How to combine two sentences using a that-clause

A that-clause is an example of a noun clause. That-clauses can be the subject or object of the verb in the main clause.

Study the example given below.

• I know. You work hard. (Two sentences)
• I know what? – that you work hard

We can combine these two sentences using the connector ‘that’.

• I know that you work hard.

In this sentence, the that-clause acts as the object of the verb know.

Another example is given below.

• I was not going to be at the meeting. I regretted it. (Two sentences)
• I regretted that I was not going to be at the meeting. (One sentence)

• You believe that you are always right. I admire that belief.
• I admire your belief that you are always right.

• He was cheating on her. She knew it.
• She knew that he was cheating on her.

The fact that…

I have already mentioned that a that-clause can act as the subject of a verb. However, this is unusual. In most cases we use the phrase ‘the fact that’.

• She did not speak English. This made it difficult for her to get a good job. (Two separate sentences)
• The fact that she did not speak English made it difficult for her to get a good job.

• The boy had been missing for days. Still, it didn’t seem to worry anybody.
• The fact that the boy had been missing for days didn’t seem to worry anybody.

The expression ‘the fact that’ is also used after prepositions.

• He did not pay attention to the fact that they often starved her. (NOT He did not pay attention to that they often starved her. We cannot put a that-clause immediately after a preposition.)