‘That’ is very common in day to day English and can be used in different ways.
As a determiner
That’s my mother.
Please can you pass me that book.
I know that man.
We can use ‘that’ to denote that something is not close to the speaker. We use this for something that is close to the speaker.
Thanks for passing me this one but I prefer that one.
Could I have a look at that one please?
We use that to talk about moments in time
That was a great holiday.
They enjoyed that day.
In a clause
We knew that we had to leave.
They thought that we would be late.
To compliment a noun or adjective
I did not want to know that the populists were making gains.
It is hoped that the weather will improve.
As a relative pronoun
The student introduced me to his friend that he was speaking about. (that = who)
My colleagues shared with me the material that they were reading. (that = which)
As subject of a sentence
Oh my god, that is so hard to accept.
That my friend, is good to hear!
After adjectives
They will be ‘over the moon’ that you got a job.
She is angry that they will not back her wonderful idea.
Relative clauses
We use that as an object when using relative clauses.
We use relative clauses to connect or identify the noun that precedes them:
It was her that said that she likes a more holistic approach. (that connects the person with what was said)
This is the building that the built with the grant. (defines the building as existing because of the grant)
This is the excuse that the government gave. (explains the excuse given)
____
Now it’s your turn!
Can you think think of someone who said something interesting? What did they say?
Can you think of something that happened, but nobody knew at the time who did it?