I know that in many cases, a double 'that' is grammatically acceptable, but I still feel it is distracting for readers to see a 'that that' pop up in the middle of a text.
Is it acceptable to simply remove the second 'that'?
Can I say
The fact that was the only evidence available was shocking.
instead of
The fact that that was the only evidence available was shocking.
If not, how else can I avoid the double 'that'?
Answer
You have the ability to omit the first "that" that functions as a conjuction. This is a very common practice where I am from (Northeast United States). For example:
Original
I am surprised that that dog jumped on the boy; he is usually very behaved.
Without the first "that"
I am surprised that dog jumped on the boy; he is usually very behaved.
You can use this practice, but you should also know that a "double that" in writing or in speech sounds perfectly fine. In speech around where I live, however, almost everyone always uses a single "that."
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