I use the words "That is" too much. What are some good replacement for these two words? [closed]

Solution 1:

Replacing a repetitive phrase with another doesn’t solve the underlying problem. Instead of looking for alternative words, rewrite the paragraph or sentence.

Here’s an illustrative example.

First, a somewhat stilted block with a couple of “that is” instances:

• He came to the hotel on his own. That is, he provided his own transport and just showed up. That is, we aren’t responsible for him being here.

Now change one of the instances to something else:

• He came to the hotel on his own. That is, he provided his own transport and just showed up. In other words, we aren’t responsible for him being here.

The cadence is still pretty much the same despite removing the repetition through substitution.

Now consider a reworded block:

• We aren’t responsible for him being here. He found his way to the hotel on his own initiative.

The staccato feel of the original has morphed into something more fluid.

Noticeable, unwanted, repetitions should be treated as an invitation to redraft because the problem lies with the structure of the writing, not the words per se.