Oct 19, 2026 · 22 min
English speakers use “that” to balance clarity and natural rhythm
AEE 2706: When to Use "That" in English
Knowing when “that” is optional helps English learners sound more conversational without sacrificing clarity in complex sentences.
- 1Short, clear conversational sentences often sound more natural when speakers omit the conjunction “that.”
- 2Longer or more complex ideas benefit from “that” because it signals where one clause ends and another begins.
- 3The word “that” can express degree or duration, so not every use follows the conjunction rule.
Don't miss
The vacation role-play demonstrates how the same sentence can change in rhythm, clarity, and formality when “that” is added or omitted.
The brief
Aubrey Carter and Lindsay McMahon examine a familiar learner puzzle: native speakers sometimes use “that” after a verb and sometimes leave it out.
Their central rule is practical rather than absolute: omission often suits short, conversational sentences, while inclusion can make longer ideas easier to follow.
A vacation role-play puts the distinction into ordinary speech, showing how sentence length, rhythm, and formality influence whether “that” feels useful or unnecessary.
The hosts also separate conjunction “that” from uses expressing degree or duration, such as “that bad” and “for that long.”
The episode’s broader lesson is that fluency involves noticing native patterns, shadowing them, and choosing between grammatical options with greater control.
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