hear, see, etc with that-clause

The present-tense forms I hear (that) … and I see (that) … are often used to introduce pieces of news which one has heard or seen.

• I hear (that) Alice is expecting a baby.
• I see (that) the firemen are going on strike.

Some other verbs can be used like this. Common examples are understand and gather. These are often used to check information.

• ‘I understand you’re moving to a new job.’ ‘Yes, that’s right.’
• ‘I gather you didn’t like the party.’ ‘What makes you say that?’