We Need to Talk about THAT

So here's a mistake that drives me CRAZY, mostly because I can't seem to keep it out of my own work, no matter how hard I try. A lot of beginning writers (like me) use the word that way more than they need to in their writing. The good news is, it's really easy to edit out. Let's look at a few examples.

1. I said that Hamilton was my favorite kitten.

Now even though the that used above isn't technically wrong in a grammatical sense (at least I don't think so), it's completely unnecessary. You can write the sentence just as easily like this.

I said Hamilton was my favorite kitten.

In fact, this is the rule I usually try to follow in my own writing. Through the editing process, if I come across a sentence containing that, and it sounds the same after removing that, I probably don't need it.

Again, I don't think using that is grammatically incorrect, but it does make for a smoother read to remove unnecessary thats.

Perhaps the greatest of all that blunders which never fails to drive me up the grammatical wall is the ever unnecessary that that. "What could be so bad about a double that?" you ask. Well, let's look at another example sentence, shall we?

2. Emma said that that was the worst idea she had ever heard.

I think I felt my writer's soul shrivel a little when I typed that sentence. It's just SOOOO sloppy and unnecessary. And, we don't even know what that Emma is referring to. Not only does your writing sound sloppy, your reader might get confused trying to decipher this sentence. It would be better to take out at least one that and give your reader a little more detail about what you're saying. Maybe like this...

Emma said stealing the neighbor's poodle was the worst idea she had ever heard.

Does anybody else struggle with this or notice it in their favorite reading material? How do you remind yourself to stay clear of unneeded thats the FIRST time around? Let me know in the comments!

Also, if you're looking for a more detailed explanation of the simplified version I just wrote, try this website. Or, if you're looking for an EVEN MORE detailed article on the do's and don'ts of that usage, try this website. Enjoy!