"The Fact That" Nominal Clauses in Technical English
5 exercises — practise nominalizing propositions with "the fact that" in technical justifications and root-cause analyses.
0 / 20 completed
1 / 20
Which sentence correctly uses "the fact that" as the subject of the sentence in a technical justification?
"The fact that the cache invalidates on every write explains the latency spike" is correct: "the fact that" introduces a full clause functioning as the subject, and "that" must be included to mark the clause boundary clearly. Option B omits "that", which is possible informally but not the standard, unambiguous form expected in technical writing. Option C incorrectly inserts a comma between the subject clause and the verb "explains", separating the subject from its verb. Option D replaces "the" with "that", producing an ungrammatical determiner sequence.
2 / 20
Choose the sentence where "the fact that" is used correctly as the object of a preposition.
"We proceeded despite the fact that the tests were still failing" is correct: "despite" takes "the fact that + clause" as its object, a standard way to concede a fact before stating a contrasting action. Option B moves "that" to the end, which is ungrammatical. Option C incorrectly adds "of" after "despite", which does not take "of" before a noun phrase. Option D places the object before the preposition, producing an ungrammatical word order.
3 / 20
Which sentence correctly avoids unnecessary use of "the fact that" for a more concise, direct statement?
"The team ignored the fact that the logs showed repeated timeouts" is correct and idiomatic: "ignore" typically takes a noun phrase object, so "the fact that + clause" fills that slot naturally; a bare "that-clause" directly after "ignored" (option A) sounds unnatural because "ignore" does not usually take a plain that-clause as object. Option C awkwardly passivizes and reorders the sentence, producing unnatural, unclear phrasing. Option D adds a needless cleft structure that makes the sentence harder to parse without adding clarity.
4 / 20
Select the sentence that correctly uses "the fact that" as a subject complement after "is".
"The reason for the outage is the fact that a certificate expired unnoticed" is correct: "the fact that + clause" serves as the subject complement after the linking verb "is", with "that" clearly marking the start of the clause. Option B omits "that", which is grammatically acceptable but less precise and clear in formal technical writing, particularly where the sentence is already dense. Option C incorrectly substitutes "that fact" for "the fact that", reversing the required structure. Option D inserts an unnecessary comma inside the clause, breaking its flow.
5 / 20
Which sentence correctly uses "the fact that" as the object of a verb in a root-cause analysis?
"The postmortem highlights the fact that no rollback plan existed" is correct: "the fact that + clause" functions as the direct object of "highlights", correctly formed with the definite article and the clause-introducing "that" in place. Option B moves "the fact" to the end, producing an ungrammatical sentence. Option C omits the required article "the" before "fact", which is ungrammatical. Option D misplaces "that" inside the clause instead of at its start, garbling the structure.
6 / 20
During a Slack discussion about performance degradation, Sarah said, "The fact that the server response time has increased by 30% is concerning.". Which phrasing best reflects the intended meaning and demonstrates correct use of "the fact that"?
Option 0 correctly utilizes "the fact that" as the subject of the sentence. It highlights the key piece of information driving the concern. Options 1 and 2 rephrase the idea unnecessarily, while option 3 simply states a fact without context or analysis. Using 'the fact that' here sets up a clear cause-and-effect relationship.
7 / 20
In a code review comment for a newly submitted pull request, David wrote: "The fact that the database connection pool is exhausted is causing intermittent errors.". What grammatical role does "the fact that" fulfill in this sentence?
Option 1 is correct. "The fact that" functions as the object of the preposition 'of', indicating what is causing the errors. Options 2 and 4 are incorrect because it doesn't follow a subject or complement structure. Option 3 is wrong – 'is' here describes the state, not a direct comparison.
8 / 20
A developer, Mark, was documenting an API endpoint. He wrote: "The fact that this endpoint requires authentication is documented in the README.". Which of the following best describes the function of 'the fact that' here?
Option 2 is correct. "The fact that" here connects 'this endpoint' (the subject) with the action of requiring authentication— it establishes a relationship showing *why* the information is documented. Options 1 and 3 are too simplistic; option 4 incorrectly suggests a subordinate clause.
9 / 20
"The fact that the system has been running for 5 years without major incidents is a testament to our team's diligence.". What does this sentence primarily convey?
Option 3 is correct. The sentence uses 'the fact that' to introduce a positive observation - the lack of major incidents over time— highlighting the team's work. Options 1, 2 and 4 misinterpret the meaning by associating negative outcomes with the statement.
10 / 20
"The fact that the user reported a bug is sufficient to trigger an investigation.". What does this sentence indicate about the level of information required for action?
Option 2 is correct. The sentence demonstrates that the report of a bug— 'the fact that'—is sufficient to initiate an investigation. It doesn't demand all details yet, but it does warrant immediate attention. Options 1 and 3 are too demanding; option 4 suggests insufficient information.
11 / 20
During a Slack discussion about performance degradation, Sarah said, "The fact that the server response time has increased by 30% is concerning.". Which phrasing best reflects the intended meaning and demonstrates correct use of "the fact that"?
Option 0 correctly utilizes "the fact that" as the subject of the sentence. It highlights the key piece of information driving the concern. Options 1 and 2 rephrase the idea unnecessarily, while option 3 simply states a fact without context or analysis. Using 'the fact that' here sets up a clear cause-and-effect relationship.
12 / 20
In a code review comment for a newly submitted pull request, David wrote: "The fact that the database connection pool is exhausted is causing intermittent errors.". What grammatical role does "the fact that" fulfill in this sentence?
Option 1 is correct. "The fact that" functions as the object of the preposition 'of', indicating what is causing the errors. Options 2 and 4 are incorrect because it doesn't follow a subject or complement structure. Option 3 is wrong – 'is' here describes the state, not a direct comparison.
13 / 20
A developer, Mark, was documenting an API endpoint. He wrote: "The fact that this endpoint requires authentication is documented in the README.". Which of the following best describes the function of 'the fact that' here?
Option 2 is correct. "The fact that" here connects 'this endpoint' (the subject) with the action of requiring authentication— it establishes a relationship showing *why* the information is documented. Options 1 and 3 are too simplistic; option 4 incorrectly suggests a subordinate clause.
14 / 20
"The fact that the system has been running for 5 years without major incidents is a testament to our team's diligence.". What does this sentence primarily convey?
Option 3 is correct. The sentence uses 'the fact that' to introduce a positive observation - the lack of major incidents over time— highlighting the team's work. Options 1, 2 and 4 misinterpret the meaning by associating negative outcomes with the statement.
15 / 20
"The fact that the user reported a bug is sufficient to trigger an investigation.". What does this sentence indicate about the level of information required for action?
Option 2 is correct. The sentence demonstrates that the report of a bug— 'the fact that'—is sufficient to initiate an investigation. It doesn't demand all details yet, but it does warrant immediate attention. Options 1 and 3 are too demanding; option 4 suggests insufficient information.
16 / 20
During a Slack discussion about performance degradation, Sarah said, "The fact that the server response time has increased by 30% is concerning.". Which phrasing best reflects the intended meaning and demonstrates correct use of "the fact that"?
Option 0 correctly utilizes "the fact that" as the subject of the sentence. It highlights the key piece of information driving the concern. Options 1 and 2 rephrase the idea unnecessarily, while option 3 simply states a fact without context or analysis. Using 'the fact that' here sets up a clear cause-and-effect relationship.
17 / 20
In a code review comment for a newly submitted pull request, David wrote: "The fact that the database connection pool is exhausted is causing intermittent errors.". What grammatical role does "the fact that" fulfill in this sentence?
Option 1 is correct. "The fact that" functions as the object of the preposition 'of', indicating what is causing the errors. Options 2 and 4 are incorrect because it doesn't follow a subject or complement structure. Option 3 is wrong – 'is' here describes the state, not a direct comparison.
18 / 20
A developer, Mark, was documenting an API endpoint. He wrote: "The fact that this endpoint requires authentication is documented in the README.". Which of the following best describes the function of 'the fact that' here?
Option 2 is correct. "The fact that" here connects 'this endpoint' (the subject) with the action of requiring authentication— it establishes a relationship showing *why* the information is documented. Options 1 and 3 are too simplistic; option 4 incorrectly suggests a subordinate clause.
19 / 20
"The fact that the system has been running for 5 years without major incidents is a testament to our team's diligence.". What does this sentence primarily convey?
Option 3 is correct. The sentence uses 'the fact that' to introduce a positive observation - the lack of major incidents over time— highlighting the team's work. Options 1, 2 and 4 misinterpret the meaning by associating negative outcomes with the statement.
20 / 20
"The fact that the user reported a bug is sufficient to trigger an investigation.". What does this sentence indicate about the level of information required for action?
Option 2 is correct. The sentence demonstrates that the report of a bug— 'the fact that'—is sufficient to initiate an investigation. It doesn't demand all details yet, but it does warrant immediate attention. Options 1 and 3 are too demanding; option 4 suggests insufficient information.
What will I practise in ""The Fact That" Nominal Clauses in Technical English — IT Grammar Exercise"?
Practise using "the fact that + clause" as a subject, object, or complement to nominalize a proposition in technical justifications and postmortems, and when
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 20 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
Is this exercise free to use?
Yes. Every exercise on CoderSlingo, including this one, is free to use with no account, sign-up, or paywall.
Do I need to create an account to do these exercises?
No account is required. Just click an option to answer — your score for this session is tracked automatically in the progress bar above.
What happens if I choose the wrong answer?
You'll immediately see which answer was correct, plus a full explanation covering the grammar rule and reasoning behind it — mistakes are where most of the learning happens.
Can I retry the exercises if I want a higher score?
Yes — use the "Try again" button on the results screen to reset and go through all the questions again.
Is my progress saved if I close the page?
No. Progress is tracked only for your current visit; reloading or leaving the page resets the counter. This keeps the exercise simple and account-free.
Where can I find more Grammar exercises?
Browse the full Grammar hub for related drills, or check the "Next up" link below to continue with a connected topic.
How is this different from reading an article on the same topic?
Articles explain grammar rules in prose; this exercise tests and reinforces those rules through active recall with immediate feedback — the two work best together.
Who writes these exercises?
Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.