Reporting Verb that-clause

[JH]

I am having difficulties trying to understand the "reporting verb + that clause" rule in the SC Guide book.

In OG and prep, I see multiple questions with answer choices such as:

A. that (Subject+Verb)
B. of verb-ing
C. to verb
D. verb-ing
E. verb that

Each question contains only two of the above choices but I am not 100% sure when to use each of the above choices. Could you please provide me with explanation as well as examples?

Thanks,

[JonathanSchneider]

I'll leave you to come up with more examples, because I believe your hunt for them in specific problems will help you.

Part of the reason that we prefer to use "that" in such cases is because the word "that" makes the idea very clear and concise. A series of prepositional phrases does not.

For example, "His hypothesis that ants were destroying the foundation was justified." Better than: "His hypothesis of the foundation being destroyed by the ants." A number of times we will get the word "being" in phrases such as this, a giveaway that it is incorrect.