judgmentsthat

Judgmentsthat is not a defined term in philosophy or linguistics; rather, it is the written sequence of words that results when a speaker or writer uses the phrase judgments that to introduce a subordinate clause describing a particular assessment, belief, or evaluation. In ordinary usage, the construction functions to specify which judgments are being referred to and to present the content of those judgments as propositions.

In English grammar, that-clause complements commonly follow verbs of thinking, believing, judging, claiming, and reporting. Examples include: I believe that the proposal will succeed, she judged that the evidence was insufficient, and the committee reported that the terms were acceptable. The that clause can often be omitted in informal contexts: I believe the proposal will succeed. The use of that clarifies the content of the judgment and helps distinguish the judgment from other sentences about the same subject.

Semantically, judgments introduced by that-clauses express propositional content that can be true or false and may be hedged or qualified by adverbs and adjectives (e.g., apparently, clearly, likely). The construction is central to discourse when recounting opinions, diagnoses, decisions, or rulings. In philosophy and logic, judgments are analyzed as mental or assertoric acts, and that-clauses are the linguistic vehicles for their content.

Usage notes include awareness that that-clauses can affect perceived objectivity, especially in evaluative or persuasive writing. Overreliance on hedges or excessive qualification can undermine clarity. See also complement clause, reported speech, and propositional attitude verbs.