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7 That’s in a row

What’s the most times you can repeat the same word consecutively in a sentence and still retain meaning? Here’s a sentence with 7 words in a row.

It remains true for all that that that that that that that refers to is not the same that that that that refers to.

Anyone for any more?

Josef | 2008/02/21 | Filed under Curiosities
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12 Responses to “7 That’s in a row”

  1. winnie0706 says:
    2008-02-21 at 7:18 am

    the last sentence is too hard to understand.but i think subject in sentence remain meaning.

  2. Catherine says:
    2008-03-20 at 5:17 am

    I agree with you that It remains true for all that that that that that that that refers to is not the same that that that that refers to.

  3. Eva says:
    2008-05-14 at 8:48 am

    I tell my students to say “He also arrived at 13.58” in a different way. The answer is, of course, “He came at two to two, too”.

  4. Kevin says:
    2008-12-15 at 1:23 pm

    It remains true for all that that that that that that that that strongly refers to is wrong.

  5. Issy says:
    2008-12-22 at 3:03 pm

    Can I try this? “I know that you know that I know that you know that I know that you know that I know”.

  6. princess says:
    2009-01-11 at 2:47 pm

    Hey i want this watch but but i cant but its ok but ……..

  7. Sha Beans says:
    2009-02-17 at 10:21 am

    In the English exam, John, where James had had ‘had’, had had ‘had had’. ‘Had had’ had had the examiner’s approval.

  8. ESL Blogs says:
    2010-02-17 at 1:17 pm

    Nice one Sha :)))

  9. els says:
    2012-12-30 at 9:05 pm

    Buffalo – can be repeated 8 times.
    “Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

  10. Holden says:
    2013-04-18 at 11:08 pm

    Actually, Els, Buffalo can be repeated an infinite number of times, and it has been proven to do so.

  11. daisy says:
    2014-02-06 at 5:05 pm

    the one about had was on the radio

  12. John Allen says:
    2017-04-17 at 11:44 am

    Actually, the word ‘that’ can be repeated eight times in a sentence. As in:

    Is, considering all that, that that that that that that that refers to?

    As an additional comment, if you want to use ‘that’ seven times in a sentence, perhaps it’s easier to understand as a question than a statement. As in:

    Is that that that that that that that refers to?

    As you can see, adding the eighth ‘that’ is simply an expansion of this question. I think it works.

    Thanks for checking and posting this.

    John Allen

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