Jose Carillo's English Forum

Joe Carillo's Desk => You Asked Me This Question => Topic started by: Mwita Chacha on July 12, 2012, 07:35:55 PM

Title: Two thats in a sentence.
Post by: Mwita Chacha on July 12, 2012, 07:35:55 PM

How can I avoid placing two thats--one 'that' being a demonstrative pronoun and the other relative--in the same sentence? This is an example of the situation I'm talking about: ''That is the car that was stolen from Angel's back yard last week.'' I'm worried that the sentence sounds boringly repetitive; at the same time, I'm afraid of risking breaching a grammar rule, or at least an American English standard grammar rule, if I decide to replace the second 'that' with 'which.'

Title: Re: Two thats in a sentence.
Post by: Joe Carillo on July 12, 2012, 08:07:56 PM

Try this elliptical construction that also contracts “that is”: “That’s the car stolen from Angel’s backyard last week.” I think you’ll agree that it’s not only neater but also nicely conversational.

Title: Re: Two thats in a sentence.
Post by: Mwita Chacha on July 12, 2012, 08:39:13 PM

I don't understand why I did forget doing the way you've suggested. Anyway, thank you for the reply, which is brief yet to the point.

Title: Re: Two thats in a sentence.
Post by: LesleyBarton on July 20, 2012, 09:09:32 PM

I have never thought about having two thats and if it sounds strange. I quite enjoyed this topic or rather the question.

Title: Re: Two thats in a sentence.
Post by: inocentguy233 on August 22, 2012, 12:53:41 PM

yes this question is very hard and i suggest you you find google this is batter for you