• Café Life is the Colony's main hangout, watering hole and meeting point.

    This is a place where you'll meet and make writing friends, and indulge in stratospherically-elevated wit or barometrically low humour.

    Some Colonists pop in religiously every day before or after work. Others we see here less regularly, but all are equally welcome. Two important grounds rules…

    • Don't give offence
    • Don't take offence

    We now allow political discussion, but strongly suggest it takes place in the Steam Room, which is a private sub-forum within Café Life. It’s only accessible to Full Members.

    You can dismiss this notice by clicking the "x" box

Help Please! Overuse of "that"

Invest in You. Get Full Membership now.
Joined
Dec 28, 2020
Location
USA
LitBits
4
Hi Litopians!

In reviewing a draft of my novel, I have come to realize I have been overlooking punctuation and grammar.

Right now am looking at my use of the word "that".
I have problems pinpointing when "that" can be removed, and I also have trouble deciding on the "that vs which" issue.
I went through and extracted potential "that" edits (attached) with hopes that someone could look it over and either help me on the individual sentences or help me pinpoint what rules of thumb I seem to be forgetting.

Also, I realize these sentences could be reworded to avoid needing to decide on the use of "that".
But my interest in this is as an exercise to improve my grammar.

Thanks in advance!
Joan
 

Attachments

Hi Litopians!

In reviewing a draft of my novel, I have come to realize I have been overlooking punctuation and grammar.

Right now am looking at my use of the word "that".
I have problems pinpointing when "that" can be removed, and I also have trouble deciding on the "that vs which" issue.
I went through and extracted potential "that" edits (attached) with hopes that someone could look it over and either help me on the individual sentences or help me pinpoint what rules of thumb I seem to be forgetting.

Also, I realize these sentences could be reworded to avoid needing to decide on the use of "that".
But my interest in this is as an exercise to improve my grammar.

Thanks in advance!
Joan
Hi Joan

I have attached your file with what I consider unnecessary THATs deleted. Almost all are unnecessary, in my opinion.

Inclusion or deletion is a personal preference. The modern rule of thumb in fiction is, read aloud and if the sentence works fine without "that" or "which", leave it out. If the sentence meaning could be misconstrued by its deletion leave it in.

Rules: if a clause in a sentence is restrictive or defining, i.e, you need the clause to understand the sentence, if you need the relative pronoun (see above), use "that" (or "who" if referring to a person). If a clause is non-restrictive or non-defining, i.e, the clause just adds extra detail but the sentence would make sense without it, enclose it between commas or dashes (or after a comma or dash if it ends the sentence) and use "which" (or "who" if referring to a person).

Hope this helps. :)
 

Attachments

Hi Joan

I have attached your file with what I consider unnecessary THATs deleted. Almost all are unnecessary, in my opinion.

Inclusion or deletion is a personal preference. The modern rule of thumb in fiction is, read aloud and if the sentence works fine without "that" or "which", leave it out. If the sentence meaning could be misconstrued by its deletion leave it in.

Rules: if a clause in a sentence is restrictive or defining, i.e, you need the clause to understand the sentence, if you need the relative pronoun (see above), use "that" (or "who" if referring to a person). If a clause is non-restrictive or non-defining, i.e, the clause just adds extra detail but the sentence would make sense without it, enclose it between commas or dashes (or after a comma or dash if it ends the sentence) and use "which" (or "who" if referring to a person).

Hope this helps. :)
Thanks!
 
I use "that" so often that I have a process for cutting them out. I call it "de-that-trafication." At worst, I'll use fifteen or twenty "thats" per thousand words. Most have to go. However, the word does have a purpose, I just don't know it.
 
Invest in You. Get Full Membership now.

Further Articles from the Author Platform

Latest Articles By Litopians

  • Lessons I’ve Learned
    Some of these lessons I’ve learned the hard way; some I kind of knew subconsciously but wouldn’t ...
  • Hat Thieves Beware
    Summer 2017… schools and nurseries were closed for the holidays, and the grandkids were kicking th ...
  • Writer Beware
    I think AI is inundating my email inbox with author scams. Apparently AI is somehow gathering data o ...
  • Bad advice
    I’ve been on X again. I know, I know. I need to stop, but something keeps drawing me back. Maybe i ...
  • Farty Towels?
    I’ve always found it strange that often the first thing guests ask me, when I check them in is, †...
  • Consequential Detritus
    Mars 20,025 Xenoarchaeological Survey Team Epsilon for Galactic Central Command Captain Mandible? Ye ...
  • The Writer’s House
    Bristol is one of my favourite cities. I visit here a few times a year, and the second part of my no ...
What Goes Around
Comes Around!
Back
Top