Macmillan Holdings, LLC. Grammar Girl, Grammar Girl's, QDnow, and Quick and Dirty Tips are all trademarks of Macmillan Holdings, LLC. Are extra "thats" in your writing bad? Suzette grammar What is the rule for using That Which in a sentence? http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=17149#Comments http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=17149#Comments Mon, 25 May 2009 23:35:09 GMT rbens grammar Something to add: "That" needs to be used when the object of a transitive verb is an independent clause. For example, "find" is a transitive verb -- or in other words, needs a direct object. If I write, "The investigator found the suspect was carrying a spade," I'm leading readers down the "garden path." By writing instead, "The investigators found THAT the suspect was carrying a spade," I set off the independent clause "the suspect was carrying a spade" as the object of the transitive verb, "found." "To say" is the exception, because one expects the object of "to say" to be an independent clause. "The investigators said the suspect was carrying a spade." http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=15587#Comments http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=15587#Comments Tue, 03 Feb 2009 06:10:48 GMT faisal grammar Hi Grammar Girl, I have a question. Sentences: 1. I hope to make the guy work better. 2. I hope to make the guy works better. Which is correct and what's the rule? Oopps, would this be 'a question' or 'some questions'? http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12940#Comments http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12940#Comments Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:10:57 GMT faisal grammar Hi, I'm a Malaysian malay. there are times when I use 'that' to replace 'which' since I hate using either of those words twice. after reading this post, I finally understand that switching 'which' with 'that' is not all the time necessary. Thanks grammar girl. http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12939#Comments http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12939#Comments Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:02:47 GMT Mo grammar Thank you for the information. I use APA and APA hates the word "that". I am glad someone else agrees "that" is sometimes necessary to use :> http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12935#Comments http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12935#Comments Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:06:19 GMT Mo grammar Thank you for the information. I use APA and APA hayes the word "that". I am glad someone else agrees "that" is sometimes necessary to use :> http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12934#Comments http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12934#Comments Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:04:39 GMT Bonnie Trenga grammar Bert, Bonnie here (the guest-writer of this episode). I think "hadn't fed" or "didn't feed" are both OK, but I probably should have kept the verbs parallel (both with "had"). Quite astute, Bert! http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12915#Comments http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12915#Comments Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:31:47 GMT Grammar Girl grammar Hi, rpmason. I believe you could either take out the first "that" or replace the second "that" with "access"--either would be fine. I'd probably replace it with "access" just because it seems a little clearer to me. http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12914#Comments http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12914#Comments Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:49:03 GMT The French Chef grammar Squiggly will be served as escargot for dinner this evening :P http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12913#Comments http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12913#Comments Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:55:02 GMT rpmason grammar The Serial THAT: I recently wrote an an email that contained "I'm not requesting access to the server. I understand THAT THAT isn't allowed". I should have 1) taken out the first THAT, 2) replaced the second THAT with 'access', or 3) rewritten the second sentence. http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12909#Comments http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx?commentid=12909#Comments Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:34:25 GMT Mon, 25 May 2009 23:35:09 GMT http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/when-to-leave-out-that.aspx feedback@quickanddirtytips.com (Managing Editor) feedback@quickanddirtytips.com (Webmaster) en-us