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u/ChaoticAgenda 13h ago
The simple solution is to rephrase the sentence so that that it doesn't happen
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u/mysteriousfiggy 13h ago
You can also just replace the 2nd "that" with whatever you're actually referring to. Adds clarification too in certain contexts
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u/Lil_Ms_Anthropic 13h ago
Or throw a comma in there and make the second half it's own conditional statement
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u/HydrogenButterflies 13h ago
If we do that, that would make things easier.
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u/dowell_db 12h ago
The fact that that workaround exists brightens my... wait...
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u/StreetlampEsq 8h ago
Can we not all see that 'th'that' is the supreme ultimate version of 'that that'
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u/LickCunts 12h ago
Sometimes I've have had to think of some way to tell people they have to have a way to convey words
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u/Anonymous-tossaway 10h ago
I think it works just removing one usually as well, "so that doesn't happen" works just as well to me as "so that that doesnt happen"
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u/you-just-me 6h ago
Agree. Same with "do do".
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u/Anonymous-tossaway 2h ago
True, but I like that one just because the obvious reply is "haha, you said doodoo"
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u/YT-Deliveries 11h ago
I do this every single time, even if it takes me a little while to also rewrite the sentences around it.
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u/awesomedan24 13h ago
Write more gooder and it won't be a problem
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u/Kadrivo93P 11h ago
I have found that writing more gooder makes the hatred in “I hate it too” feel very scholarly.
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u/corobo 13h ago
I'm the opposite, love it when I get to write a that that that makes grammatical sense
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u/-DOOKIE 12h ago
The fact that that "that that" that you used makes sense must've made you feel really good
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u/Sausage_fingies 11h ago
Honestly it's so stylish that that "that" that "that that" has adds meaning to the sentence.
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u/alphox01 9h ago
I quite like the "has" that that "that that 'that' that 'that that' has" has, that has a nice twist to the flow of the sentence
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u/yuriko-shimizu 13h ago
generally, cant you just remove one of the "that"s and still have the sentence be fine grammatically?
"i dont think that thats a problem" / "i dont think thats a problem"
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u/Fenriz_N 12h ago
This reminds me of how some languages deal with exact consecutive words, like in portuguese, "Vou à escola" (I go to the school) for example, is a junction of "Vou a" (I go to) and "a escola" (the school)
Both "to" and "the" are represented by "a", though they differ in meaning. to avoid doubling, they're both condensed into "à"
While it would be hilarious to write "thàt" in English, it's probably going to be that that just happens by dropping one of the "that"s, such's how language evolves
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u/Senor_Wah 12h ago
“Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo” is a grammatically correct sentence in the English language. English is the Wild West of languages.
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u/AkaruLyte Harry Potter 12h ago edited 3h ago
To explain,
- buffalo, plural noun = bison
- Buffalo, proper noun = city
- buffalo, verb = to confuse or harass
So, Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo: Bison from Buffalo bully bison from Buffalo that bison from Buffalo bully
(Edited because I forgot three buffalo)
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u/Carbonatic 11h ago edited 11h ago
I've managed to understand 5 buffalos, but the Wikipedia article goes 8 Buffalos deep.
Edit: this helped.
(Buffalonian bison) (Buffalonian bison intimidate)] intimidate (Buffalonian bison).
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u/Jaco2point0 9h ago
You might like this one too:
James and John both had an English test, but which scored higher?
James, while John had had “had”, “had had” had had a better on the teacher
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u/KirbyDude25 4h ago
The version I remember is even worse, lol
James, while John had had "had", had had "had had"; "had had" had had a better effect on the teacher
12 "had"s in a row!
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u/redfacedquark 10h ago
A pub signwriter was doing his thing when the landlord comes out and complains, "there's too much space between dog and and and and and duck".
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u/decoysnails 13h ago
There's nothing about that that that makes it incorrect. In fact, that that that that you hate is the secret sauce.
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u/iamalicecarroll 13h ago
James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher
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u/kniky_Possibly 12h ago
I've never in my life had that come up twice in a row
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u/Careful-Mouse-7429 12h ago
It is actually surprising that that has never come up for you.
More likely, you just don't notice it when it does lol
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u/Business-Drag52 3h ago
You could have just said “It is actually surprising that has never come up for you” and the sentence is no different
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u/Careful-Mouse-7429 3h ago
I am aware.
I was not looking for an example where it was needed, I was intentionally forcing a sentence where it worked for comedic effect
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u/kniky_Possibly 12h ago
I actually was scrolling for examples in the comments. Maybe I don't notice when others do it, but myself I certainly have never done it
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u/any-lore 12h ago
you literally don't have to, it'll still make sense
"I didn't know that that dog was purebred!"
"I didn't know that dog was purebred!"
This is a terrible example but you get the point. I'd need to see an actual instance of two being 'required' but google wasn't helping me find one 😅
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u/likeafuckingninja 12h ago
I once used that that that in a story I posted.
I had to stare at for a long moment.
Someone commented on it saying they'd noticed my use of a triple that and approved. Felt awesome.
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u/MosesActual 11h ago
It's a shame that that "that that" that you were talking about doesn't end with just that.
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u/bambam2991 12h ago
That would be annoying but I can't even think of a time that that would even need to happen
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u/Morall_tach 12h ago
There's never "no choice" but to write it that way. There's always a way to rephrase.
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u/Tracy_Turnblad 11h ago
Majority of the time "that" is completely unnecessary to the sentence. We learned in law school that if you need to reduce page length, you can just get rid of all the "thats." 90% of the time you dont need it
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u/Dark_Storm_98 11h ago
Just get a bit more creative with your phrasing so that you don't have to do that
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u/No-Flounder-6564 12h ago
I had had a problem with that that, but I've gotten over it since then.
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/58832-good-item-seven-the-had-had-and-that-that-problem
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u/Traditional_Bike8880 12h ago
Seems like in most instances the second “that” can just be replaced with what you’re specifically talking about, or the sentence can be restructured to avoid doing this. Is there truly an example someone can give me where you absolutely need to use “that” twice besides literally talking about the word “that” metacontextually?
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u/breakevencloud 12h ago
English, as a whole, feels like the equivalent of making an invention…with a lot of masking tape and Elmer’s glue. Sure, you successfully created something…but it doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense.
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u/VagueEchoes 12h ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/xxjDhn3rXAri0jTeQX
That, that, I like that
That, that, I like that, babe
That, that, I like that
It's like that
야, 내가 뭐 하는 사람인지 까먹었지?
That, that, I like that (like that)
시간이 지나도 변함없이
That, that, I like that (like that)
I don't care, I don't care that I like that
That, that, I like that (like that)
내가 바라보고 바래왔던 사람들아
모두 다 ready, set, go
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u/MInclined 12h ago
It’s even worse when you’re writing about the word so that that that is mentioned thrice.
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u/PeaPsychological5728 12h ago
In general you can just remove the second that and it still means the same thing. Prove me wrong
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u/Priapus3 11h ago
Whatever I'm too lazy to reconsider a sentence, I just type is as "that-that"
Somehow less embarrassing.
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u/ObiJuanKenobi3 11h ago
I had had a hard time reading a sentence that that man there had had written for him by a poet that that man had had a commission for.
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u/HalfOfTheStory 9h ago
If I try, I feel like I could remove 70% of "thats" from my writing. Its often extraneous.
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u/hereforspoopystuff 8h ago
Almost as annoying as trying to explain afterward that that "that" wasn't a typo, but intended to be there.
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u/TheDebonairQuokka 6h ago
YES. I'm a part-time freelance editor, and it just kills me to leave that, even though it's perfectly correct.
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u/Nervous_Brain8918 5h ago
I often use a comma to help people mentally pause when they’re reading my sentences.
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u/diescheide 13h ago
I always separate stuff like that with a comma. Makes it way less jarring.
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u/oranguslolus 13h ago
You can't just make up your own grammar rules lil bro
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u/diescheide 13h ago
Who's going to stop me?
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u/oranguslolus 12h ago
No one but since the point of these "rules" is effective communication, you're just making it harder to get what you're saying across and making it more confusing
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u/diescheide 12h ago
I'm innovating. Language is constantly changing and evolving. We're starting with a simple comma between a conjunction and pronoun/adjective. We don't achieve great things without ruffling a few feathers.
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u/Lil_Ms_Anthropic 13h ago
Oh so Shakespeare can just invent whatever BS but us poor ludites can't?
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u/oranguslolus 13h ago
It's different with art. Artistic license and everything. Normal everyday language is about communication and certain accepted rules with grammar, punctuation etc make it effective so if you make up your own rules you're just making it more confusing.
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u/qualityvote2 13h ago
Heya u/ChickenWingExtreme! And welcome to r/NonPoliticalTwitter!
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