Another similar situation is illustrated by sentences in which the subordinate that clause refers to a
universal truth, which allows the subordinate sentence to have its own time reference.

e.g. Tom forgot that the Earth is flat.

6. THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD

The Subjunctive Mood is discussed as part of that clauses because many verbs followed by that
clause require the use of the Subjunctive.

e.g. He requests that the new regulation be passed.

6.1. Definition

Below you find Curme’s definition of the Subjunctive Mood:

“The function of the English Subjunctive is to represent something not as an actual reality, but only as
a desire, a plan, demand,requirement,eventuality, conception, thought, sometimes with more or less
hope of realization or, in the case of a statement, with more or less belief, sometimes with little hope
or faith. The functions of the subjunctive ….all represent the action or state as a conception of the
mind rather than as a reality”(Curme, 1947)

Thus, unlike the Indicative Mood which expresses facts , the Subjunctive expresses moral judgments,
social or personal desires, etc.

The Subjunctive has two forms – analytical (mainly used in British English - He demands that
measures should be taken) and synthetic (mainly used in American English - He demands that
measures be taken).

6.2.Cases when the Subjunctive is used:

- After verbs expressing comand: ask, beg,adivse, demand, instruct, prohibit, forbid,
recommend, suggest.

e.h. She demanded that her friends should remain /remain with her.

He forbids that students should learn by heart/learn by heart.

- After verbs expressing permission: allow, authorize, suffer, permit, interdict

e.g. The manager allowed that the employees should take/take the week-end off.

- After adjectives such as: good,right, better, best, essential, natural, necessary,
imperative, advisable
e.g. It is best that they should leave/leave now.

- Verbs governing Subject clauses: amaze, alarm, bother, surprise

e.g. That they should behave/behave so indifferently surprises us.
 Sometimes verbs or adjectives can be followed either by the Indicative or the
Subjunctive, depending on the meaning to be conveyed:
e.g. 1.a. I insist that the lesson should finish by ten. Subjunctive mood, insist meaning
demand
1.b. I insist that the lesson finished by ten. Indicative mood, the verb insist meaning
to claim that this is the case
Another example is given below:
2.a.It is good that Tom should help his neighbours.
2.b. It is good that Tom helps his neighbours.

Sentences 2a is a moral judgement, and it does not mean that Tom has actually helped his
neighbours whereas sentence 2 b expresses the speaker’s evaluation of the fact that Tom actually
helps his neighbours.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cornilescu, Alexandra (1986) English Syntax volume 2. Bucuresti: Tipografia
Bucuresti, pp. 133-179 si 186-196