Inner Sentence / Embedded Thought
Which thought is placed inside another?
含义
A clause or proposition used inside another sentence as an object, reason, description, condition, or reported thought.
如何识别
Find the smaller sentence that is packaged inside the larger one.
示例
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...]
语言视角
用母语深入讲解
Embedded thoughts and relative-like modifiers are common; relative clauses and many modifiers usually come before the noun and use 的 de.
我知道你很忙。
wǒ zhīdào nǐ hěn máng = I know you very busy
在所学语言中
英语常把想法、转述内容、问题或补充说明放进一个更大的句子里。
I know that she is right.
that she is right 是放在 know 里面的想法，说明“我知道”的内容。
学习者常在嵌入式问题中误用词序，或不知道什么时候该用 that、什么时候可以省略。
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.