Pronouns are a sub-type of nouns that refer to people or things part of a conversation or even outside a conversation. Let us explore more.
“That” is a pronoun as it refers to things and people talking or being talked about.
Let us get a better understanding of this topic with the help of multiple explanations and examples.
When is “that” a pronoun?
“That” can be many different things depending on context. Let us look into when it can be a pronoun.
“That” is a pronoun when it is used as way to reference another person ore object in a certain conversation.
Let us explore this further with help of a few examples.
| Examples | Explanations |
| 1. That is a great idea you just had! | For ‘that’ to function as a pronoun it must always be followed by an ‘is’ as is the case here. |
| 2. That is a book that belonged to my great-grandfather once. | As one can see ‘that’ is being used to refer to an object, thus making it a pronoun. |
When is “that” a demonstrative pronoun?
“That” may function as different subtypes of pronouns as well. Let us take a look.
“That” is a demonstrative pronoun when it is used to demonstrate or point to someone’s or something’s existence, action or state.
Let us dive deeper into this sub-topic with the help of a couple examples.
| Examples | Explanations |
| 1. That is my friend with the red umbrella. | ‘That’ in this sentence demonstrates the existence of a person, making it a demonstrative pronoun. |
| 2. Here is my study table and that is my cupboard. | Over here as well, ‘that’ is a demonstrative pronoun as it points to the existence of an object. |
Examples of “that” as a demonstrative pronoun
Let us explore the topic of “that” as a demonstrative pronoun with the help of multiple examples.
| Examples | Explanations |
| 1. We are a badminton team and that is our coach. | Since it indicates that a person is present, the demonstrative pronoun ‘that’ is used in this statement. |
| 2. That is a tree which I used to climb as a child. | ‘That’ is a demonstrative pronoun here as well, indicating the existence of an object. |
| 3. That is a batch of bread that I personally made for everyone. | As one can see, ‘that’ is a demonstrative pronoun because it is used to refer to an object. |
| 4. That is my niece and she is taking part in an elocution competition. | ‘That’ is a demonstrative pronoun in this sentence since it shows that a person is present. |
| 5. We have kept the bowl here and that is an empty space where all the cups will go. | The word ‘that’ must always be followed by an “is,” as it is in this sentence, in order to be used as a demonstrative pronoun. |
| 6. That is a pretty good presentation you procured up all by yourself. | To be used as a demonstrative pronoun, the word ‘that’ must always be followed by a “is,” as it is in this sentence. |
| 7. This car is ours and that is a bike that belongs to our neighbors. | Here too, the demonstrative pronoun ‘that’ is used to denote the existence of an object. |
| 8. That is a great movie you are about to watch. | As can be seen, because it is used to refer to an object, ‘that’ is a demonstrative pronoun. |
When is “that” a relative pronoun?
“That”, as mentioned above may function under different sub-sections of pronouns. Let us take a look into another one.
“That” is a relative pronoun when it is used to link a dependent clause to a phrase or another dependent or even an independent clause. This might cause the topic of “that” to have overlapping qualities of a relative pronoun as well as a conjunction.
Let us, with the help of examples, explore this topic a little further.
| Examples | Explanations |
| 1. The fan that we saw was broken. | In this example ‘that’ is used to connect a dependant clause to a phrase making it a relative pronoun. |
| 2. The book that was suggested by our university is nowhere to be found. | Over here too, ‘that’ is considered as a relative pronoun as it is used to reference the object in question and further links more information to it with a followed clause. |
Examples of “that” as a relative pronoun
Let us dive even deeper into the topic of “that” as a relative pronoun with the help of a few more examples.
| Examples | Explanations |
| 1. The shop that closed last month has now reopened. | Once again, ‘that’ here functions as a relative pronoun as it connects a clause to a phrase. |
| 2. Dolphins that greet us have been trained to do so. | Sometimes a relative pronoun like ‘that’ may link just one word to a whole other clause. |
| 3. Glass that breaks is considered good luck in some culture. | A relative pronoun like ‘that’ can occasionally connect a single word to an entire other phrase. |
| 4. The sandwich that I made turned out to be pretty good. | In this example, the relative pronoun ‘that’ is employed to link a dependent sentence to a phrase. |
| 5. This is a film that I recommend to everyone I meet. | As it is used to refer to the object in question and further relates more information to it with a subsequent clause, “that” is regarded as a relative pronoun here as well. |
| 6. These are the ingredients that you might need for you evening activity. | In common cases, ‘that’ as a relative pronoun primarily connects two clauses together as is the case here. |
| 7. This is the bracelet that my grandmother gifted me. | Once again, when used as a relative pronoun, the word ‘that’ typically serves to join two clauses together, as it does in this sentence. |
| 8. The plate that was shattered needs to be cleaned up and thrown away. | A relative pronoun like ‘that’ can occasionally connect a single word to an entire other phrase. |
Is “that” an object pronoun?
“That” as word is quite flexible and broad, but it may not fit into every sub-topic. Let us take a look.
“That” is not an object pronoun as it cannot be referred to as a replacement for an object noun of a sentence as that would simply not make any sense.
Let us take a look at some object pronoun examples to get a better sense of what they are.
| Examples | Explanations |
| 1. The company might offer him a promotion. | ‘Him’ is also an object pronoun, as first and foremost it is a pronoun and is used in place of a person’s name which is being used as the object part of the sentence. |
| 2. The Walter’s brought us a great gift. | Since it is a pronoun first and foremost and is used in place of a person’s name, which is employed as the sentence’s object, ‘us’ is also an object pronoun. |
Is “that” an indefinite pronoun?
“That” as mentioned above has broad uses and is quite flexible in nature, but that may not always be the case. Let us explore.
“That” is not an indefinite pronoun as indefinite pronouns are words that are used to showcase an unspecified quantity as a way of reference and “that” does not fall under that category.
Let us get a better understanding of indefinite pronouns with the help of a few examples.
| Examples | Explanations |
| 1. We must not wait for anything and must do everything. | In this sentence, the words ‘anything’ and ‘everything’ are indefinite pronouns as they provide the reader with an indefinite and vague quantity of measurement in reference to the action that is to be taken place. |
| 2. This is a recipe that can be made by anyone and should be tried by everyone. | The terms ‘anyone’ and ‘everyone’ are indefinite pronouns in this statement because they give the reader a nebulous and ambiguous measurement of the action that is to be taken. |
When is “that” not considered as a pronoun?
“That” may very much function as not a pronoun in many cases. Let us look into when that is.
“That” is not considered as a pronoun when it is used as way to demonstrate the degree or extent of a situation or action and when it is directly used before a noun. In such cases “that” is considered as an adverb and demonstrative adjective respectively.
Let us look into “that” being used as adverb with the help of some examples.
| Examples | Grammatical Form | Explanations |
| 1. I would not put that much thought into it. | Adverb | ‘That’ is an adverb over here as it renders the extent of an action. |
| 2. That boy sitting over there is somewhat of a genius. | Demonstrative Adjective | ‘That’ is a demonstrative adjective when it is placed in front of noun. |
| 3. Our destination cannot possibly be that far. | Adverb | ‘That’ often functions as an adverb when put in front of another adverb, as seen here. |
| 4. That book belongs to the library and I need to return it soon. | Demonstrative Adjective | ‘That’ as a demonstrative adjective demonstrates the existence of a noun. |
Conclusion
Therefore, it is clear that a word like “that” has uses, and that too many uses as a pronoun as it primarily is one.
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