THAT meaning: 1 : used to indicate which person, thing, fact, or idea is being shown, pointed to, or mentioned; 2 : used to refer to a time, action, or event that was just mentioned That definition: Used to indicate the farther or less immediate one. That - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary That can be used to introduce subordinate clauses, but in most cases can just as easily be omitted: one can say either “he told me that it’s a good read” (in which case the second clause is a “ that clause”) or “he told me it’s a good read” (in which case the second clause is a “bare clause”). Generally speaking, the omission of that imparts an informal or conversational feel. In a few such patterns, that is mandatory; for example, in the archaic sense of "in order that ...
