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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

That: Pronoun & Conjunction Usage Explained (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：point to something specific (that)

that 🔊

/ðæt/

pron., conj.

used to point to something specific, often not near the speaker.

Person pointing at a distant mountain peak to illustrate that

point to something specific 🔊

➕

/pɔɪnt tuː ˈsʌmθɪŋ spəˈsɪfɪk/

pron., conj.

Used to refer to a specific person or thing that is not near the speaker, often accompanied by a pointing gesture or context.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'þæt', a demonstrative pronoun and conjunction, from Proto-Germanic *þat.

💡 Mnemonic

Think: 'T-H-A-T' spells 'that' – point your thumb to a thing far away and say 'THAT'.

📖 Example

I saw a blue jacket in the store window, but I ended up buying that red one instead. 🔊 I saw a blue jacket in the store window, but I ended up buying that red one instead.

🔗 Collocations

that one – a specific item or person referred to

that way – in that direction or manner

that time – a particular moment in the past or future

🔄 Synonyms

this (pron.) – used to point to something near the speaker

yon (adj.) – archaic term for something distant

🚫 Antonyms

this (pron.) – indicates something close to the speaker

🌱 Derivatives

those (pron.) – plural of 'that'

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'that' has been a core demonstrative in English since Old English times, used to point to distant objects and later as a conjunction to link clauses. It is one of the most frequent words in English.

Meaning 2：introduce a relative clause (that)

that 🔊

/ðæt/

pron., conj.

used to introduce a part of a sentence that gives more information about something mentioned earlier.

Diagram showing that connecting main sentence and extra info

introduce a relative clause 🔊

➕

/ɪnˈtrəʊdjuːs ə ˈrelətɪv klɔːz/

pron., conj.

Used as a conjunction to introduce a clause that provides additional information about a noun mentioned earlier in the sentence.

📁 Category：Language Evolution 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The idea that we should start a reading club was very popular among students. 🔊 The idea that we should start a reading club was very popular among students.

🔗 Collocations

the fact that – used to emphasize a point

so that – in order to; with the purpose of

such that – of a kind that causes something

🔄 Synonyms

which (pron.) – same as 'that' in restrictive clauses, but less common in informal English

who (pron.) – used for people instead of 'that'