I'm with ya. I don't get whether "that" is helpful or just noisy. Maybe it's a matter of a given ear for a given sentence.I was reminded of a problem I have while I was posting to the Walking Dead thread this morning. I never know when to use the word 'that'. I used the word twice in the following sentence. Should I have?
I'm actually surprised the girls lived as long as they did since Carol and Tyreese were too dumb to figure out that they shouldn't run off and leave the girls alone... that every time they left the girls alone, zombies attacked them.
I hoped I would see her again.
I hoped that I would see her again.
I dunno. Either/or. But....
I understood he would do what it takes.
I understood that he would do what it takes.
To my ear, the second one has better meter to it.
Q Should you have used a complete sentence?Another question while typing this post popped up lol... Is 'Should I have?' a complete sentence?
A Should I have? Yes. I should have.
I think it's complete. But whether or not it is, it conveyed the meaning clearly, and that's what counts.