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Reporting statements

clauses
indirect speech

reporting clause + that-clause

When we report a statement, we often use a that-clause after the reporting clause:

Tom: I don't know her.
 Tom told me that he didn't know her.

That is often omitted after certain reporting verbs in informal styles:

SAY, TELL and ASK

clauses
indirect speech

SAY SOMETHING

The direct object of say can be a noun, a that-clause (that can be omitted in informal styles) or an indirect question (in negatives and questions when the information is not actually reported):

The gerund as a subject complement

clauses
gerund

A gerund clause can be a subject complement after be:

What I really like is travelling to other countries.
Seeing is believing.

The gerund as the object of a verb

clauses
gerund

A gerund clause can be the object of a verb:

I really enjoy swimming in the sea.
Jill suggested going for a drink.
The car managed to avoid hitting any other vehicles.

The TO-infinitive as a subject complement

clauses
infinitive

A to-infinitive clause can be a subject complement after be:

My advice is to file a complaint at once.
What is essential is to maintain a healthy diet.
The decision was to extend the deadline by three months.

The TO-infinitive as subject

clauses
infinitive

A to-infinitive clause can be the subject of a sentence:

To tell the truth is always right.
To complain would seem ungrateful.

But it is more common to start with the introductory it and place the to-infinitive clause at the end of the sentence:

The TO-infinitive in non-finite relative clauses

clauses
emphasis
infinitive
superlatives

The to-infinitive is often used in non-finite defining relative clauses after ordinal numbers (the first, the second etc.), superlatives (the best, the most beautiful etc.) and after next, last and only:

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