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I googled about usage and grammar of that. There are several usages First, as an objective. For example, I think that it is not a good idea. Second, as a subjective, such as That he choose to take a bus to work is not a good idea. Third, as an extension after an adjective, such as I am glad that he survived the situation. Forth, as an extension of it, such as it is a good idea that voting is compulsory in australia. Firth, the usage of so...that and such....that. I am so happy that he survived the storm. Voting is a good idea that everyone has a say.

However, my question is that can one use that after a noun to explain more?

For example, I am a fool that I lost my key and got myself locked outside my door. Voting is a good idea that everyone has a say.

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  • The subordinator "that" introduces relative clauses as well as content clauses (the default kind of finite subordinate clause that you have in mind). It's meaningless, serving simply as a marker of subordination, so it's neither subjective nor objective. Content clauses mostly function as complement of a verb, adjective, preposition or noun, where they expand the meaning of the item they complement. – BillJ May 9 '18 at 7:59
  • 'I am a fool that I lost my key' sounds as if it might have been acceptable in Shakespeare's day. 'I am a fool in that I lost my key' is grammatically acceptable but in a rarefied register (ie almost nobody would speak like this). – Edwin Ashworth May 9 '18 at 8:20
  • Thus you made a fool of yourself or became a fool. The 'that clause' is a delayed appositive of I. – mahmud k pukayoor May 9 '18 at 9:16
  • No, only noun phrases can be appositives. – BillJ May 9 '18 at 12:29
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In a comment, BillJ wrote:

The subordinator "that" introduces relative clauses as well as content clauses (the default kind of finite subordinate clause that you have in mind). It's meaningless, serving simply as a marker of subordination, so it's neither subjective nor objective. Content clauses mostly function as complement of a verb, adjective, preposition or noun, where they expand the meaning of the item they complement.

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