That sometimes just is a filler word

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is an interesting article by Sam Knight at Pikes Peak Writers on November 14, 2023 titled “That” as a Filler Word. He describes how that, which can be an adjective, adverb, definite article, or pronoun also can just be a filler word. Ask yourself whether taking it out of a sentence changes the meaning. The list shown above has five examples from articles or blog posts about filler words.

 

One came from a post by Jennifer Bartram at the UKBodyTalk blog on June 5, 2023 titled How filler words are barriers to effective communication:

 

“Estimates suggest that the average speaker uses a ‘filler word’ every 12 seconds, but overuse of ‘ums’, ‘ahs’ and other words or sounds can be a real barrier to effective communication.”

 

A second came from an article at Indeed on November 21, 2022 titled What are filler words? (Examples and how to avoid them):

 

“Used as an alternative to silence, filler words let you know that you have more to say, even if you need a moment before you continue.”

 

A third came from another post by S. Colby at the Resound blog on March 18, 2022 titled What are filler words? (11 Super Common Words):

 

“In other words, there’s clear evidence that not all filler words are bad.”

 

And a fourth came from yet another article by Joel Schwatrzberg in the Toastmaster magazine on pages 14 and 15 of the February 2019 issue titled Drop Those Crutches:

 

“Like your sophomore year of high school, pauses are so uneventful that they are quickly forgotten.”

 

Fifth, that even is a filler word in a sentence in the Ah-Counter Script and Log (#675A) from Toastmasters International:

 

“Greetings Mr./Madam Toastmaster, Fellow Toastmasters, and guests. The purpose of the Ah-Counter is to note words and sounds that are used as a ‘crutch’ or ‘pause filler' by anyone who speaks. During the meeting, I will listen for overused words, including and, well, but, so, and you know. I will also listen for filler sounds, including ah, um, and er. I will also note when a speaker repeats a word or phrase, such as ‘I, I’ or ‘This means, this means.’ At the end of the meeting, I will report the number of times that each speaker used these expressions…”  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There also are many occasions where that is useful, such as in metaphors. Eight examples shown above came from Chapter 5 of Dr. Mardy Gothe’s 2008 book I Never Metaphor I Didn’t Like.