Function of that in this sentence

Question

Now that your baby can roll over independently, dont’t be alarmed if you put her to sleep on her back...

In this sentence is that the demonstrative determiner or some kind of pronoun?

Because if it is not the determiner, I would start this sentence Now, when your baby...

that can introduce a clause expressing a fact and thus the clause can function nominally. Consider the following sentence where the that-clause is subject of the verb indicates: "{That your baby can roll over at this age} indicates normal physical development." With now, as in now that..., it can be paraphrased woodenly "Given the current fact that {...} " — Tᴚoɯɐuo, Oct 1 '17 at 14:10
In your example, "that" belongs to the category (part of speech) 'subordinator', and its function is 'marker'. "Now" is one of a number of prepositions that license expandable content clauses -- the kind where "that" can be optionally added. — BillJ, Oct 1 '17 at 15:55

Zulkanien · Accepted Answer · 2017-10-01 11:15:06Z

4

I would say it's a subordinator (or subordinating conjuction) heading the subordinate clause *that your baby roll... *. It's part of the idiom 'now (that)' (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/now-that).

answered Oct 1 '17 at 11:15

Zulkanien

1362 bronze badges

Add a comment |

1 Answer 1