That . . .

I use 'that' too many times.  The word 'that'.  I never even noticed how many times that I use that.  I guess we all have verbal ticks that we don't even know that we're doing but wouldn't that sentence have been better without the extra thats?  You know? You know?  We really do put in far more words than are necessary to get the point across.

Oh, that's another thing.  The common scramble between 'then' and 'than'.  They are such simple words, so easy to spell, and so far apart in meaning.  And yet I see then replacing than and than replacing then all time.  Then is an indicator of time.  Than is a comparative; "I'd rather do this than do that."  So stop it.  Pay attention to what you are writing and what you are saying.  Don't let spell check run your life!