As I am reading student essays today, I'm wondering if the use of "that," which many of the students tend to omit, is necessary in certain circumstances and what function it serves. For instance:
   
  1) I think that we should go to the grocery store today rather than Sunday.
   
  vs.
   
  2) I think we should go to the grocery store today rather than Sunday.
   
  or, a 3rd person example, since the above are more representative of speech than writing:
   
  3) Jean thinks that Genuardi's is a better supermarket than Giant.
   
  vs.
   
  4) Jean thinks Genuardi's is a better supermarket than Giant.
   
   
  My feeling is that "that" should be in the sentence. Does it function as a complementizer in the above sentences? (I tend to get confused with "that" clauses).
   
  Thank you!
  Carol Morrison
   
   

       
---------------------------------
Never miss a thing.   Make Yahoo your homepage.

To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"

Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/