THATD YAML source
code: THATD
biber_number: N60
xiao_number: N102
mfte_code: THATD
name: That deletion
definition: >-
Omission of subordinator "that" where it could appear (e.g., "I know [that] he
left").
normalization: finite_verbs
detection:
- requires:
- pos
- dep
semgrex: '{pos:/VB.*/}=verb >ccomp {}=comp'
description: >-
Verb with ccomp dependent where no "that" token intervenes. Requires
post-filter: check that no token with word "that" appears between verb
and complement clause head.
caveat: >-
One of the harder features to detect automatically. False positives from
direct speech complements. Semgrex finds candidates; post-filter needed
to confirm "that" is absent.
- requires:
- llm
description: >-
Prompt LLM to identify verb complement clauses where "that" has been omitted.
Provide sentence context and ask whether "that" could be inserted before a
clause.
- source: mfte
requires:
- lemma
- pos
words:
- accept
- acknowledge
- add
- admit
- affirm
- agree
- allege
- allow
- announce
- anticipate
- appear
- argue
- arrange
- ascertain
- ask
- assert
- beg
- believe
- bet
- boast
- calculate
- certify
- check
- claim
- command
- comment
- complain
- concede
- conclude
- confess
- confide
- confirm
- conjecture
- consider
- contend
- convey
- decide
- declare
- decree
- deduce
- deem
- demand
- demonstrate
- deny
- desire
- determine
- discern
- disclose
- discover
- doubt
- dream
- enjoin
- ensure
- entreat
- establish
- estimate
- exclaim
- expect
- explain
- fancy
- fear
- feel
- find
- forecast
- foresee
- foretell
- forget
- gather
- grant
- guarantee
- guess
- hear
- hint
- hold
- hope
- imagine
- imply
- indicate
- infer
- insist
- instruct
- insure
- intend
- judge
- know
- learn
- maintain
- mean
- mention
- move
- note
- notice
- object
- observe
- ordain
- order
- perceive
- pledge
- pray
- predict
- prefer
- presume
- presuppose
- pretend
- proclaim
- promise
- pronounce
- prophesy
- propose
- protest
- prove
- realise
- realize
- reason
- recall
- reckon
- recognise
- recognize
- recommend
- reflect
- remark
- remember
- repeat
- reply
- report
- request
- require
- resolve
- reveal
- rule
- see
- seem
- sense
- show
- signify
- state
- stipulate
- submit
- suggest
- suppose
- suspect
- swear
- testify
- think
- understand
- urge
- vote
- vow
- warn
- write
parts:
p1:
cql: '[lemma={words} & pos="VB.*"] [pos="DT|PRP|NN|NNS|NNP|NNPS"] [pos="MD|VB.*"]'
p2:
cql: '[lemma={words} & pos="VB.*"] [pos="JJ.*|RB.*|DT|CD|PRP|PRP\\$"] [pos="NN.*|CD"] [pos="MD|VB.*"]'
p3:
cql: '[lemma={words} & pos="VB.*"] [pos="JJ.*|RB.*|DT|CD|PRP|PRP\\$"] [pos="JJ.*"] [pos="NN.*"] [pos="MD|VB.*"]'
combine: "p1 | p2 | p3"
description: >-
MFTE that-deletion: public/private/suasive verb followed by a subject NP
and then a verb or modal, with no intervening "that" (lines 1028-1031).
Three patterns of increasing NP complexity: (1) verb + NP-head + verb,
(2) verb + modifier + NP-head + verb, (3) verb + modifier + adj + noun + verb.
POS-based positional matching (no dependency parsing needed).
- source: pybiber
requires:
- lemma
- pos
- upos
- dep
words:
- accept
- acknowledge
- add
- admit
- affirm
- agree
- allege
- allow
- announce
- anticipate
- appear
- argue
- arrange
- ascertain
- ask
- assert
- beg
- believe
- bet
- boast
- calculate
- certify
- check
- claim
- command
- comment
- complain
- concede
- conclude
- confess
- confide
- confirm
- conjecture
- consider
- contend
- convey
- decide
- declare
- decree
- deduce
- deem
- demand
- demonstrate
- deny
- desire
- determine
- discern
- disclose
- discover
- doubt
- dream
- enjoin
- ensure
- entreat
- establish
- estimate
- exclaim
- expect
- explain
- fancy
- fear
- feel
- find
- forecast
- foresee
- foretell
- forget
- gather
- grant
- guarantee
- guess
- hear
- hint
- hold
- hope
- imagine
- imply
- indicate
- infer
- insist
- instruct
- insure
- intend
- judge
- know
- learn
- maintain
- mean
- mention
- move
- note
- notice
- object
- observe
- ordain
- order
- perceive
- pledge
- pray
- predict
- prefer
- presume
- presuppose
- pretend
- proclaim
- promise
- pronounce
- prophesy
- propose
- protest
- prove
- realise
- realize
- reason
- recall
- reckon
- recognise
- recognize
- recommend
- reflect
- remark
- remember
- repeat
- reply
- report
- request
- require
- resolve
- reveal
- rule
- see
- seem
- sense
- show
- signify
- state
- stipulate
- submit
- suggest
- suppose
- suspect
- swear
- testify
- think
- understand
- urge
- vote
- vow
- warn
- write
parts:
p1:
cql: '[lemma={words} & upos="VERB"] [dep="nsubj" & pos!="WP"] [upos="VERB" & pos!="VBG"]'
p2:
cql: '[lemma={words} & upos="VERB"] [pos="DT"] [dep="nsubj"] [upos="VERB"]'
p3:
cql: '[lemma={words} & upos="VERB"] [pos="DT"] [dep="amod"] [dep="nsubj"] [upos="VERB"]'
combine: "p1 | p2 | p3"
description: >-
Three pybiber that-deletion patterns sharing the same verb matchlist:
(1) verb + nsubj + verb, (2) verb + DT + nsubj + verb,
(3) verb + DT + amod + nsubj + verb.
Uses `upos="VERB"` throughout to exclude auxiliaries (UPOS=AUX).
pybiber's verb_matchlist does not include "say" (unlike MFTE's list).
examples:
- text: I _thought_ he just meant our side.
source: le_foll_2024
- text: I _know_ that's not his thing.
source: le_foll_2024
- text: I _mean_ you'll do everything.
source: le_foll_2024
sources:
- biber_1988
- mfte
- pybiber
- xiao_2009
notes: Second-highest loading on D1. Strong involvement marker.