[Grammar] The greatest damage being done to our planet today is that being done by humans.

[newkeenlearner]

hi everyone,
Don't you think that the "that" have to be left out from the following sentence?

The greatest damage being done to our planet today is that being done by humans.

thanks.

 

[newkeenlearner]

No, it doesn't have to be left out. It can be, though that version has a slightly different meaning,

I think of 'that' as a introduction of a clause. Maybe 'that' here will refer to 'damage'.
Is it true?

 

[GoesStation]

I think of 'that' as an introduction of a clause. Maybe 'that' [STRIKE]here will[/STRIKE] refers to 'damage'.
Is [STRIKE]it[/STRIKE] that true?

"That" replaces "the damage" in your sentence. In my corrected version of your question above, it replaces "Maybe 'that' refers to 'damage'".