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What (who) is that - definition
FUNCTION WORD USED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE FOR SEVERAL GRAMMATICAL PURPOSES
that
¦ pronoun & determiner (plural those)
1. used to identify a specific person or thing observed or heard by the speaker.
referring to the more distant of two things near to the speaker.
2. referring to a specific thing previously mentioned or known.
3. used in singling out someone or something with a particular feature.
4. informal, chiefly Brit. expressing strong agreement with something just said: 'He's a fussy man.' 'He is that.'
5. [as pronoun] (plural that) used instead of which, who, when, etc. to introduce a defining clause, especially one essential to identification.
¦ adverb to such a degree.
?[with negative] informal very: he wasn't that far away.
¦ conjunction
1. introducing a subordinate clause.
2. literary expressing a wish or regret.
Phrases
and all that (or and that) informal and so on.
(just) like that informal instantly or effortlessly.
that is (or that is to say) a formula introducing or following an explanation or further clarification.
that said even so.
that's that there is nothing more to do or say about the matter.
Origin
OE th?t, nominative and accusative singular neut. of se 'the', of Gmc origin.
Usage
When is it correct to use that and when should you use which. The general rule is that, when introducing clauses that define or identify something (known as restrictive relative clauses), it is acceptable to use either that or which: a book which aims to simplify scientific language or a book that aims to simplify scientific language. However, which, but never that, should be used to introduce clauses giving additional information (non-restrictive relative clauses): the book, which costs ?15, has sold a million copies not the book, that costs ?15, has sold a million copies.
that
pronoun
1) at that ('in addition') (she was a thief and a clever one at that)
2) (misc.) take that! ('I'm going to punch you!')
that
I. DEMONSTRATIVE USES
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Please look at category 20 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1.
You use that to refer back to an idea or situation expressed in a previous sentence or sentences.
They said you particularly wanted to talk to me. Why was that?...
Some members feared Germany might raise its interest rates on Thursday. That could have set the scene for a confrontation with the US.
PRON
•
That is also a determiner.
The most important purpose of our Health Care is to support you when making a claim for medical treatment. For that reason the claims procedure is as simple and helpful as possible.
DET
2.
You use that to refer to someone or something already mentioned.
The Commissioners get between ?50,000 and ?60,000 a year in various allowances. But that amount can soar to ?90,000 a year...
DET
3.
When you have been talking about a particular period of time, you use that to indicate that you are still referring to the same period. You use expressions such as that morning or that afternoon to indicate that you are referring to an earlier period of the same day.
The story was published in a Sunday newspaper later that week...
DET
4.
You use that in expressions such as that of and that which to introduce more information about something already mentioned, instead of repeating the noun which refers to it. (FORMAL)
A recession like that of 1973-74 could put one in ten American companies into bankruptcy...
PRON: PRON of n, PRON pron-rel
5.
You use that in front of words or expressions which express agreement, responses, or reactions to what has just been said.
'She said she'd met you in England.'-'That's true.'...
'I've never been to Paris.'-'That's a pity. You should go one day.'
PRON
6.
You use that to introduce a person or thing that you are going to give details or information about. (FORMAL)
In my case I chose that course which I considered right...
DET
7.
You use that when you are referring to someone or something which is a distance away from you in position or time, especially when you indicate or point to them. When there are two or more things near you, that refers to the more distant one.
Look at that guy. He's got red socks...
Where did you get that hat?...
DET
•
That is also a pronoun.
That looks heavy. May I carry it for you?
PRON
8.
You use that when you are identifying someone or asking about their identity.
That's my wife you were talking to...
I answered the phone and this voice went, 'Hello. Is that Alison?'
PRON
9.
You can use that when you expect the person you are talking to to know what or who you are referring to, without needing to identify the particular person or thing fully. (SPOKEN)
Did you get that cheque I sent?...
DET
•
That is also a pronoun.
That was a terrible case of blackmail in the paper today...
PRON
10.
If something is not that bad, funny, or expensive for example, it is not as bad, funny, or expensive as it might be or as has been suggested.
Not even Gary, he said, was that stupid...
ADV: with brd-neg, ADV adj/adv
11.
You can use that to emphasize the degree of a feeling or quality. (INFORMAL)
I would have walked out, I was that angry...
= so
ADV: ADV adj/adv [emphasis]
12.
see also those
13.
You use and all that or and that to refer generally to everything else which is associated with what you have just mentioned. (INFORMAL)
I'm not a cook myself but I am interested in nutrition and that.
PHRASE: cl/group PHR [vagueness]
14.
You use at that after a statement which modifies or emphasizes what you have just said.
Success never seems to come but through hard work, often physically demanding work at that...
PHRASE: n/adj PHR [emphasis]
15.
You use that is or that is to say to indicate that you are about to express the same idea more clearly or precisely.
I am a disappointing, though generally dutiful, student. That is, I do as I'm told...
PHRASE: PHR with cl/group
16.
You use that's it to indicate that nothing more needs to be done or that the end has been reached.
When he left the office, that was it, the workday was over.
PHRASE: V inflects
17.
You use that's it to express agreement with or approval of what has just been said or done.
'You got married, right?'-'Yeah, that's it.'
= exactly
CONVENTION [formulae]
18.
You use just like that to emphasize that something happens or is done immediately or in a very simple way, often without much thought or discussion. (INFORMAL)
Just like that, I was in love...
PHRASE: PHR with cl [emphasis]
19.
You use that's that to say there is nothing more you can do or say about a particular matter. (SPOKEN)
'Well, if that's the way you want it,' he replied, tears in his eyes, 'I guess that's that.'
PHRASE: V inflects
20.
II. CONJUNCTION AND RELATIVE PRONOUN USES
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
You can use that after many verbs, adjectives, nouns, and expressions to introduce a clause in which you report what someone has said, or what they think or feel.
He called her up one day and said that he and his wife were coming to New York...
We were worried that she was going to die...
CONJ
2.
You use that after 'it' and a link verb and an adjective to comment on a situation or fact.
I've made up my mind, but it's obvious that you need more time to think...
CONJ: it v-link adj CONJ cl
3.
You use that to introduce a clause which gives more information to help identify the person or thing you are talking about.
...pills that will make the problem disappear.
...a car that won't start...
PRON
4.
You use that after expressions with 'so' and 'such' in order to introduce the result or effect of something.
She became so nervous that she shook violently...
CONJ: so/such group CONJ cl
Wikipedia
That
That is an English language word used for several grammatical purposes. These include use as an adjective, conjunction, pronoun, adverb, and intensifier; it has distance from the speaker, as opposed to words like this. The word did not originally exist in Old English, and its concept was represented by þe. Once it came into being, it was spelt as þæt (among others, such as þet), taking the role of the modern that. It also took on the role of the modern word what, though this has since changed, and that has recently replaced some usage of the modern which. Pronunciation of the word varies according to its role within a sentence, with two main varieties (a strong and a weak form), though there are also regional differences, such as where the sound is substituted instead by a in English spoken in Cameroon.
Examples of use of that
1. We hope that the violence that has ebbed, that that will hold off.
2. But despite that, it is understandable that that it should have acquired that association.
3. "I don‘t ever want to experience that pain, that upset, that confusion, that humiliation ever again.
4. Brother, Sister, throw down that knife, that stick, that spear, that gun.
5. ERELI:'4; There‘s no injunction that I‘m aware of that prevents –– that would prevent that.