Nib #39 — The Rule of 'That'
A quick Nib this week on a teeny, tiny little tip to streamline your writing, one word at a time. Call it the Rule of That:
Any time you use the word ‘that’ in a sentence, take a moment to read the sentence without the ‘that.’ If the sentence still means the same thing, omit the ‘that.’
So,
“Thank you for the gift that you sent.”
…becomes…
“Thank you for the gift you sent.”
And,
“Jack knew that Jill loved basketball”
… becomes …
“Jack knew Jill loved basketball.”
The Rule of That may not change your life. But it will help you shave a few extraneous words from your prose -- or at least one. And isn’t that what life is all about?
Until next week… keep writing!
If you’re ever asked to write or give a speech — and you don’t know how — here’s where you start.
To use HAL 9000 effectively, you have to know how to open the pod bay doors yourself.
Like a cook, gather your ingredients *before* you start cooking.
Bridges, not blueprints.
Why intros are like the bat signal.
Persuasive writing has to predict the future.
Don't let caveats suck the clarity out of your writing.
Five quick tips for polishing your prose.
A good poem for Good Friday.
James Michael Curley's list of must-haves for public speakers (and speechwriters).
