data from Israel show that that protection gradually declines

[GoodTaste]

Waning COVID super-immunity raises questions about Omicron
The pairing of SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination against it confers powerful protection, but data from Israel show that that protection gradually declines.

Source: Nature

What is the nuance between "show that that protection" and "show that the protection"?
The former uses two thats in a row and probably fares a bit more in folk tunes. I am not sure. My English sense is still not that sharp.

 

[emsr2d2]

Waning - COVID super-immunity raises questions about Omicron
The pairing of SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination against it confers powerful protection, but data from Israel show that that protection gradually declines.

Source: Nature

What is the nuance between "show that that protection" and "show that the protection"?
The former uses two "that"s in a row and probably fares a bit more in folk tunes. I am not sure. My sense of natural English sense is still not that sharp.

The second "that" is needed to refer specifically back to the protection that has already been mentioned. I'd leave it as it is.

I have no idea what you mean by the part I've underlined and changed to blue above.

 

[GoodTaste]

The second "that" is needed to refer specifically back to the protection that has already been mentioned. I'd leave it as it is.

What is not clear to me is that "the (protection)" also refers specifically back to the protection that has already been mentioned.
So my question is: What is the difference/nuance between "show that that protection" and "show that the protection"?

 

[Tdol]

That protection refers to specific protection, which is what is being talked about.

 

[GoodTaste]

That protection refers to specific protection, which is what is being talked about.

Did you mean "that protection" is more specific than "the protection"?

 

[JacquesL1892]

I too think so.

Not a teacher.

Edited by Rover to add 'Not a teacher'.

 

[jutfrank]

You're asking a very difficult but general question about the difference in reference expressed by definite articles (the) and demonstratives that.

This is an extremely difficult thing to understand in depth, but if you want to understand it in the simplest possible way, I think it's reasonable to say that that is more specific than the, yes. Of course, for that to make sense, you have to know what 'more specific' means.

 

[Tdol]

Did you mean "that protection" is more specific than "the protection"?

Yes- they are referring to the protection provided by infection and vaccination. I've been vaccinated, but not, as far as I know, infected- my protection is different.