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Forum locked This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 4 posts ] 
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 Post subject: That's that!
PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2004 9:48 am 
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Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 1:01 am
Posts: 114
Location: Detroit Michigan
Can I gripe here? I hate the automatic deletion of the word "that". It is so wrong to delete it in some cases. I quote Bill Walsh: "The kinds of sentences in which that must be preserved are numerous to list..." Well, I think I'm going to create that list and share it with my co-workers.
Aarrgghh. Just a pet peeve...


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 Post subject: Re: That's that!
PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2004 11:55 am 
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Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 1:01 am
Posts: 2266
Location: New Jersey
I knew a deputy city editor who would put "CQ" after "that" in copy because we had some copy editors who were robotic about taking it out.


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 Post subject: Re: That's that!
PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2004 6:07 pm 
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Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2003 1:01 am
Posts: 598
Location: The Herald in Everett, WA
I feel your pain, car copy. I'm guessing that some city editors are killing "that" in a knee-jerk reaction to what they believe is a word that bloats a sentence, and telling reporters to do the same. I think I mentioned this in another thread, but when I chat with writers who use "which" improperly, they usually tell me they are trying to avoid using "that."


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 Post subject: Re: That's that!
PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2004 7:40 pm 
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Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 12:01 am
Posts: 3137
Location: Homebush NSW Australia
If Fowler had had a decent copy editor of Modern English Usage the points he tries to make would be more digestible. For those with a love of the language (us all, I hope), he comments on which and that are worth the perseverence.


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