fact

phrases

• after the fact

  after something has happened, when it is impossible to change

  On some vital decisions, senators were informed only after the fact.

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• the fact (of the matter) is

  used for emphasizing what you think is the true situation or the most important point

  The fact is, he lost because he didn’t try very hard.

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• a fact of life

  something that you may not like but have to accept because it is always there or always true

  The need to ration healthcare resources is a fact of life.

  We must face the facts of life: in a recession, jobs are always being lost.

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• the fact remains that

  used for emphasizing that something is still true despite what people have said or done

  Everyone talks about sexual equality, but the fact remains that women are paid less than men.

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• the fact that

  used after expressions such as “due to” or “in view of” when you are giving some extra information

  The increase in the rate of divorce may be partly due to the fact that people live longer.

  Some topics were not discussed in view of the fact that there were children present.

  I don’t like early mornings anyway, apart from the fact that I hardly slept last night.

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• facts and figures

  pieces of information about something, rather than opinions or ideas

  Let me give you just a few facts and figures.

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• the facts of life

  the facts about sex and how babies are made

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• the facts speak for themselves

  used for saying that the facts of a particular situation provide all the necessary, true information about it

  We do not have to defend our record: the facts speak for themselves.

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• get your facts straight/right

  to have the correct information about something, especially before criticizing someone or arguing with them

  Before you start blaming us, you should get your facts straight.

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• in (actual) fact

  1. 1

     used for saying what is really true, when this is surprising or different from what people think

     Managers worry about employees leaving for other companies, but in fact they are more likely to stay.

     He was paid money for a job that did not in fact exist.

     In actual fact, she was quite right.

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  2. 2

     used when you are adding something to what you have just said, especially something surprising

     I haven’t seen him for years. In fact, I can’t even remember what he looks like.

     She’s a friend of mine, a very close friend in fact.

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• is that a fact?

  spoken
  used for answering someone when they have told you something that you consider surprising or unlikely to happen

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• it is a fact that

  used for emphasizing a statement

  It is an undeniable fact that most people break the speed limit.

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• know for a fact (that)

  used for emphasizing that you are sure something is true

  I know for a fact that he was lying.

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• that’s a fact

  used for emphasizing that you know something is true or agree that it is true

  We’re all getting too old for this and that’s a fact.

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