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🌱 B2 English Grammar • 12 Minutes

Noun + That-Clause

Learn how to connect abstract thoughts, facts, and possibilities with full clauses in natural English.

Target Vocabulary

storage • collection • catalogue • dormant • germinate • withstand • sturdy • pest • blight • wilt

GUIDE How to Use This Lesson

👨‍🏫 For the Teacher

Guide learners through the 4 rule patterns, taking about 12 minutes for reading and explanation. Use the automatic answer checks in each exercise to verify understanding instantly.

🎓 For the Learner

Read the 4 simple rules and study the example sentences first to see how key words fit together. Next, complete the 12 practice questions to check your knowledge.

Theme Context: Global Seed Banks & Crop Diversity

Grammar Rules: Noun + That-Clause

Study how each noun type pairs with that and a full clause.

ROW 1: Basic Thoughts & Information

fact, idea, belief, news

Put a word like fact, idea, belief, or news before that and then a complete statement. Never put what or which instead of that, and do not put a comma before that.

Examples:

🌱 The belief that old seed varieties are sturdier keeps farmers planting them.

📦 The news that the vault added a new collection spread quickly.

📰 The belief that the old way is best keeps many people from changing.

ROW 2: Future & Risk Nouns

hope, fear, risk, chance

When you talk about something that might happen later, put hope, fear, risk, or chance before that and use will or would in your statement. If the same person has the feeling and takes the action, use of + -ing action word instead.

Examples:

🌾 There is a risk that the potato blight will return this season.

🌊 There is a risk that the river will rise again tonight.

🧬 Scientists act in the hope of saving dormant seeds before they die.

ROW 3: Confirmed Realities

the fact that

Put the phrase the fact that before something that is completely true and known by everyone. This whole group of words can stand at the start of a sentence as the main topic. Never say the fact of followed by a normal sentence.

Examples:

❄️ The fact that seeds can stay dormant for decades surprises many people.

🛡️ The fact that the crop could withstand the cold helped the village survive.

🏪 The fact that the shop was shut did not surprise anyone.

ROW 4: Uncountable Words

evidence, news

Some words cannot be counted with numbers or given an a or an. Use words like little or no before evidence, or say a piece of news when talking about one message. This pattern often starts sentences with there is or there was.

Examples:

🐛 There is little evidence that this pest will destroy the sturdy wheat.

🥀 Farmers had no news that their wilted crops could be saved.

🚧 There was no news that the road had reopened.

📌 Pattern Showcase

How the structure flows in natural sentences

"There is a hope that the rain will come before the end of the week."

Why this works: You start with a lead-in ("There is"), add your abstract noun ("a hope"), connect it with "that", and finish with a full statement containing its own subject and future verb ("the rain will come...").

✅ DO THIS (Correct Patterns)

Use that after nouns to introduce a complete sentence statement.
Use the fact that when a true reality acts as the subject of your sentence.
Use little evidence or a piece of news for uncountable words.

⚠️ AVOID THIS (Common Mistakes)

The idea which seeds can wait... (Never use which/what here)
The fact of the shop was closed... (Don't use "fact of" before a clause)
An evidence shows that... (Never use "an" with evidence or news)

Interactive Practice

12 items from basic to advanced. Read clues carefully!

✏️

Part 1: Choose the correct sentence

1 Hint: (thought)

Which sentence correctly expresses a thought about seeds sprouting after storage?

____ a. The idea that dormant seeds can germinate after long storage surprises many visitors. ____ b. The idea which dormant seeds can germinate after long storage surprises many visitors. ____ c. The idea what dormant seeds can germinate after long storage surprises many visitors.

2 Hint: (rule)

Which sentence follows punctuation and structure rules correctly?

____ a. The belief, that cold storage protects rare crops, is accepted worldwide. ____ b. The belief what cold storage protects rare crops is accepted worldwide. ____ c. The belief that cold storage protects rare crops is accepted worldwide.

3 Hint: (proof)

Which sentence uses uncountable proof words correctly?

____ a. There is an evidence that this pest can harm sturdy grains. ____ b. There is no evidence that this pest can harm sturdy grains. ____ c. There is no evidence of this pest can harm sturdy grains.

Part 2: Rewrite the sentence using the named noun + that

4 Hint: (hope)

Original: "We hope the sturdy crop will withstand the harsh frost."

Instructions: Rewrite starting with "We have hope..."

____

5 Hint: (fear)

Original: "Farmers fear the potato blight will destroy their harvest."

Instructions: Rewrite starting with "There is a fear..."

____

6 Hint: (truth)

Original: "The seed catalogue was lost, and that delayed the research."

Instructions: Rewrite using "The fact that the seed catalogue was lost..." as the main subject.

____

Part 3: Fill in the missing words

7 Hint: (danger)

Without enough water, there is a ____ that the delicate seedlings will wilt.

8 Hint: (reality)

____ seeds remain dormant in freezing temperatures is well documented.

9 Hint: (news)

The botanist shared a ____ that a rare seed collection had been discovered.

Part 4: Correct the error in messages to a friend

10 Hint: (error)

💬 Message: "Hey, I read an evidence that this sturdy wheat survives drought. Is that true?"

Choose the corrected version of the underlined phrase:

____ a. "I read evidence that this sturdy wheat..." ____ b. "I read an evidence which this sturdy wheat..." ____ c. "I read the fact of this sturdy wheat..."

11 Hint: (grammar)

💬 Message: "The manager was happy about the fact of the dormant seeds germinated so fast!"

Choose the corrected version of the underlined phrase:

____ a. "...about the fact of that the dormant seeds..." ____ b. "...about the fact that the dormant seeds..." ____ c. "...about the fact which the dormant seeds..."

12 Hint: (word)

💬 Message: "We just heard the news which a new blight was found in the field."

Choose the corrected version of the underlined phrase:

____ a. "...heard the news that a new blight..." ____ b. "...heard the news what a new blight..." ____ c. "...heard the news, that a new blight..."

Grammar: Noun + That-Clause

Noun + That-Clause

GUIDE How to Use This Lesson

Grammar Rules: Noun + That-Clause

fact, idea, belief, news

hope, fear, risk, chance

the fact that

evidence, news

How the structure flows in natural sentences

Interactive Practice

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