Other ways of using reported clauses

other verbs used with reported clauses 7.82 There are a few verbs which do not refer to saying, thinking, or learning but which are followed by 'that'-clauses because they refer to actions which relate to facts: for example, checking facts or proving facts.

He checked that both rear doors were safely shut.

Research with animals shows that males will mother an infant as well as any female.

Here is a list of verbs which are not verbs of speech or thought but can be followed by a 'that'-clause:

arrange check demonstrate

determine ensure indicate

pretend prove require

weal show

Note that 'determine' can also be a verb of thought and 'reveal' can also be a verb of speech. See paragraphs 7.27, 7.35, and 7.45.

'Arrange' and 'require' are used with a 'that'-clause containing a modal or a subjunctive. 'Arrange' can also be used with a 'to'-infinitive clause.

The King arranged that I should have the Order of Merit.

They'd arranged to leave at four o'clock.

'Demonstrate', 'prove', 'reveal', and 'show' can also be followed by a clause beginning with a 'wh'-word which refers to a circumstance involved in a fact.

The woman took the gun and showed how the cylinder slotted into the barrel.

'Prove', 'require', and 'show' can also be used in the passive followed by a 'to'-infinitive clause.

No place on earth can be shown to be safe.

If you want to mention another person involved in these actions, you can put an object after 'show', use 'to' after 'demonstrate', 'indicate', 'prove', and 'reveal', and use 'with' after 'arrange' and 'check'.

This attitude of the children showed me that watching violence can lower a child's standards of behaviour.

The way my eyelids had closed proved to me that I was almost as suggestible as Patricia.

She arranged with the principal of her school to take the necessary time off.

7.83 If you want to say that something happens, that something is the case, or that something becomes known, you can use a 'that'-clause after 'happen', 'transpire', or 'emerge'. The subject of the reporting clause is impersonal 'it'.

It often happens that a mother asks for advice and does not get it.

It just happened that he had a client who rather liked that sort of thing.

It transpired that there was not a word of truth in the letter.

It emerged that, during the afternoon, she had gone home unwell.

Note that the 'that'-clause must be introduced by 'that'.

7.84 There are many nouns, such as 'statement', 'advice', and 'opinion', which refer to what someone says or thinks. Many of the nouns used in this way are related to reporting verbs. For example, 'information' is related to 'inform', and 'decision' is related to 'decide'. These nouns can be used in report structures in a similar way to reporting verbs. They are usually followed by a reported clause beginning with 'that'.

He referred to Copernicus' statement that the earth moves around the sun.

He expressed the opinion that Kitchener should be made War Minister.

There was little hope that he would survive.

Here is a list of nouns which have related reporting verbs and which can be used with 'that'-clauses:

admission advice agreement announcement answer argument assertion assumption belief

claim conclusion decision dream expectation explanation feeling guess hope

information knowledge promise reply report response rule rumour saying

sense statement thought threat understanding warning wish

Some of these nouns can also be followed by a 'to'-infinitive clause:

agreement claim

decision hope

promise threat

warning wish

The decision to go had not been an easy one to make.

Barnaby's father had fulfilled his promise to buy his son a horse.

Note that some nouns that are not related to reporting verbs can be followed by 'that'-clauses, because they refer or relate to facts or beliefs. Here is a list of some of these nouns:

advantage benefit confidence danger disadvantage

effect evidence experience fact faith

idea impression news opinion possibility

principle risk sign story tradition

view vision word

He didn't want her to get the idea that he was rich.

I had no evidence that Jed was the killer.

Eventually, a distraught McCoo turned up with the news that his house had just burned down.

7.85 There are many adjectives that can be followed by reported clauses when they are the complement of a link verb, usually 'be'.

7.86 If you want to say what causes someone to have a particular feeling, you can mention the cause of the feeling in a 'that'-clause after an adjective describing the feeling.

Everybody was sad that she had to return to America.

I am confident that I shall be able to persuade them to go.

I was worried that she'd say no.

Here is a list of adjectives describing feelings:

afraid angry anxious

confident frightened glad

happy pleased proud

sad sorry surprised

upset worried

saying what someone knows 7,87 If you want to say that someone knows something, you can say what they know in a 'that'-clause after an adjective such as 'aware' or 'conscious'.

He was aware that he had drunk too much whisky.

I am conscious that I have provided no answer in this book.

Here is a list of adjectives indicating knowledge:

aware certain

conscious convinced

positive sure

unaware

'Aware' is occasionally used with a reported clause beginning with a 'wh'-word.

I am well aware how busy you are at this season of the year.

commenting on a fact 7.88 If you want to comment on a fact, you can use an adjective describing the fact followed by a 'that'-clause. The link verb has impersonal 'it' as its subject.

It was sad that people had reacted in the way they did.

It is true that the authority of parliament has declined.

It is extraordinary that we should ever have met!

It seems probable that the world can go on producing enough food for everyone.

Here is a list of adjectives used to comment on facts:

apparent appropriate awful bad clear

essential evident extraordinary fair funny

good important inevitable interesting likely

lucky natural obvious plain possible

probable sad true unlikely

After a few adjectives, a clause beginning with a 'wh'-word can be used.

It's funny how they don't get on.

It was never clear why she worked all her life as a domestic servant.

For more information see paragraph 10.43.

nominal use of 'that'-clauses 7.89 'That'-clauses can be used as complements after 'be' to refer to a fact or idea. The subject is usually one of the nouns listed in paragraph 7.84.

The fact is that a happy person makes a better worker.

The answer is simply that they are interested in doing it.

The most favoured explanation was that he was finally getting tired.

Our hope is that this time all parties will cooperate.

7.90 In formal English, 'that'-clauses are sometimes used as the subject of a verb, when people want to comment on a fact.

That I write with a bias is natural.

That man can aspire to and achieve goodness is evident through all of history.

In less formal English, 'the fact' plus a 'that'-clause is often used as a subject instead of a simple 'that'-clause.

The fact that what they are doing is illegal is a trivial irrelevance.

The fact that your boss is actually offering to do your job for you should certainty prompt you to question his motives.

The normal way of commenting on a fact is to use an impersonal 'it' structure. See paragraph 7.88.

7.91 People also use 'the fact' plus a 'that'-clause as the object of prepositions and of verbs which cannot be followed by a simple 'that'-clause.

...acknowledgement of the fact that we have no intrinsic right to receive answers to all our questions.

We overlooked the fact that the children's emotional development had been retarded.

7.92 When you want to refer to matters which are not certain or definite or about which a choice has to be made, you can use clauses beginning with a 'wh'-word or 'whether', like the clauses used for reported questions. They can be used after prepositions, and as the subject of verbs such as 'be', 'depend', and 'matter'.

...the question of who should be President of the Board of Trade.

The State is desperately uncertain about what it wants artists to do.

What you get depends on how badly you were injured.

Whether I went twice or not doesn't matter.

Whether you think they are any good or not is irrelevant.

7.93 Structures consisting of a 'wh'-word plus a 'to'-infinitive clause, which refer to a possible course of action, are used after prepositions but not usually as subjects.

...the problem of what to tell the adopted child.

...a book on how to avoid having a heart attack.

People are very worried about how to fill their increased leisure time.

7.94 Note that 'if'-clauses, which are used for reported questions, cannot be used after prepositions or as the subject of a verb.