“That that that that writer used is unnecessary . . .” Many of my clients will tell you I have a thing about “thats.” Writers too often throw in a that for good measure, cluttering sentences with that word all too often. Much of the time you can take that that out.
Here are some instances where you can take that out:
I said that she could come over.
I hope that you will understand.
I want to tell you that I love you.
Use that when you want to set something apart from something else:
I want that donut—not the one with the sprinkles.
Not everything that glitters is gold.
If you take that out and the meaning is confusing, keep it in. But at least try reading your line without it to see if that that is really essential! That’s all folks!
