Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hiromichi]

Is " that the man might try to lure Americans into a trap," isolated from other parts?


But the C.I.A. officer did not tell his bosses of the suspicions � brought to the Americans by a Jordanian intelligence officer � that the man might try to lure Americans into a trap, according to the recently completed investigation by the agency.
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Hiromichi

[Lorikeet]

[hiromichi]

Now I see that 'that clause' modifies 'the suspicions'. I should have noticed it. Thank you.
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Hiromichi

[rice07]

[hiromichi]

ice07:
tell+indirect object+direct object.
The above is your analysis. In this case "indirect object" is "his bosses of the suspicions" and direct object is "that clause". What does "his bosses of the suspicions"mean?
In my analysis is "tell+direct object+of+the suspicions that,,,,.
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Hiromichi

[rice07]

Well, why I said "that the man might try to lure Americans into a trap, according to the recently completed investigation by the agency" was a NOUN CLAUSE but NOT a RELATIVE CLAUSE. That can be confirmed by telling "that" a conjunction, not a RP, in the clause, from the structure of that clause.

As for your question- What does "his bosses of the suspicions"mean?

I'd say:


But the C.I.A. officer did not tell his bosses(= the bosses of the C.I.A. officer) TWO THINGS:

1.of(= [synonym] about) the suspicions which were brought to the Americans by a Jordanian intelligence officer= of the suspicions brought to the Americans by a Jordanian intelligence officer
Example sentence:

Rumours of[(synonym) about] his infidelity filled the newspapers.

Sentence Pattern Examples:

to tell somebody about something
to tell somebody something

2.that the man might try to lure Americans into a trap, according to the recently completed investigation by the agency


How to judge a "THAT CLAUSE"? A noun clause? Or a relative one? "That" doing what function in that THAT CLAUSE is the key to tell.

PS: Sometimes THAT CLAUSE can also be srvered as an ADVERBIAL CLAUSE in a sentence. Like:

Christ died, that we might live.

[rice07]