The word “that” makes lots of people k-k-k-krazy.
“That” introduces a dependent clause, but only when it sounds right, which means, scarily, it’s a matter of how it sounds to you. There are no hard-and-fast rules, no absolutes. People hate that sort of thing. But it’s true. You’re more or less on your own when it comes to “that.”
“You will search books on English usage in vain for any uniform, much less helpful, guidance on the subject,” wrote Theodore Bernstein, former assistant managing editor of The New York Times, in his book Watch Your Language. Or, as Dr. Seuss put it, “You have brains in your head / You have feet in your shoes / You can steer yourself in any direction you choose / You're on your own / And you know what you know / You are the guy who'll decide where to go.”
That said, here are some things to consider:
- Don’t use “that” when a dependent clause immediately follows a form of the verb “to say,” as in “Wilhelmina said she was going to run Mode magazine.”
- Do use “that” when a time element follows the verb, as in “Wilhelmina said Thursday that she was going to run Mode magazine.” (“Thursday” is the time element. Without “that” the sentence could mean either that on Thursday Wilhelmina said she was going to run Mode, or on Thursday she would start to run Mode – an important difference that “that” clears up.)
- Do use “that” after verbs like advocate, assert, point out, and declare, as in “Henry asserted that his love for Betty was real."
- Do use “that” when the point of the sentence is at the end. “Justin found out the watch he bought on 57th Street and Madison Avenue wasn’t a real Rolex Cosmograph Daytona.” Is the point of the sentence that he bought a watch or that the watch he bought wasn’t a real Rolex Cosmograph Daytona? Hard to tell. Add “that,” though, and you know: “Justin found out that the watch he bought on 57th Street and Madison Avenue wasn’t a real Rolex Cosmograph Daytona.” Now you don’t have to plod through the whole sentence to learn that the watch not being a genuine Rolex Cosmograph Daytona was the point, not that he bought a watch in the first place.
AP Style says “When in doubt, include ‘that.’ Omission can hurt. Inclusion never does.” Sounds like good advice. |
What an excellent guide! I'm a "that" hater and always looking to take it out when I'm writing or editing. I know this post will be invaluable to me for a long time.
Posted by: Diana | October 27, 2007 at 03:10 PM
"Omission can hurt. Inclusion never does."
Good advice for a confusing situation, but I also like the quote from I don't know who: something to the effect of "My job as a copy editor means I read people's work and remove 'that.'"
It rarely hurts to include it, but it's so often overused. Tough to strike a balance.
Posted by: Mike Keliher | October 27, 2007 at 03:23 PM