That-clauses

Verbs commonly followed bythatinclude reporting verbs (say, tell, admit, etc.) and mental process verbs (believe, think, know, hope, etc.):

Theysaidthatfour million workers stayed at home to protest against the tax.

The surveyindicatedthat28 per cent would prefer to buy a house through a building society than through a bank.

Heknewthatsomething bad had happened.

Do youthinkthatthey forgot to pay or that they stole it?

We usebe+ adjective +that-clause to express opinions and feelings. Some adjectives commonly used in this way aresure, certain, right, important, afraid, pleased, sorry, surprised, worried. We can omitthatwith no change in meaning:

It’simportant(that) we look at the problem in more detail.

I’msure(that) you’ll know a lot of people there.

Theywereafraid(that) we were going to be late.

We use a noun +that-clause to express opinions and feelings, often about certainty and possibility. We also usethatwith reporting nouns. Some nouns commonly used in this way arebelief, fact, hope, idea, possibility, suggestion, statement, claim, comment, argument:

He is also having intensive treatment in thehopethathe will be able to train on Friday.

Dutch police are investigating thepossibilitythata bomb was planted on the jet.