The fact that' versus just 'That'?

Question

Recently, I started using just 'That' instead of 'The fact that' at the beginning of some sentences. What is your opinion on this?Example:> 1. The fact that he answered the question wrong shows...2. That he answered the question wrong shows ...What is better style? 1 or 2?

Answer 1

I believe economy in writing is generally better so I would favor using "That..." rather then "The fact that..." But sometimes it depends on the genre of writing, the purpose for writing, the audience etc. So those issues would influence this to some extent.

Regards

Bill N.