Is "fact" always needed

Question

The following thing is very difficult for me in English. When there is a compound sentence in which the first part is phrase-like and regards to a complex thing which is written in the second part, then the second part usually begins with the word “the fact,” the “circumstance,” “the happening,” or something similar, but in Hungarian no word is said here, but for. e.g. it is said: “revealed by that the,” “manifests itself in that the,” “is rooted in that the,” “I’m interested in that the,” etc.
I don’t know if anybody else has mentioned this problem anywhere, but it’s very difficult for me that there is a half sentence, which is quite complex, and I must decide that it is a fact or a talk or what else. In the following sentences, written by me (now with little modification), I’ve found this problem, and have passed it more or less success. I mean I don’t know if more or less.
What merits special attention, besides, is that they connected all these happenings to the sun’s orbit.
Also, let’s think about the fact that this has already happened earlier too.
About these people we can say far more than the fact that they knew special things.
It must be the same connection which is revealed by the fact that… [sorry, it’s very long – a tradition is mentioned.]
All this shows itself also in the fact that among the ..., after birth, the placenta, having enveloped in bark or grass, must be hung up on trees.
...but she was still called so, expressing exactly the fact that she is... [long again]
the story gains a satiric character?/colour?/feature [I’m sorry it’s, another question but a bit similar one] by the circumstance that it is the wife who undertakes the fight instead of the hero.
So I don’t know if this “fact-typed” word is really always needed.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

KaaJeeI don’t know if this “fact-typed” word is really always needed.

Not always. It can be optional. You show that yourself in one of your examples.

What merits special attention is (the fact) that they connected all these happenings to the sun’s orbit.
____________

The use of a preposition often causes this kind of trouble because most prepositions can't govern a that-clause. Sometimes you can use a synonymous word that doesn't need a preposition.

Let's think about the fact that this has happened before.
> Let's [note / consider] that this has happened before.
> It's worth [noting /considering] that this has happened before.
____________

Sometimes you can substitute another word or just reword the sentence.

The same connection is revealed by the fact that all of these people practice the same tradition.
> The same connection is revealed by observing that all of these people practice the same tradition.
> The same connection is revealed when we observe that all of these people practice the same tradition.

All this shows itself also in the fact that ... must be hung up on trees.
> It is also notable that ... must be hung up on trees.
> An important similarity is that ... must be hung up on trees.
_____________

The exact words have to be known, so "[long again]" doesn't get us anywhere.
...but she was still called so, expressing exactly the fact that she is... [long again]

In a pattern like this it may be possible to substitute a noun for an adjective.

...but she was still called so, expressing exactly the fact that she is so tall.
> ...but she was still called so, expressing her height exactly.

...but she was still called so, expressing exactly the fact that she is disappointed.
> ...but she was still called so, expressing her disappointment exactly.
_____________

"than" doesn't need "the fact":

About these people we can say far more than (the fact) that they knew special things.
> What we can say about these people is far more than that they know special things.

"in" doesn't always need "the fact":

The story takes on a satiric character by the [circumstance/fact] that it is the wife who undertakes the fight instead of the hero.
> The story takes on a satiric character in that it is the wife who undertakes the fight instead of the hero.
_____________

There are no strict rules. All I have given you is a few principles to think about.

CJ

KaaJee · Answer

You've helped me very much again. Thank you!

KaaJee · Answer

Just one more case, sorry:
There's a question first: -What is the meaning of all this? (It regards to a text whose wording is difficult to understand.)
And then I would like to answer approximately in the following way: It can't be anything/It can be nothing(?) but that a foetus obtains consciousness in the womb. This kind of beginning of the sentence is important because it is much more stressed than saying "it must mean that..." I mean that I would like to tell something surprising with this, therefore it must be ephasised. But then a fact-like word is missing again. The problem is that it sounds strange that "It can't be anything/It can be nothing(?) but a foetus's obtaining conscioussness. Or is it a correct predicative structure? If not, the question is: is it a happening (not one happening, but it's about every foetus in the womb), or is it an event, or an occurence, or a process, etc.?

CalifJim · Answer

KaaJeeIt can't be anything/It can be nothing(?) but that a foetus obtains consciousness in the womb.
This kind of beginning of the sentence is important because it is much more stressed than saying "it must mean that..."

I'm having some trouble understanding what you'd like me to advise you on. I think you probably want something like "It means no less than ...". That's often used to say that what follows is considered very significant by the writer.

— What is the meaning of all this?
— The meaning is no less than (the fact) that a fetus becomes conscious in the womb.

("foetus" is a rather old-fashioned spelling. I would not use it in my writing.)

[The claim is very surprising, by the way, because I don't think I became conscious until I was at least six years old! And even now I'm not always so sure.

]

CJ

KaaJee · Answer

Ok, then it's another question, but not a less important question. I've thought that "consciousness" means mind, thinking, and first of all, perception of the world, senses, so I mean everything which is the work of a brain. Then what is the right and clear word for this?
The truth is that I try to tell my opinion about some ancient myths. So, it wasn't right to say that I'm talk about a text whose wording is difficult. It's a clear wording, only symbolic. It has a happening, a story, and the scene is not the womb but the world, with human adult characters, but it is symbolically about prenatal events and birth, in my opinion. Therefore I think it's an accident that what I would like to say is similar to the phrase "the meaning is no less than..." Because I wanted to mean like this: No, it's not about this or that (which is thought by other people) but about..." I hope now you understand.
So, there are several myths, which are about some prenatal human souls. And in this topic I've worded the following thoughts, in which I use the word "consciousness."
Souls obtain consciousness by being born as human, don’t they? No-one can remember anything that previously was. [That is how I try to explain the meaning conveyed by a given myth.]
This *** endows the souls with consciousness. ... These souls can perceive anything in this world by means of their being born as humans.
...a soul has been existing long before life but when it attains consciousness, it is the beginning of a human life – life and consciousness are really inseparable from each other.
Giving life is giving consciousness – anything can be lived through by means of consciousness.
Since the essence of rebirth is one’s attaining the new consciousness, and due to that, consciousness counts as a notion synonymous with procreative power, the souls must collect wisdom. [They gather the honey of wisdom in shape of bees in a mythical story.]
Every human can see the world when being born by consciousness or he or she creates the world for himself/herself by being born.
The fetus continually acquires consciousness.
...the idea that the spirit-soul gains consciousness when it turns into a human soul.
In all these sentences I thought that "mind" has too wide meaning, and I thought that "consciousness" has the required definite meaning, but now I'm not sure.

CalifJim · Answer

KaaJeeI've thought that "consciousness" means mind, thinking, and first of all, perception of the world, senses, so I mean everything which is the work of a brain. Then what is the right and clear word for this?

consciousness

I hope you realize that what I wrote in brackets was a joke.

KaaJeeIn all these sentences I thought that "mind" has too wide meaning, and I thought that "consciousness" has the required definite meaning, but now I'm not sure.

Your use of "consciousness" in those sentences is fine.

CJ

KaaJee · Answer

Yes, I've realized, however, I can create a further problem practically out of everything, so thank you for telling me it's not the time of doing so. <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

Is "fact" always needed

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