choicesthat

Choicesthat is a linguistic term used to describe a class of sentences in which a speaker communicates a decision by selecting the content of a that-clause. The term combines choice and the complementizer that to signal that the clause content names the chosen option rather than stating a general fact. It is discussed in discourse analysis and syntax as a way to study how commitment, preference, and authority are constructed in everyday speech.

Etymology and scope: The word is a neologism formed by merging "choice" with the complementizer "that." It was coined in scholarly discussions to name this particular pattern of embedding a chosen option within a that-clause, allowing researchers to examine how speakers frame decisions and specify outcomes within sentences.

Usage and examples: Choicesthat constructions occur when a verb of choosing introduces a that-clause that specifies the selected option. For example: "We chose that she would lead the project." "The panel selected that the grant be renewed for another year." "I chose that they stay until the meeting ends." These constructions foreground the content of the decision, distinguishing them from more general statements about preference. Cross-linguistic variation exists, and in some languages or registers the same idea may be expressed by alternative forms such as different subordinating devices or modal structures.

Notes: The term choicesthat is primarily used in theoretical discussions of complement clauses and decision-making language. It is one of several labels scholars apply to examine how speakers encode commitment and selectivity in discourse, and it may be treated as a descriptive, not prescriptive, category.