[Grammar] What language is it they're speaking

[kadioguy]

In OALD online:

speak verb

example sentence:
What language is it they're speaking?
-----

Hello, everyone.

In this example sentence, I don't know why it is followed by they're speaking.

How can the example sentence add they're speaking to What language is it?

There is no conjunction between them, is it?

Thanks!

 

[GoesStation]

The conjunction that is understood.

 

[kadioguy]

So, it would be:
What language is it that they're speaking?
or
What language is that they're speaking?

In the affirmative sentence:
It is the language that they're speaking.
or
That they're speaking is the language.

Is my understanding correct? Thanks.

 

[kadioguy]

What language is it that they're speaking? Yes
or
What language is that they're speaking? No


It is the language that they're speaking. Yes
or
That they're speaking is the language. No

I would call 'that' a relative pronoun.

I would think 'that' here is a conjunction, and is used to introduce a noun clause.

 

[kadioguy]

The antecedent of the relative pronoun 'that' is 'language'. It is possible (though not very elegant) to use 'which' in place of 'that'.

What language is that they're speaking? No

That they're speaking is the language. No

I would call 'that' a relative pronoun.

What language is the language that they're speaking?

What they're speaking is that language.

Is my understanding correct? Thanks.

 

[tzfujimino]

It is English (that) they're speaking.
What language is it (that) they're speaking?

The "It is ... that ..." construction is used here, basically:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv149.shtml

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/gra...cleft-sentences-it-was-in-june-we-got-married

I hope my response will be of some help to you.

 

[Rover_KE]

In OALD online:

speak verb

example sentence:
What language is it they're speaking?

The OALD online would have done us all a favour if the example sentence had been

'What language are they speaking?'