Unsure When 'That' Is a Pronoun or a Conjunction in My Writing
I'm editing an essay, and I keep running into the word 'that.' I'm confused about whether it's acting as a pronoun or a conjunction in different sentences. For example, in 'The book that I borrowed was interesting,' and 'She said that she would come later,' is 'that' being used differently?
I want to make sure I'm using the right grammar terms and not making mistakes when I write. Can someone explain how to tell when 'that' is a pronoun and when it's a conjunction?
Context:
I'm writing a formal academic essay for my university class.
What to Know
| What to Know | Why It Matters | Example | Quick Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| To distinguish between 'that' as a pronoun and as a conjunction, look at what role 'that' plays in the sentence's structure:. | If you can swap 'that' with 'which' (for things) or delete it without losing meaning, it's probably a relative pronoun. | The laptop that you recommended works well. | Does this idiom fit my exact meaning and situation? |
| Avoid this idiom when the context is literal or the meaning could confuse readers. | This keeps the idiom natural and avoids overly literal wording. | In literal situations, use direct wording instead of the idiom. | Would this idiom sound natural to a native speaker in this exact context? |
3 Answers
To distinguish between 'that' as a pronoun and as a conjunction, look at what role 'that' plays in the sentence's structure:
1. When 'that' is a relative pronoun:
It introduces a relative clause and stands in for a noun (person, place, thing, or idea) being described. It can be replaced by 'which' or 'who' in some cases.
Example: "The laptop that you recommended works well." ('that' refers to 'the laptop' and introduces the clause 'you recommended')
2. When 'that' is a conjunction:
It introduces a noun (content) clause and does not replace any noun; rather, it connects clauses.
Example: "He believes that success takes time." ('that' introduces the clause 'success takes time', but doesn't stand for a noun)
Practice Tip: Underline 'that' in your writing and ask:
- Does 'that' refer back to a specific noun or stand for it? (Relative pronoun)
- Does 'that' simply connect a statement or thought? (Conjunction)
Try rephrasing your sentence. If you can swap 'that' with 'which' (for things) or delete it without losing meaning, it's probably a relative pronoun.
Let's compare how 'that' works in two sentence types, using a simple chart:
Sentence Role of 'that' Why? "This is the movie that won an award." Relative pronoun Refers back to 'the movie'; starts a clause that describes the noun "She explained that the exam was hard." Conjunction Does not stand for a noun; links the main clause to a statementGuide: If 'that' can be replaced with 'which' or 'who,' it's likely a pronoun. If it can't, it's likely a conjunction.
Practice: Take a sentence from your essay. Substitute 'that' with 'which' or 'who.' Does the sentence still work? If yes, you're dealing with a relative pronoun. If not, it's a conjunction.
Understanding 'that' is easier if you run a quick test each time. Here's how:
- Locate 'that' in your sentence
- Ask: Does it introduce extra information about a noun? (If yes: pronoun)
- Ask: Is it connecting a reporting or opinion verb to its content? (If yes: conjunction)
Example 1: "The theory that he proposed was new."
Here, 'that' introduces the clause 'he proposed,' which describes 'theory,' so it's a relative pronoun.
Example 2: "He admitted that he was wrong."
Here, 'that' connects 'admitted' to the entire clause 'he was wrong,' so it's a conjunction.
Practice: For each 'that' in your draft, try to identify what immediately precedes it. If it's a noun, you likely have a pronoun. If it's a verb (like 'said,' 'believed,' 'admitted'), it's probably a conjunction.
Want to answer this question? Log in or create an account.