Over the next few weeks, I'll be doing a series on my most common edits. There are a number of things consistently misused by people when they write and I think they are worth a look.  Are you making these mistakes when you write? The first and most common edit is "that."  Here's a good example: "I think that a good college education is important."                                         Here's a better way:                                               "I think a good college education is important."     Simply eliminating the word "that" removes clutter from this sentence, helping it flow better. Uncluttered writing is easier to read, has an effortless flow and keeps readers engaged. Readers grow weary...

That. It's nearly an enemy to an editor. When we talk, we use "that" as a transition word to help us keep our thoughts flowing while we talk. It gives us a chance to pause and think while we are speaking. "That" keeps a listener engaged because it lends anticipation to our speech, whether used in a conversation or a formal speech. It's true for any level of speech and perfectly acceptable. The opposite is true when writing. "That" is by far the word I delete most often. It's totally unnecessary in most writings and should be eliminated 90% of the time. The remaining 10% tells you it shouldn't be completely eliminated from all writings. Using it sparingly is key. Here's a relevant example. In the sentence above, I said,  "The remaining 10% tells you it shouldn't be completely eliminated from all writings."  The vast majority of people would write,  "The remaining 10% tells you that it shouldn't...