Is "that" necessary?

Question

I looked out of the window to see that the man had stepped out of his car.Is the "that" necessary?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

anonymous
I looked out of the window to see that the man had stepped out of his car.
Is the "that" necessary?

No, but it's better to leave it there. As you read the sentence, if you read this

I looked out of the window to see the man ...

you might think the sentence is going to continue like this

stepping out of his car.

In other words, using 'that' blocks other possible expectations that the reader may have about the structure of the sentence, and that makes the reader's experience smoother and easier.

So while 'that' is not required, it's a little nicety for the reader.

CJ

Is "that" necessary?

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