Category: Writing Tips

WORDING: THAT

I used to use the word THAT a lot. Too much. You know that too much that people notice, and they point out that you do it too much?

That’s how much.

Read the definition . . .

The word itself began in Old English as a pronoun and a demonstrative adjective. Originally a masculine word, it eventually became used in Modern English for all genders.

It’s considered a more specific or emphatic version of ‘THE’ and the two words are often interchangeable.

Hand me THAT cup.

Hand me THE cup.

It can also be used to imply something previously said, like that example above with the cup.

Even though the word belongs in many sentences, if you’re like me and using it too much there are ways to remove it from your writing.

First off, remember that thing about THE above? If THE doesn’t change the intention of your sentence, then you’re good.

You can drop ‘THAT’ anytime it follows a verb:

The president said that we could mail our taxes to him.

VS.

The president said we could mail our taxes to him.

But if there are more words between your verb and dependent clause, you probably will keep THAT.

The president said on TV that we could mail our taxes to him.

VS.

The president said on tv we could mail out taxes to him.

There’s also the case that you might be using THAT when you should be using WHICH.

THAT introduces information, but WHICH precedes information that is not essential, which is why sometimes THAT is wrong.

The president said on TV that we could mail our taxes to him, which sounds illegal.

The president said we could mail our taxes to him that way.

I also look out for THAT used multiple times in a single sentence. Unless it’s how your character speaks, you can and should usually eliminate at least one.

If a sentence sounds awkward without ‘that’, then it needs it. Always be sure to read your sentence out loud.

WORDING is an ongoing series of posts I’ll be making about words. I won’t always delve into proper use. depending on the word and what it means to me and potentially others there may be articles about words that trigger me, words I love, words that always look misspelled to me and more.

WRITING TIPS: TURN OFF SPELLCHECKER

Whether you want it or not, here’s my tips and tricks for writing . . .

Turning off Spellcheck in WORD is my secret to keeping the flow from my imagination to my computer screen going during writing sessions.

Spellcheck’s little red line or suggestions are little distractions. You pound out a paragraph only to see a few lines up. You pause. You correct it. Then you try to get back to the mindset of ‘storyteller’ . . . and then it happens again because you’re trying to type as fast as you imagine.

Spellcheck is great. But it has a time and place. I know I’ll be reading, rereading, editing, and reediting my story many, many times. Sometimes, before I read a completed short story or novel draft, I turn spellcheck back on, make those corrections in one go, and then begin my reread so that the experience isn’t hindered by those corrections.

But not while I’m writing.

Never when I’m writing.

Want more writing tips, check back every Last Wednesday of the month . . .