can I put 'that+adverb" before "a + noun"?
I read an article below. Can I put "that" anytime before any adjective?
e.g. it's not that funny a speech.
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title: A Big Deal or Big a Deal?
https://www.italki.com/question/212924
Question: "It is not a big deal" is what I learned in school, but in American TV serials "it is not big a deal" appeared many times. So I wonder is the later one grammatically correct? Is it commonly used in daily life?
Answer: The second one is correct if you add "that" to it: "It's not that big a deal"
There's actually an old article on the Examiner website about it. The phrase that is incorrect it "not that big OF a deal" http://www.examiner.com/article/how-big-a-deal-is-that-big-of-a-deal
In terms of use, I'm more likely to say "it's not a big deal" unless I really wanted to emphasize the point, when I'd say "it's not THAT big a deal"
Search from various English teachers...
Corrections · 2
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Thank you for answering Jamie. I get it! Have a nice day :)
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Hi Yoshi. Sounds like an interesting article. Some common English phrases that use this structure would be "It's not that big of a deal;" "it's not that bad;" "it's not that hot/cold today;" "it's not that hard/easy;" etc. You typically use it when you disagree with someone, but it can come off harsh and dismissive of someone else's feelings if used too abrasively. Hope that helps :-)
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