Analyzing and Interpreting Literature / Unit 2 AIL 0113 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Relative Pronoun That Vanishes
Captions available
The idea
English lets a writer drop that or which. "The book I read" means the book that I read. In older writing the omission is commoner and the clause is longer, so the join between clauses can pass unnoticed and confuse the grammar.
In practice
A missing that, still a clause.
Where people slip
Two nouns touching may signal a join.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
Unlocks
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