Syntactic, Semantic, and Pragmatic Influences on that-Deletion in English：A Corpus-Based Study Using COCA

Abstract

This study examines the phenomenon of that-deletion in English complement clauses through a multifactorial analysis grounded in corpus data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). While previous accounts have attributed that-deletion primarily to syntactic configurations or semantic properties of matrix verbs, such explanations often fail to predict the full range of variation observed in natural discourse. Integrating Kiparsky and Kiparsky’s theory of factivity, Hooper’s classification of assertive predicates, and Dor’s framework of epistemic assertion, this study argues that that-deletion is not governed solely by grammatical constraints, but is shaped by the interaction of syntactic structure, verb semantics, speaker stance, and discourse context. The results demonstrate that although assertive predicates such as think and claim typically permit that-omission, and factive predicates such as know and realize favor that-retention, these tendencies are mediated by pragmatic factors including register, informational emphasis, and the degree of shared knowledge. By illustrating how structural and contextual variables jointly influence complementizer realization, the study offers a more comprehensive account of that-deletion and highlights the importance of discourse-sensitive approaches in both linguistic theory and pedagogical practice.