Usage of "THAT" in OG question

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ankit0703: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 51; Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:20 am; Thanked: 7 times

by ankit0703 » Fri Oct 19, 2012 10:42 pm

As a result of a supernova explosion, every human being on Earth was bombarded on February 23, 1987, by about 100 billion neutrinos; fortunately, neutrinos are harmless elementary particles that are produced in nuclear reactions and that interact very weakly with matter.

As far as I understand "that" in the above sentence refer to particles, which is plural.

Isn't "that" is a singular pronoun?

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Source: Beat The GMAT — Sentence Correction | Fri Oct 19, 2012 10:42 pm

ivyctor2010: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 254; Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2012 9:42 amFollowed by: 13 members; Thanked: 46 times; GMAT Score:740

by ivyctor2010 » Fri Oct 19, 2012 11:16 pm

I think the dilemma here would have been to use "that" or "which" and "that" is right usage here as is limits the focus to neutrinos. Here author does not simply wish to add information about neutrinos but is giving focussed information about them.

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ankit0703: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 51; Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:20 am; Thanked: 7 times

by ankit0703 » Sat Oct 20, 2012 12:34 am

ivyctor2010 wrote:I think the dilemma here would have been to use "that" or "which" and "that" is right usage here as is limits the focus to neutrinos. Here author does not simply wish to add information about neutrinos but is giving focussed information about them.

Thanks for your valuable reply but my question is :

Isn't "that" is a singular pronoun?

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anuprajan5: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 279; Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2012 10:56 pmFollowed by: 10 members; Thanked: 60 times

by anuprajan5 » Sat Oct 20, 2012 1:36 am

Ankit,

that is not a singular or plural pronoun.

Example

I read an article that referred back to a particular controvery.
She read a number of articles that were controversial.

Regards
Anup

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Kasia@EconomistGMAT: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 646; Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 7:08 amFollowed by: 143 members; Thanked: 322 times

by Kasia@EconomistGMAT » Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:29 am

"That" has more than one meaning. The one that you are referring to is when it is used as an adjective:
e.g. Was it THAT man who was shooting?
You are right that it can be used to modify only singular nouns.

However, in the sentence "As a result of a supernova explosion, every human being on Earth was bombarded on February 23, 1987, by about 100 billion neutrinos; fortunately, neutrinos are harmless elementary particles that are produced in nuclear reactions and that interact very weakly with matter." "that" acts as a function word introducing a relative clause modifying "neutrinos." When used for such a purpose, "that" can modify both singular and plural nouns.

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