Hi friends,

i have to answer a question for syntax. But i really do not know what
is the different between the "that" in following sentences. The only
thing which i have notice is that in a) the word students is in plural
and in b) the word student is in singular.And i have drawn a tree but
can not copy it here.
The question is:

Discuss the status of the word "that" in each of the following two
sentences. Explain the differences between the two sentences. If you
assign a differnt category status to "that" in each sentence, explain
why. Draw the tree(use X-bar theory) for each of the sentences.

a) Robert thinks that students should eat asparagus.
b) Robert thinks that student should eat asparagus.

If would be really nice i someone can help me. It would be an
advantage for me if someone can answer in German. But that is not 
necessary in English is also ok. By the way the tree is not so
important cuz i got it.

Not a Google Answers specialist but an English teacher...so I guess
this response is free because this is only a comment and not an
official Google Answer.

In the first sentence, it is implied that Robert thinks that ALL
students (generally and regardless of who they specifically are)
should eat asparagus. But the second example is specific. Robert
thinks THAT student (as if pointing to a student to single them out)
should eat Asparagus. The first is general, the second is specific.

I won't bore you with grammatical definitions because the Google
person will do that as it is their job. 'That' is a crazy word. Look
it up in Google by typing in "Definition of that" (in quotation
marks). The best are the second and third results.

IN the first sentence, "that" is a conjunction;
in the the second, "that" is a definitive article.

If I am wrong, then we will both know better :)

OH, I jumped on the comment button before I read the last sentence of
the question.

Bitte schön:  Im ersten Satz ist "that" ein Konjunktiv:  German, "daß".
              Im zweiten, "that" ist ein starker, hinweisender Artikel:

German:  "jener Student" oder "d e r  Student" if you are old enough
to remember using "Spreitzen" to add emphasis.

I hope that helps, Myoarin

"That" is used as a Demonstrative Adjective in the second sentence,
not as Definite Article. The Definite Article in English is "the," and
it singles out something, while "that" is demonstrative, and points
out something mentally.

hlabadie-ga