Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Jessica1651]

Dear teachers:
Last week I learned two sentences:
"It's all right."
"That's all right."
Would you please tell me what's the difference between these two sentences? Thanks a lot!!

Best wishes,
Jessica

[redset]

They basically mean the same thing - all right means ok/acceptable/good enough, or not a problem. You use it and that in the usual way: it means 'the thing we're talking about' (you both know what it is referring to), and that means something else ('that over there') or it's used for emphasis and contrast ('Really? That is amazing!').

'You like your new guitar?' "Yeah it's all right" (We're talking about the guitar)
"What do you think of this painting?" 'Not much, that's all right though' (I don't like the painting we're talking about, but the one I'm pointing at is ok)
"Try my soup!" 'That's all right.' (Maybe it's better than the others, or better than expected. Sometimes people say it as a form of understatement too, actually meaning "now that is pretty good!")

That is a relative pronoun too. Basically, they work the way they usually work


We also use it for informal polite refusal - saying 'that's all right' to say 'no thank you'.

"Can I get you some coffee?" 'That's all right.' (No thank you, I'm fine)


"It's all right" is often used to comfort someone, as in "don't worry, things are ok". You wouldn't use that's in this situation, but you could say it in the "that thing you just said isn't a problem" sense.

'Wahhhhhhhhh!!!!'
"It's all right... what happened?"
'I forgot to buy the cake!'
"That's all right, we can go get one right now."