Noun clauses after 'the fact that', etc

By using expressions like the fact that and the idea that we can avoid the awkwardness of beginning a sentence with that

The fact that his proposal makes sense should be recognized

The idea that everyone should be required to vote by law is

something I don t agree with

His proposal makes sense This should be recognized These expressions can be used after verbs such as to face

We must face the fact that we might lose our deposit

The fact that also follows prepositions and prepositional phrases [> App 20.3] like because of in view of on account of owing to due to in spite of despite and notwithstanding (formal)

His love of literature was due to the fact that his mother read poetry

to him when he was a child

In spite of/Despite the fact that hotel prices have risen sharply the

number of tourists is as great as ever

The complex sentence noun clauses

Noun clauses after adjectives describing feelings

Many adjectives describing personal feelings (e g afraid glad happy pleased sorry) or certainty (e g certain sure) can be followed bythat (optional) [> App 44] /' m afraid (that) we've sold out of tickets

1.23.5 Transferred negatives after verbs of thinking and feeling
After verbs li ke believe imagine suppose think, we can transfer the
negative from the verb to the that-clause without really changing the
meaning [compare 'contrasting negatives' > 16 14] So, for example,
these pairs of sentences have almost the same meaning

/ don't believe she II arrive before 7 I believe she won't arrive before 7 I don't suppose you can help us I suppose you can't help us