demonic_harmonic

I felt the need to post this due to the misuse of the word 'that' I have been seeing very often.


'That' is commonly mis/overused. It is actually very simple to use this word in the correct way.

'That' is used to combine two seperate ideas. If your sentence flows neatly without the use of the word, then take it out. It usually sounds much better. Watch:


She told me that she had to go to the store.

Versus:

She told me she had to go to the store.


See? Here's another one.


Charlie was afraid that his boss would fire him for his mistake.

Versus:

Charlie was afraid his boss would fire him for his mistake.


And now one more, to see complete overuse:


She said that she had to go home so that her mother wouldn't say that she was being defiant.


Versus:


She said she had to go home so her mother wouldn't say she was being defiant.


You may, however, use 'that' in these ways:


That was the wrong thing to do.


What was that?


It had been twenty years since that fateful day.


How was that pie?


You may break the rules, though, if someone is talking, but try not to over do it. For example, a normal person does not know how to use 'that' correctly, and even if they do, will throw it into sentences anyway, just because it is basic nature to do so.


Example:


Mitch shrugged. "I told him that he should have met me there before hand."


But remember, if you want Mitch to sound either more mature and educated, or you want the line to be more dramatic:


"I told him he should have met me there before hand."


And...


that... is... that.

crzywriter

*bows head*

hi, my name is crzy, and i suffer from overuse of the word 'that'. nice to meet all of you...

feel like i'm at some AA meeting or something. seriously, there should be a help group for people like this.

~Crzy

mammamaia

a major bugaboo of mine!... if i had a dime for every 'that' that i had to order taken out of mentees' writing, i'd be a jillionaire by now...

and, yeah, i stuck that one in on purpose!

hugs, maia

__________________
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demonic_harmonic

LOL. i almost thought i was going to have to e-slap you.

valeca

LMAO @ e-slap!

__________________
"...make your own nature, not the advice of others, your guide in life." --Pythia, Oracle of Apollo at Delphi

I'm here.

demonic_harmonic

I was reading the 4th book in A Series of Unforuntate Events today, and I keep cringing whenever the writer uses the word 'that' when it doesn't need to be used. I found it twice in one sentence at one point.


And THAT makes me wonder.


These people have editors, do they not? Why are the editors getting paid so much to do something I could do better?

Scratches

Is that really grammatically incorrect? I mean, it's correct in French as taught by our crappy textbooks, e.g. "Je pense que c'est une livre fantastique," ("I think that it's a fantastic book.") I was almost sure it was entirely up to the writer as to which to use for most fluidity.

I mean, in some sentences it just sounds right. Not that I can think of an example. (Blast.)

I'm not sure about this. I'll have to snoop around. You'll probably end up being right.

__________________

Never get so attached to a poem
you forget truth that lacks lyricism
and never draw so close to the heat
that you forget that you must eat
- En Gallop, Joanna Newsom

demonic_harmonic

It is gramatically incorrect, though most people don't know it is.


It WILL make a sentence weaker if it does not need to be used. I physically cringe when I read over sentences where it is included and weakens the line.


"She had told me that she didn't love me anymore."

"She told me she didn't love me anymore."


There ARE cases where it is gramatically incorrect, but WOULD sound odd to take it out, though these cases are pretty rare. Trust me. Go through a book and try to take out some of the unneeded 'that's. See how the line sounds afterwards.

demonic_harmonic

Ah, here, an example where it is CORRECT to use it:


There had been many incidences before that dreadful day where Marsha could feel something terrible was bound to happen.

Scratches

Demonic - Sling some proof at me? An abstract Wikipedia reference or something?

__________________

Never get so attached to a poem
you forget truth that lacks lyricism
and never draw so close to the heat
that you forget that you must eat
- En Gallop, Joanna Newsom

demonic_harmonic

I actually have no idea how to use Wikipedia, so I'm afraid THAT won't work.


What I learned is from quite a few English professors and texts on correct grammer. And, of course, from testing the theory out.

Scratches

I have never felt this utterly humbled by grammatical pedantry.

I should just go sacrifice myself now.

It's going to take a long time and many clicks in the "Find/Change" window to rehabilitate me.

__________________

Never get so attached to a poem
you forget truth that lacks lyricism
and never draw so close to the heat
that you forget that you must eat
- En Gallop, Joanna Newsom

demonic_harmonic

i'm actually not sure if you are being sarcastic or honest. hehe.


well, whatever it is, so be it.


and i know the feeling of find/change. it's a very useful tool, though sometimes takes forever to get through.

Scratches

Honest. I'll shut up now.

__________________

Never get so attached to a poem
you forget truth that lacks lyricism
and never draw so close to the heat
that you forget that you must eat
- En Gallop, Joanna Newsom

demonic_harmonic

you don't have to shut up.


i was going to give a reason why, but i can't make it out into words. it was something like 'oh i like you because you actually took advice' or 'well hey you're interesting' or something... but... durr...