79강. Unit 079. 명사절을 이끄는 접속사 that

Lesson 79: The conjunction that introducing noun clauses

The lesson explains how that can introduce a clause that functions like a noun. The clause after that contains a complete idea, typically with its own subject and verb. As a unit, it can fill several positions in a sentence.

Main uses of that-clauses

• Subject: A that-clause can be the subject of a sentence.

  • That he passed the exam is important.
  • In everyday usage, a long subject clause is often moved to the end, with it placed at the beginning as a dummy subject: It is important that he passed the exam.
  • When a clause is the subject, the main verb is generally singular.

• Complement after a linking verb: A that-clause can follow a linking verb, such as be, to explain or identify the subject.

  • The problem is that I don’t know how to study English.

• Object of a transitive verb: A that-clause can complete verbs such as think, know, believe, and say.

  • I think that you should apologize.
  • I know that learning a language takes time.
  • In this position, that can often be omitted: I think you should apologize.
  • If a sentence appears to have two subjects and verbs in succession, consider whether it contains an object that-clause with that omitted.

• Appositive clause: A that-clause can follow a noun and explain its content. Common nouns before these clauses include fact, news, idea, belief, rumor, feeling, and possibility.

  • the news that she passed the exam
  • the fact that mistakes are part of learning
  • The clause specifies what the noun refers to; the noun and clause express the same underlying idea.

In the framework taught in the lesson, noun clauses are not used as the object of a preposition.

Other that patterns

• After an adjective of emotion: A clause following an emotional adjective such as glad, happy, sad, or surprised gives the cause of the emotion.

  • I’m glad that you like my present.
  • The suggested interpretation is: “I’m glad—why? Because you like my present.”
  • This is treated as an adverbial use, rather than as one of the noun-clause roles above.

• After an adjective of certainty: The lesson also presents patterns such as It is certain that… and I’m sure that….

  • I’m sure that you’ll do better next time.
  • The instructor notes that this pattern can be analyzed in different ways and advises learners to focus on recognizing it and understanding its meaning.

Practical method for analyzing a sentence

1. Identify the main subject and verb.
2. Look for that followed by a complete clause.
3. Determine how the whole clause functions:
   • Before the main verb: often the subject.
   • After a linking verb: complement.
   • After a transitive verb: object.
   • After a noun it explains: appositive.
4. Check the meaning as well as the word order.
5. If a subject clause is long, check whether the sentence uses dummy it with the clause placed at the end.
6. If a transitive verb is followed by another subject–verb sequence, consider whether that has been omitted.
7. When translating into English, first find the subject and verb, then fit the remaining idea into the appropriate clause position.

The practice section reinforces these ideas by asking learners to classify clauses, rewrite subject clauses with dummy it, identify appositives, and translate sentences using that. One translation point is that English often expresses “I don’t think that is true” as I don’t think it is true, rather than using a more literal word-for-word construction.

Speakers and sources

• Instructor/narrator: Teaches the grammar lesson and works through examples and exercises; no personal name is provided.
• Channel: 중학영어TV (identified in the video metadata).