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unnecessary "that"

 
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hiromichi



Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 1380

PostPosted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 3:02 pm    Post subject: unnecessary "that" Reply with quote

Is last "that"(that they have been informed) unnecessary?


He said the police had �taken all proper steps to ensure that where we have evidence that people have been the subject of any form of phone tapping, or that there is any suspicion that they might have been, that they have been informed.�
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Lorikeet



Joined: 08 Oct 2005
Posts: 1877
Location: San Francisco

PostPosted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 3:51 pm    Post subject: Re: unnecessary "that" Reply with quote

hiromichi wrote:
Is last "that"(that they have been informed) unnecessary?


He said the police had �taken all proper steps to ensure that where we have evidence that people have been the subject of any form of phone tapping, or that there is any suspicion that they might have been, that they have been informed.�


It's not the best sentence, but since it's a direct quote, that's what happens when you speak. If it was just a regular sentence, I'd prefer " He said the police had taken all proper steps to ensure that people have been informed if there is evidence that they have been the subject of any form of phone tapping, or if there is any suspicion that they might have been."

However, leaving the sentence as it was originally, I think the second "that" is unnecessary. In fact, although it sounds okay to me in that sentence, I don't think it makes sense when you take out the middle of the sentence. ("...taken all proper steps to ensure that.....that they have been informed.")
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hiromichi



Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 1380

PostPosted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 4:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lorikeet:
Thank you very much.
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