: Re: What does it mean to overuse the word 'that'? I've never been sure what the problem with 'overusing' the word 'that' is. It seems to me [that] someone made the rule one day and everyone else

@Bryan361

Vote Up Vote Down

You are being irreverent but that does not mean you are wrong. Using the word "that" in every sentence becomes monotonous. The writer needs to develop writing (or editing) skills to avoid the problem in creative ways. If you are feeling helpful, point out the problem and offer a few suggestions. If an editor tells me my manuscript is good but do not use the word "that" I can solve this problem in a few seconds using a global replace to delete "that." Alternatively, I can rewrite the entire manuscript to avoid a specific word, but it will often become more verbose. The rescuers would later return, but they would do so without the girl. This was the greater tragedy to end an already bad day.
Would the text be good if "that" was restored to its proper place? Is this the natural way this author writes, or is the manuscript edited to this style? Is the quality of the manuscript such that it is worth your time to help the author? If help is the right answer, then focus on one or two paragraphs and work with the author to correct the problem in several ways. By seeing more options the author might then be able to rewrite the manuscript to find that balance.

(0)

Login to post a comment!