Use of the word "that" in "The body is that of a..."

Question

I have seen the word "that" used in sentences like the one below in newspapers whenever a body is found.

"Police believe the body is that of a man seen entering the water at Watermead Park on Friday"

My question has to do with the use of the word "that", which I feel is redundant here. Is there a particular reason why it is used? Is it only used in this context?

Answer 1

In this context "that" is an anaphoric (backward-pointing) pronoun referring to "body". In other words, "the body is the body of a man..." . An alternative pronoun that also fits here is "one".

The construction can certainly be used in other contexts. For example,

• The dress is that of a person who has more money than taste.
• Your answer is that of someone who knows nothing about the subject.

As to whether "that" is redundant here, I suspect views will differ. I find its omission only marginally acceptable in your example, but not at all in my examples.