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We are happy to hear (that) you are home safe and sound.

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Vinny P.

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Jul 24, 2012, 5:15:03 PM7/24/12
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I never understood 'when' to put the "that" in a sentence.

Today I was writing:
We are happy to hear that you are home safe and sound.

But then, I wondered, what's the difference between that and:
We are happy to hear you are home safe and sound.

IS there a rule for when to use 'that'?

Odysseus

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Jul 24, 2012, 10:50:19 PM7/24/12
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In article <jun38n$oa8$1...@speranza.aioe.org>,
"Vinny P." <vin...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I never understood 'when' to put the "that" in a sentence.
>
> Today I was writing:
> We are happy to hear that you are home safe and sound.
>
> But then, I wondered, what's the difference between that and:
> We are happy to hear you are home safe and sound.

Only that the latter is less formal.

> IS there a rule for when to use 'that'?

Not a firm one, except that it's required in the most formal registers.
I also think it's generally better to include it whenever the clause it
introduces is long or complex, or one of several in the sentence. There
are also cases where omission of "that" can make for a 'false scent',
for example "We are happy to hear the orchestra will have its funding
restored." In speech, intonation or stress patterns often indicate the
boundaries of the subordinate clause, making "that" redundant.

--
Odysseus

Vinny P.

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Jul 25, 2012, 3:33:57 AM7/25/12
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On Tue, 24 Jul 2012 20:50:19 -0600, Odysseus wrote:

> There
> are also cases where omission of "that" can make for a 'false scent',

Interesting choice of words.

I guess you mean that the sentence leads you astray, at first, and then you have to root back to the intent of the sentence.

Odysseus

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Jul 25, 2012, 9:34:57 PM7/25/12
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In article <juo7h5$mr$2...@speranza.aioe.org>,
Yes; cf. "red herring". I believe I got the expression from Fowler.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_scent>

--
Odysseus

Afzal A. Khan

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Jul 27, 2012, 1:08:27 AM7/27/12
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Good Explanation!

Vinny P.

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Jul 27, 2012, 9:19:50 AM7/27/12
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Nice example:
"We are happy to hear (that) the orchestra will have its funding restored."

Roger Whitman

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Jul 27, 2012, 10:13:49 AM7/27/12
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"Vinny P." <vin...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:jun38n$oa8$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
"We are happy to hear that you are safe and sound."

Bmct2010

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Jul 28, 2012, 12:09:35 AM7/28/12
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In point of fact, what comes first in the sentence, the "that" or the "you" would affect the proper usage.

Vinny P.

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Jul 28, 2012, 2:27:27 PM7/28/12
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On Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:09:35 -0700, Bmct2010 wrote:

>> We are happy to hear (that) you are home safe and sound.
> In point of fact, what comes first in the sentence,
> the "that" or the "you" would affect the proper usage.

Say again?

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