THAT

[eatlasagna]

THAT#1

Posted: 6/18/10 at 4:37pm

So I'm back in school and I've been writing a lot of papers over the past year and I've been good about correcting the first draft. I used to be bad and just turn the paper in as is but I'm being good about it. Anyway... I've always taught myself trim the fat from my papers because I always tend to write impersonal in the first draft and I've noticed the one thing that I keep deleting is the word "that." For example..

"it is the best kind of help that you can give"
"they mention that if you wanted to go.."

I have a lot of sentences that use "that." Just to be sure, am I correct in wanting to remove it from the sentences? Is it too wordy to keep it in?

The worst part, I was an English major and I still don't know! haha

[dramamama611]

THAT#2

Posted: 6/19/10 at 1:20am

There are times when you NEED the word to clarify the sentence...but often it IS unnecessary. But unnecessary and WRONG are two different things.

ANY time you notice common words too often in your writing is probably a sign you are over using it.

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

[singtopher]

THAT#2

Posted: 6/19/10 at 4:44pm

My father, a college professor, always told me to avoid using "it." "That," I have found, falls under the same category. The word is too unspecific most of the time.

"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." -Stephen Colbert

[Mister Matt]

THAT#3

Posted: 6/22/10 at 1:54pm

In the two examples you chose, it appears the word "that" can be omitted entirely, but it's very difficult to tell out of context.

For example, the above sentence could read:

In the two examples that you chose, it appears that the word "that" can be omitted entirely, but it's very difficult to tell that out of context.

Three cases where "that" is understood, but not required for clarification. Try deleting some of them to see if the sentence still makes sense.

"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

Updated On: 6/22/10 at 01:54 PM

[madbrian]

THAT#4

Posted: 6/22/10 at 1:57pm

Agree that 'that' is overused. Another oversued and misused work is 'myself'.

"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson