# Grammar question - "doubt" vs. "doubt that" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 4, 2007, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-doubt-vs-doubt-that/402731 "2007-05-04T12:47:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-doubt-vs-doubt-that/402731/1 "2007-05-04T12:47:06Z")
Which is correct? Or are both acceptable? 1. “I doubt she will be elected to City Council.” 2, “I doubt that she will be elected to City Council.” ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-doubt-vs-doubt-that/402731/2 "2007-05-04T13:05:54Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] Which is correct? Or are both acceptable? 1. “I doubt she will be elected to City Council.” 2, “I doubt that she will be elected to City Council.” [/QUOTE] From [American Heritage:](http://www.bartleby.com/64/C001/062.html) > [@](#): > > omitting that. You can omit that in a relative clause when the subject of the clause is different from the word or phrase the clause refers to. Thus, you can say either the book that I was reading or the book I was reading. You can also omit that when it introduces a subordinate clause: I think we should try again. You should not omit that, however, when the subordinate clause begins with an adverbial phrase or anything other than the subject: She said that under no circumstances would she allow us to skip the meeting. The book argues that eventually the housing supply will increase. This last sentence would be ambiguous if that were omitted, since the adverb eventually could then be construed as modifying either argues or will increase. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-doubt-vs-doubt-that/402731/3 "2007-05-04T13:22:24Z")
I read that as a vote for the second sentence. Shall we have a debate about it? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-doubt-vs-doubt-that/402731/4 "2007-05-04T13:52:30Z")
[QUOTE=kaylasdad99] I read that as a vote for the second sentence. Shall we have a debate about it? [/QUOTE] Since “she will be electe to City Council” begins with the subject, I interpret it to mean that “that” can be omitted. In other words, both are acceptable. (Is this really a Great Debate?) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-doubt-vs-doubt-that/402731/5 "2007-05-04T15:32:28Z")
Yeah, I think this is more of a general question. I gave the cite in case folks didn’t believe an anonymous Internet blowhard, but the rule is as stated: “that” is purely optional in the sentence provided. There are some cases in which omitting “that” creates ambiguity (such as when the subject could be an adverbial phrase or another part of speech, e.g., “I thought yesterday morning was a lovely time”–did I think yesterday that morning was a lovely time, or did I think that yesterday morning was a lovely time?), and in such cases, you should include “that.” When there’s no ambiguity, however, it’s up to the writer what to do. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-doubt-vs-doubt-that/402731/6 "2007-05-04T16:06:00Z")
Both are correct. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-doubt-vs-doubt-that/402731/7 "2007-05-04T23:58:11Z")
I’m with Daniel on this. “To doubt” is a transitive verb, but its direct object in contemporary English is nearly always a subordinate clause. Examples where it isn’t: “I doubt his motives.” “I doubt the survey’s results.” “That” serves to introduce the clause functioning as object, and may be omitted whenever ambiguity will not be introduced by its omission. (Notice the problem with “I doubt the survey’s results were properly cited by the Republican spokesman.” What is doubted is not the results of the survey themselves, but the accuracy of the figures cited as the survey’s results by the spokesman. A “that” is properly called for there, to prevent misunderstanding of what is termed dubitable.) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2007, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-doubt-vs-doubt-that/402731/8 "2007-05-05T22:21:13Z")
There’s a book by a linguist named Dwight Bolinger called _That’s That_ in which he examines at great length the use of the word “that” in English. He finds a number of examples where including or not including the word “that” can make a difference. The only one I can remember anymore is this example: I believe that there is a god. I believe there is a god. The first sentence sounds like a declaration of your considered opinion, while the second sentence sounds like you just realized that God exists. There are more examples like this in Bolinger’s book, but it’s been thirty years since I read it. You’ll have to look up the book (which you should be able to find in a university library) if you want to explore this issue further.