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You are here: Home / Prepositions / Prepositions before that-clauses

Prepositions before that-clauses

August 22, 2013 - pdf

Prepositions cannot normally be followed by conjunctions. Of course, this is possible in a few cases, but prepositions are normally dropped before that-clauses. This usually happens after words referring to saying, writing, thinking etc.

Compare:

  • I knew about his illness. (Here the preposition about is followed by a noun.)
  • I knew that he was ill. (NOT I knew about that he was ill.)
  • I heard about his problems.
  • I heard that he was facing some problems.
  • I had no idea of his state of mind.
  • I had no idea that he was depressed.
  • I was not aware of his presence in the room. (Here the preposition of is followed by the noun his presence.)
  • I was not aware that he was present in the room. (NOT I was not aware of that he …)

In cases where the preposition cannot be dropped before that, we add the phrase ‘the fact’.

  • I managed to arrive in time for the meeting in spite of the fact that the train was late.
  • (NOT I managed to arrive in time for the meeting in spite of that …) (NOT I managed to arrive in time in spite that …)
  • She paid no attention to the fact that I had the necessary qualifications. (NOT She paid no attention that I had the necessary qualifications.)
  • They went out despite the fact that it was raining. (NOT They went out despite that it was raining.)
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