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That is a function word used in the English language for several grammatical purposes.^[1]

These include:

as a complementizer/subordinating conjunction. ("He asked that she go.")
to introduce a restrictive relative clause ("The test that she took was hard.") In this role, that may be analyzed either as a relative pronoun or as a conjunction as in the first case; see English relative clauses: That as relativizer instead of relative pronoun. (In American and Canadian English, that is used this way only if the verb could affect the subsequent noun, e.g. one would say "The test she took was hard" but would still say "I hate that dogs are messy" to avoid being misheard as having said "I hate dogs.")
as a demonstrative pronoun ("That was hard.") (plural: those)
as a demonstrative adjective ("That test was hard.") (plural: those)
as an adverb ("The test wasn't that bad.")

In the first two uses the word is usually pronounced weakly, as /ðət/, whereas in the other uses it is pronounced /ðæt/.

In the Old English language that was spelled þæt. It was also abbreviated as a letter Thorn, þ, with the ascender crossed, ꝥ ( ). In Middle English, the letter Ash, æ, was replaced with the letter a, so that that was spelled þat, or sometimes þet. The ascender of the þ was reduced (making it similar to the Old English letter Wynn, ƿ), which necessitated writing a small t above the letter to abbreviate the word that ( ). In later Middle English and Early Modern English the þ evolved into a y shape, so that the word was spelled yat (although the spelling with a th replacing the þ was starting to become more popular) and the abbreviation for that was a y with a small t above it ( ). This abbreviation can still be seen in reprints of the 1611 edition of the King James Version of the Bible in places such as II Corinthians 13:7.

That is often omitted when used to introduce a subordinate clause—"He told me that it is a good read." could just as easily be "He told me it is a good read."

Usage note

The word that is used in subordinate conjunctions describing a person or people. In demonstrative, that is singular, and "those" is plural; e.g. "That is the bat" (singular), and "Those are the bats" (plural).

References

^ "that (Definition of that in English)". Oxford Dictionaries. Retrieved 2018-07-07.

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{for|the mode in northern Indian or Hindustani music|That (music)}}
 {{wiktionary|that|those}}
-'''''That''''' is a [[function word]] used in the [[English language]] for several [[grammar|grammatical]] purposes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/that |title=that ( Definition of that in English) |website=Oxford Dictionaries  |access-date=2018-07-07}}</ref>
+'''''That''''' is a [[function word]] used in the [[English language]] for several [[grammar|grammatical]] purposes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/that |title=that (Definition of that in English) |website=Oxford Dictionaries |access-date=2018-07-07}}</ref>
 These include:
 * as a [[complementizer]]/[[subordinating conjunction]]. ("He asked that she go.")
-* to introduce a [[Restrictive clause (in English)|restrictive]] [[relative clause]] ("The test that she took was hard.") In this role, ''that'' may be analyzed either as a [[relative pronoun]] or as a conjunction as in the first case; see [[English relative clauses#That as relativizer instead of relative pronoun|English relative clauses: ''That'' as relativizer instead of relative pronoun]]. (In American and Canadian English, "that" is only used in this way if the verb could affect the proceeding noun, i.e., one would say "The test she took was hard," but would still say "I hate that dogs are messy" to avoid being misheard as saying "I hate dogs.")
+* to introduce a [[Restrictive clause (in English)|restrictive]] [[relative clause]] ("The test that she took was hard.") In this role, ''that'' may be analyzed either as a [[relative pronoun]] or as a conjunction as in the first case; see [[English relative clauses#That as relativizer instead of relative pronoun|English relative clauses: ''That'' as relativizer instead of relative pronoun]]. (In American and Canadian English, ''that'' is used this way only if the verb could affect the subsequent noun, e.g. one would say "The test she took was hard" but would still say "I hate that dogs are messy" to avoid being misheard as having said "I hate dogs.")
 * as a [[demonstrative]] pronoun ("That was hard.") (plural: ''those'')
 * as a [[demonstrative]] adjective ("That test was hard.") (plural: ''those'')
@@ Line 13: / Line 14: @@
 In the first two uses the word is usually pronounced weakly, as {{IPA|/ðət/}}, whereas in the other uses it is pronounced {{IPA|/ðæt/}}.
-In the [[Old English language]] ''that'' was spelled ''þæt''. It was also abbreviated as a letter Thorn, ''[[þ]]'', with the ascender crossed, ''[[ꝥ]]'' ( [[File:OE thaet.png|OE thaet.png]] ). In [[Middle English]], the letter Ash, ''[[æ]]'', was replaced with the letter ''a'', so that ''that'' was spelled ''þat'', or sometimes ''þet''. The ascender of the ''þ'' was reduced (making it similar to the Old English letter [[Wynn]], ƿ), which necessitated writing a small ''t'' above the letter to abbreviate the word ''that'' ( [[File:ME that.png|ME that.png]] ). In later [[Middle English]] and [[Early Modern English]] the ''þ'' evolved into a ''y'' shape, so that the word was spelled ''yat'' (although the spelling with a ''th'' replacing the ''þ'' was starting to become more popular) and the abbreviation for ''that'' was a ''y'' with a small ''t'' above it ( [[File:EME that.svg]] ). This abbreviation can still be seen in reprints of the 1611 edition of the [[King James Version of the Bible]] in places such as 2 Corinthians 13:7.
+In the [[Old English language]] ''that'' was spelled ''þæt''. It was also abbreviated as a letter Thorn, ''[[þ]]'', with the ascender crossed, ''[[ꝥ]]'' ( [[File:OE thaet.png|OE thaet.png]] ). In [[Middle English]], the letter Ash, ''[[æ]]'', was replaced with the letter ''a'', so that ''that'' was spelled ''þat'', or sometimes ''þet''. The ascender of the ''þ'' was reduced (making it similar to the Old English letter [[Wynn]], ƿ), which necessitated writing a small ''t'' above the letter to abbreviate the word ''that'' ( [[File:ME that.png|ME that.png]] ). In later [[Middle English]] and [[Early Modern English]] the ''þ'' evolved into a ''y'' shape, so that the word was spelled ''yat'' (although the spelling with a ''th'' replacing the ''þ'' was starting to become more popular) and the abbreviation for ''that'' was a ''y'' with a small ''t'' above it ( [[File:EME that.svg]] ). This abbreviation can still be seen in reprints of the 1611 edition of the [[King James Version of the Bible]] in places such as II Corinthians 13:7.
 ''That'' is often omitted when used to introduce a subordinate clause—''"He told me '''that''' it is a good read."'' could just as easily be ''"He told me it is a good read."''
 ==Usage note==
-The word "that" is in the formation of the restrictive relative clause, especially one identification. These words are used to modify an adjective, a noun, and a pronoun, for a specify information about things, subject and object, if replaced by '''It'''.<ref>https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/that</ref> (e.g.: -s The one that works well, -ed The one that worked well.)
+<!-- Remnants of vandalism? (Heading is note [singular], and ref for the entire article except these two "sentences" is oxford vice merriam.)
-Also, the word "that" is used in subordinate conjunctions describing a person or people. In demonstrative, "that" is singular, and "those" is plural; e.g. "That is the bat" (singular), and  "Those are the bats" (plural).
+The word ''that'' is in the formation of the restrictive relative clause, especially one identification. These words are used to modify an adjective, a noun, and a pronoun, for a specify information about things, subject and object, if replaced by '''It'''.<ref>https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/that</ref> (e.g.: -s The one that works well, -ed The one that worked well.) Also, t -->
+The word ''that'' is used in subordinate conjunctions describing a person or people. In demonstrative, ''that'' is singular, and "those" is plural; e.g. "That is the bat" (singular), and "Those are the bats" (plural).
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
 ==See also==
 * [[Dependent statement]]
 * [[That's (disambiguation)]]