The Word That—When can you leave it out?

Here's something I've been thinking about—overuse of the word that. The American Heritage explanation is a little formal, but you'll get the idea. That is often unnecessary and drags down the sentence. Read the sentence aloud and see if it's needed for clarity. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. If it can be eliminated or the sentence rewritten to be stronger without it, do it. Work through a