Scott,

    Structurally, it has more in common with a noun clause than it does
with an adverb clause or relative clause. The "that" is not acting
like a relative pronoun; I know Herb will say that's true in relative
clauses as well, but here there's not even a possibility of that. The
"that" just marks the clause as a complement. My solution would be to
call it a complement rather than a modifier.
   Here are a few somewhat parallel sentences that show these clauses in
noun clause slots and then adjective complement slots.
    I hope that you will be here. I'm hopeful that you will be here.
    I fear that you will be hear. I am afraid that you will be here.
This means that some clauses often thought of as relative might be better
thought of as appositional.  (My fear that you will be here.)>
   Note that infinitives often act as complements in the same slot. "I am
happy to be here. I'm sad to see you go."
   That's how I would explain it to you; I'm not sure how carefully to
make that distinction for students. If your students know the
difference between a complement and a modifier, it wouldn't be hard. If
that distinction is worth making, it's worth expanding out. Otherwise,
you may be risking confusion.

Craig

Quirk et al call it a that-clause modifying an adjective.  I always have
> a hard time calling clauses that begin with 'that' adverb clauses, but
> then I'm stuck for a name.  A friend of mine just calls them subordinate
> clauses.
>
>
>
> Janet Castilleja
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Scott Woods
> Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 8:30 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: What kind of clause is this?
>
>
>
> What kind of clause is the underlined part below?  I think it is an
> adverbial clause modifying happy.  Is this reasonable? Are there other
> reasonable analyses?
>
>
>
> The boy was very happy that his mother did not see him being such a pig.
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Scott Woods
>
>
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