When not to use the word that in a sentence

I am adding to what StoneyB said in answer to the question, «When can I remove the word “that” in a sentence?» I was asking the same question myself, about when to or not to use «that.» The sentences I was unsure of using were «I am sorry that I did not call you,» or «I am sorry I did not call you.»

While reading StoneyB’s response, I was having a hard time absorbing to «parts of speech» terminology. I never did well with that in high school — my solution was to verbalize the sentence in my mind and if it sounded correct, I went with it! This method may work okay for those who have heard and spoken Americanized English for a long time, but is not the best advice for the English Language Learner.

All I have done is to add some of my own personal examples and maybe clarify the parts of speech that StoneyB discussed in his post. I stand to be corrected by anyone, please.

Knowing when or when not to use the word «that» in a sentence when you feel that you use it too often:

Example 1 — «that» — relative pronoun:

«It’s the same meatloaf that (used as a relative pronoun) we had yesterday.»

You can leave out the «that» in the sentence above because «it acts as the direct object of the verb in the relative clause» (StoneyB, 2014).

Direct object of the verb? — Leave it out.

«It’s the same meatloaf we had yesterday.» — Correct.

However, if it is used as the »subject of the verb in the relative clause» (StoneyB, 2014), you could not leave it out:

«It’s the same meatloaf that (subject) won (verb) in the cook-off.»

Subject of the verb? — Leave it in.

«It’s the same meatloaf ___ won in the cook-off.» — Not correct.

Example 2 — «that» — subordinating conjunction:

«I am sorry that (used as a subordinator) I did not call you.»

That appears in front of the subordinate clause and behind the verb (am), in the main clause.

«I am sorry I did not call you.»

Both uses are fine.

Example 3 — «that» — subject of the sentence:

If «that» is the subject of the sentence, it cannot be left out:

«That I am inconsiderate is a matter to be discussed later.» — Correct.

Example 4 — «that» — conjunction which does not appear and is not spoken close to the main verb in the sentence:

When the verb in the main clause is separated from the subordinate clause by a lot of other words, such as those used as part of an adverbial phrase, the that must remain for clarity in writing. In spoken English, it may be okay to leave it out, but it sounds a bit lazy to me.

Formal writing: «I am sorry in so, so, very many ways that (still used as a conjunction) I did not call you.» — Correct.

Spoken English: «I am sorry in so, so, very many ways I did not call you.» — Okay, but awkward.

Example 5 — «that» — predicative complement used with a verb:

Without the predicative complement, the sentence would not tell us much — for example, «Many folks thought,» does not stand well on its own, giving very little information about what was thought.

«Many folks thought that my meatloaf was better.» — Correct.

«Many folks thought my meatloaf was better.» — Okay in speech, but not so good in writing.

Sources:

English Language Learners Stack Exchange, (2014). When can I remove the word «that» in a sentence? — asked by T2E on May 26, 2013. Answered by StoneyB on May 27, 2013, edited March 7, 2014.

Englishpage, (2015). Forum thread: English Language Questions: Predicative Complement. Asked by Camilus, Member, April 17, 2004. Answered by Pete, Super Moderator, April 19, 2004.
http://www.englishpage.net/showthread.php?655-Predicative-Complement

For a few years during elementary school, virtually every sentence my friends and I uttered included the word “like.” This awful speech habit led to plenty of well-deserved ridicule, which made me determined to stop overusing unnecessary words. I thought I was succeeding on this front for years, until I started doing freelance writing assignments for a client who wasn’t a fan of superfluous words, including “that.” Then, I learned just how guilty I was of overusing the word “that” in my writing. It was basically my new, written version of “like.”

While phasing out “like” was pretty simple, removing unnecessary uses of “that” from my writing proved challenging because this word legitimately belongs in many sentences. To help you avoid similar grief, today I’d like to share a few tips for avoiding overusing “that” and using “that” in a sentence correctly.

When to Use ‘That’ in a Sentence

First, it’s important to know when “that” is really needed in a sentence. This word frequently attaches dependent clauses to independent clauses, and it is strictly necessary if a clause begins with certain subordinating conjunctions, such as before, while and in addition to. “That” also should be used before clauses that clarify a noun.

• She said that although the sunrise workout sounded like a brilliant idea, sleeping in also sounded good.
• The notion that their project would be finished by the original deadline was laughable.

“That” additionally should appear after certain verbs, such as contend, estimate and point out. If you’re a native speaker, you can probably intuitively identify many of these verbs.

• He enthusiastically declared that he would stop procrastinating tomorrow.

You also should use “that” if a sentence would sound awkward without it. If you’re in doubt, include it, since this does less harm than incorrectly omitting it.

When to Leave Out ‘That’

To decide whether you can omit “that” from a sentence, check how naturally and intelligibly the sentence reads without it. Usually, you can drop “that” if it follows a verb that essentially means “to say.” This omission mimics natural speech and shouldn’t change the meaning of the sentence.

• The children claimed an ice cream break would help them study more effectively.
• She insisted she wasn’t responsible for the houseplant’s untimely death.

However, it’s usually better to keep “that” if other words fall between the verb and the dependent clause.

• The kids also said this morning that a television break would enhance their studying.
• She admitted begrudgingly that she might have contributed to the plant’s demise.

You also can usually omit “that” if it precedes a simple relative clause.

• Neither of them was particularly excited about the compromise (that) they reached.

Using ‘That’ Twice in a Row

When you’re trimming unnecessary uses of “that” from your writing, be sure to pay attention to sentences where it appears multiple times or even twice in a row (“that that”). These sentences can be grammatically correct but stylistically undesirable. For example, at BKA, we use Associated Press Style, which requires sentences to be constructed in a manner that eliminates consecutive uses of “that.”

• He confessed that that plan had been formulated on three hours of sleep.
• He confessed that they had only slept three hours when they formulated that plan.

Even if you’re not following a strict style guide, it’s often beneficial to try revising sentences to avoid using “that” too redundantly.

Using ‘That’ or ‘Which’

It can be tempting to cut back on “that” by replacing it with “which,” but these words aren’t actually interchangeable. “That” introduces information that is integral to the meaning of a sentence, while “which” precedes information that is non-essential and offset by commas.

• The first kindergarten class that all 31 students attended was miraculously free of mishaps.
• The first kindergarten class, which all 31 students attended, was miraculously free of mishaps.

In this example, each sentence has a distinct meaning. The first describes a specific class when all 31 students were present for the first time, while in the second, the attendance of all 31 kids is a non-essential detail.

Got All That?

Striking the right balance between overusing the word “that” and omitting it improperly takes a little thought, but with practice, it should become second nature. What other common words do people overuse? Tell us about it in the comments section! If you’re looking for help on grammar rules, check out some of our other GrammarSpot posts.

If you are like most people in my business writing classes, you want to write more concisely. It’s a terrific goal. Concise writing is much more likely to be read and acted on than wordy messages. But in your efforts to trim extra words, be sure to keep the conjunction that when your readers need it. 

Your readers need that whenever leaving it out might cause confusion. For example, this sentence may confuse readers:

• The team has identified the workflow needs several more screens.

When I began reading the sentence, I understood «The team has identified the workflow needs.» Then I read on and realized that the team had identified something different. The beginning of the sentence had misled me.

This revised sentence, which includes the word that, avoids possible confusion:

• The team has identified that the workflow needs several more screens.

Here are more examples that may confuse readers:

• Mr. Davidson appreciates Dan and Steve from Sales will also be at the trade show. 
• She noticed more films this year did not have a big-name star.  
• He announced the new budget increases our investment in schools by 20 percent. 

Scanning those examples, readers may first think:

• Mr. Davidson appreciates Dan and Steve from Sales.
• She noticed more films this year.
• He announced the new budget increases.

But continuing in each sentence, the reader thinks–huh?–and has to start again.

Any confusion disappears with the conjunction that inserted: 

• Mr. Davidson appreciates that Dan and Steve from Sales will also be at the trade show.
• She noticed that more films this year did not have a big-name star. 
• He announced that the new budget increases our investment in schools by 20 percent.

When you wonder whether you can remove that from a sentence, read it without that and notice whether anything runs together that might mislead the reader. Would these sentences be clear without that?

1. He told me that he would arrive around midnight.
2. The jury believed that two of the witnesses to the accident were not telling the truth.
3. I understood that the sales projections given at the meeting were inflated.
4. Please ensure that every client gets a copy of the presentation booklet.

I believe we can eliminate that from two of the sentences above, but we must keep it in the other two. How about you?

In my view, the sentences that work without the conjunction that are 1 and 4. We can leave that out with no risk of confusion. (Note: In Number 4, I would still keep that because I think the sentence sounds better with it.)

In Number 2, the clause «The jury believed two of the witnesses» would mislead readers.

In Number 3, «I understood the sales projections» takes readers in the wrong direction.

The newly published Microsoft Manual of Style recommends keeping that whenever it is optional, because the word helps international readers understand complex sentences. The manual states, «Optional words often eliminate ambiguity by clarifying sentence structure.» While I do not always keep that in my sentences, I agree with the principle.  

What do you think about that?

Lynn
Syntax Training