Different types of adjectives describe nouns or noun equivalents in their own way. Let us check if the word “that” can perform the role of an adjective or not.
The word “that” is an important adjective that can be termed a “demonstrative adjective” as it refers to a particular placement of a noun or noun equivalent. A noun or noun equivalent must be in “singular number” to be referred to by the demonstrative adjective “that”.
Now we will have a clear idea of three facts related to the use of the word “that”.
When is “that” considered as adjective?
We can consider a word an “adjective” when it is used to modify any noun or noun equivalent. Let us check the situations where the word “that” performs as an “adjective”.
The word “that” performs the role of an adjective when it faces any of the below-listed situations.
| Situations where “that “can be used as an “adjective” | Example | Explanation |
| 1. The word “that” becomes an adjective when it shows the “relative position” of a noun or noun equivalent. | I am going to the hotel on the next street as that hotel is the best in this tourist place. | The word “that” can be certainly termed as an “adjective” as it refers to the position of the noun “hotel”. |
| 2. The word “that” becomes an adjective when it shows the “relative time” of a noun or noun equivalent. | I will wait for you at six o’clock in the evening. Please make yourself available at that time. | The word “that” can be certainly termed as an “adjective” as it refers to a “relative time”. |
| 3. The word “that” becomes an adjective when it indicates a noun or noun equivalent far away. | Can you see that boat in the mid-river? | The word “that” is in use to refer to the position of the noun “boat,” which is situated far away. |
| 4. The word “that” becomes an adjective when it indicates “moments” of a specific noun or noun equivalent. | I still remember that day when I bought a camera with my own money. | The word “that” is in use to refer to a “specific moment” when the speaker bought a camera. |
| 5. The word “that” becomes an adjective when it indicates a singular noun or noun equivalent. | You can see lots of frocks in the shop. Please bring that red-colored frock to the last row. | The adjective “that” can certainly be termed an “adjective” as it refers to a single noun, “red-colored frock.” |
Is “that” a demonstrative adjective?
There are a total of four demonstrative adjectives in the English language. Let us check if the word “that” comes under the group of “demonstrative adjectives” or not.
The word “that” comes under the group of “demonstrative adjectives” when it refers/indicates or demonstrates “time” and “position” of any noun or noun equivalent. Now we will learn when and how we can use the demonstrative adjective “that.”
When to use the demonstrative adjective “that”?
We can use the demonstrative adjective “that” when we need to refer to the relative position or time of any singular noun or noun equivalent that is far away from us in both aspects of place and time.
Example: My father gifted me a manual watch for my birthday. I still remember that moment of pure happiness.
Explanation:
The word “that” can certainly be termed as a “demonstrative adjective,” as it demonstrates a specific moment when the speaker received a manual watch from his or her father on her birthday.
How to use the demonstrative adjective “that”?
We can use the demonstrative adjective “that” in such a way that we must place the “that” in front of the specific noun, noun equivalent, or noun phrase to which the demonstrative adjective “that” refers.
Example: Can you find that car at the end of the row?
Explanation:
The demonstrative adjective “that” is in use to refer to the position of the noun “car,” which is situated at the end of the row.
When is “that” not considered as adjective?
The word “that” plays the role of two types of parts of speech. Let us check the role that the word “that” plays, except for being an adjective.
The word “that” can not be considered an “adjective” when it plays the role of a “relative pronoun” by replacing any type of noun or noun equivalent. Let us check when the word “that” plays the role of a “relative pronoun”.
| Concept of “that” as a relative pronoun | Example | Explanation |
| We can connect clauses with the help of the relative pronoun “that”. We must make a note that the relative pronoun “that” in a sentence can be replaced by “who” or “which”. | I sold the wooden furniture that my father bought from a second-hand market. | The word “that” can certainly be marked as a “relative pronoun” as it connects the clause “my father bought from the second-hand market” to the main clause “I sold the wooden furniture” to provide information about the object “furniture”. |
Conclusion:
We must not be confused about the uses of the demonstrative adjectives “this” and “that” as both of them are used to refer to a singular noun or noun equivalent. The demonstrative adjective “that” refers to a noun or noun equivalent in the distance, whereas “this” refers to a noun or noun equivalent in the near.
Hey! I am Arpita Bose Roy. My qualifications are M.A. in English with B. Ed. in both general education and special education. I have 2 years of experience as a “language analyst” at IIT Kharagpur and 4 years of experience as an “Academic Content Developer” at IIT Kharagpur. Currently, I am working as an academic writer at Lambdageeks.