Question

But the shops that in the past were very small,这句话有语病吗

Answer 1

有.改为 But the shops in the past were very small.句中多了个 that,in the past 介词短语作shops 的定语,that 引导定语从句句中没谓语,要加谓语就显得句子累赘,所以去掉 that 就可以了