Have you noticed that English seems to love the word that? Note that that is used in several ways.
- That (demonstrative adjective) boy plays hockey.
- The man that (used like a relative pronoun) is playing for Canada is Sidney Crosby
- It was so hot that (introduces the result) we turned on the air conditioner
- Levi said that (follows reporting verb) he had practice today.
- That's (demonstrative pronoun) life.
The word that is also used with noun clauses.
Read the following passage carefully. Can you explain how the word that is used?
Copernicus, the Center of Controversy
Nicolaus Copernicus (19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a
Renaissance polymath, active as a mathematician, astronomer,
and Catholic canon, who proposed that the Earth and other planets
revolve around the sun. This idea, called the heliocentric theory,
was revolutionary and started the Scientific Revolution.
Legend has it that Nicolaus Copernicus and the church were at odds over his development of the heliocentric theory, a principle that disputed the widely held belief that Earth was the center of the universe. Unlike Galileo and other controversial astronomers, however, Copernicus had a good relationship with the Catholic Church. That, no doubt, may come as a surprise, considering the Church banned Copernicus's "Des revolutionibus" for more than 200 years. Copernicus was actually respected as a canon and regarded as a renowned astronomer. Contrary to popular belief, the Church accepted Copernicus's heliocentric theory before a wave of Protestant opposition led the Church to ban Copernican views in the 17th century.
Ultimately, there were two schools of thought in Copernicus’s time, that of the Geocentrists and that of the Heliocentrists. The former believed that the Earth was the center of the universe and the latter proposed that the Sun was the center of the universe.
Geocentrists based their ideas on daily observations and argued that the Sun, Moon, and stars appear to revolve around the Earth, which seems to be stationary. Moreover, many geocentric arguments were based on religious texts that described the Earth as the center of the universe.
On the other hand, Copernicus proposed that the Sun, not the Earth, was at the center of the universe, which simplified the explanation of planetary motions. He suggested that the Earth rotates on its axis daily and revolves around the Sun annually, explaining the changing seasons and the apparent motion of stars. Furthermore, the heliocentric model explained the phases of planets like Venus and Mercury, which could not be explained by the geocentric model.
That Copernicus's model was revolutionary and faced significant opposition, both scientific and religious, is evident, but it laid the foundation for modern astronomy.
Did you notice how that was used with noun clauses?
Here is one sentence fragment extracted from the passage.
Legend has it that Nicolaus Copernicus and the church were at odds...
Do you see how that functions here? It introduces the
noun clause "Nicolaus Copernicus and the church were at odds..."
These noun clauses are typically used after verbs that indicate
what someone says, thinks, or feels.
Look over the passage again. Can you find more examples like this?
- That the liar was lying is obvious.
- That being the case, let's wait until tomorrow.
- The proposal that we close the Department of Education is beyond stupidity.
- Those people believe that the Earth is flat and that man lived with the dinosaurs.
Speaking Your Mind
Now, using what you have learned, comment on the reading passage using noun clauses with that.
The Grammarian Speaks
That Which You Do Not Know
Just what are noun clauses?
A. That-clauses act as nouns; therefore, they can be:
- Direct objects
- Complements
- Subjects
C. Subject and Adjective complements (Omission of 'That')
D. Verbs that allow a that-clause as subjects include:
Descriptive verbs: be + expressive adjectives
such as, clear, alarming, disgusting, etc.
Example: It is disgusting that he would say that to you.
Expressive Verbs: amaze, amuse, anger, disgust, disturb, etc.
Example: That he got away with it disgusts me.
Sharing Learning
With a partner, practice using noun clauses with that to explain what you have learned so far in this semester. Use verbs like believe, realize, understand, learn, know, share, etc. to introduce the noun clause.
Press "Play" and listen carefully.
Comment on the audio track you heard using noun clauses with the word that. For example, "That Joey Chestnut________________was amazing."
Congratulations! You've completed this lesson. Now, play the following video.
