Can that be omitted?

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Anonymous

#182012 Thu, 12 Jan 06 10:57 AM

Q1:

(1)President Jefferson believed that the headwaters of the Missouri reached all the way to the Canadian border.
(2)He also believed that meant he could claim all that land for the United States.
(combined)President Jefferson believed that the headwaters of the Missouri might reach all the way to the Canadian border and that he could claim all that land for the United States.

The word "that" after believe can be omitted sometimes, but can i omit these two "that"in about sentence and why?

Q2:

He believe that he is thin.

He believe that Mary is beatiful.

He believe that Tom is a good man.

He believe that he is thin , that Mary is beautiful and that Tom is a good man.<<It is right? Can i omit the second and third "that"in this sentence?

Thank^^

Anonymous

Mister Micawber

#182030 Thu, 12 Jan 06 11:56 AM

In Q1 you cannot omit the second that (that land) because it is the demonstrative adjective, not the relative pronoun. The other that can be omitted.

In Q2 the second and third that can be omitted. The basic rule is that that can be omitted as long as the meaning is not confused by doing so. There are other restrictions-- that cannot be omitted when it is the subject of the clause: The dog that ate my sandwich has disappeared.

PS: Oh, I see-- you highlighted the wrong that in Q1. Yes, the that before he could can be omitted, but the sentence is clearer if it is retained.

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

Veteran Member (22,287)

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

Clauses, Nouns, Pronouns, Relative pronouns, Demonstrative Adjectives

Anonymous

#182180 Thu, 12 Jan 06 05:21 PM

Oh!..i highlight the wrong that.

(combined)President Jefferson believed that the headwaters of the Missouri might reach all the way to the Canadian border and that he could claim all that land for the United States.

(1)If the first "that" is omitted, is it right (that) the second one must be omitted too?

(2)If the second "that" is omitted, the first one can either be remained or omitted?

Thank you!

Anonymous

Mister Micawber

#182323 Thu, 12 Jan 06 11:55 PM

1-- the second must be omitted if the first has been.

2-- Yes, the first or both can be omitted, but they are better left here. As a sentence gets longer and more complex, the function of conjunctions becomes more critical to clarity.

Mister Micawber

Anonymous

#182480 Fri, 13 Jan 06 10:01 AM

Thank you for answering me.i am now understand it.

Anonymous