Inner Sentence / Embedded Thought
Which thought is placed inside another?
意味
A clause or proposition used inside another sentence as an object, reason, description, condition, or reported thought.
見分け方
Find the smaller sentence that is packaged inside the larger one.
例
that|who|which|to|because
I know that|the man who|the idea to leave
I know that you are busy.
Visual guide
LARGER MESSAGE
I know [that you are busy].
[INNER THOUGHT]
Bracketed thought = clause
inside another sentence.
Same inner thought, different packaging: that + clause: I know [that...] relative: man [who...] to-form: idea [to leave] reason: [because...]
言語別ビュー
母語の仕組み
Embedded clauses use patterns such as と, こと, の, and noun-modifying relative clauses before nouns.
あなたが忙しいことを知っています。
I know that you are busy.
学習言語では
English embeds thoughts, reports, questions, and relative information inside larger sentences.
I know that she is right.
that she is right = embedded thought
Learners may use wrong word order in embedded questions or over/underuse that.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.