Nominalization with 'The fact that'

At its heart, this pattern is about nominalization. That is just a fancy word for "making things act like nouns." Usually, nouns are simple like dog or coffee. But sometimes, your "thing" is a whole event. For example: He forgot my birthday. That is a full sentence. What if you want to say that event made you sad? You cannot just say: He forgot my birthday made me sad. That sounds broken. You need a bridge. You use the fact that. It wraps the first sentence up. Now it is a single noun unit: The fact that he forgot my birthday made me sad. It works like a grammar traffic light. It tells the reader exactly how to process the information. It holds the clause together while you add more details.

1. 1Creating this structure is very logical. Just follow these steps:
2. 2Start with the magic phrase The fact that.
3. 3Add your full clause (Subject + Verb + Object).
4. 4Use this entire block as your new subject or object.
5. 5Add your main verb for the whole sentence.
6. 6Example: The fact that (1) + you are here (2) + is (3) + wonderful (4).
7. 7Notice that you are here is a complete sentence on its own. The fact that simply gives it a new job. It is like putting a hat on a sentence. The sentence is still the same. But now it has a specific role in a bigger story. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes! They often forget the that. Stay sharp and keep it in there.

Use this when you want to focus on a specific reality. It is great for giving reasons. It is perfect for showing contrast.

• In Subject Position: The fact that she won surprised everyone.
• After Prepositions: English hates putting that clauses directly after prepositions like of, about, or to. You must use the fact that. Correct: I am worried about the fact that he is late.
• With Emotions: Use it to explain why you feel a certain way. I love the fact that you always call me.
• Formal Writing: It sounds much more academic than starting with Because.

Think of a job interview. You might say: I am proud of the fact that I hit all my targets. It sounds solid. It sounds grounded in reality. It is much stronger than just saying I hit my targets.

Do not use it if a simple noun works better. It can make your writing feel "wordy" or heavy. If you can say the same thing in three words, do it.

• Avoid Wordiness: The fact that it was raining caused the delay is okay. The rain caused the delay is often better.
• Check the Flow: If your sentence has too many that words, it gets confusing.
• Don't Force It: If you are ordering food, don't say I like the fact that this burger is cheesy. Just say This burger is great.

Think of it like salt. A little bit makes the meal better. Too much makes it impossible to swallow. Use it when the sentence structure actually demands a noun clause.

One big mistake is omitting that. The fact he is here is good is common in speech. But in C1 writing, it is a no-no.

Another mistake is using The fact that when you really mean Whether.

• ✗ The fact that he comes or not is unknown.
• ✓ Whether he comes or not is unknown.

Also, watch out for double subjects. Do not say: The fact that he is late, it annoys me. The it is extra. The whole fact clause is already the subject. It is like wearing two belts. One is enough! Keep your sentences lean and clean. Even university students trip over this extra pronoun sometimes. Don't be that person.

How does this differ from just using That? You can say: That he is late is obvious. This is very formal. It feels old-fashioned. Using The fact that is more modern and natural.

Compare it to Because. Because he was late, we missed the start. This focuses on the reason. The fact that he was late caused us to miss the start. This focuses on the event itself.

Then there is the gerund (-ing). His being late annoyed me. This is grammatically correct. But it can feel a bit stiff. The fact that he was late annoyed me is the standard choice for most native speakers today. It is the middle ground between casual and overly formal.