Omitting こと in a list of actions

This one was really weird the first time I came across it and it was hard to parse until I asked a native speaker to explain it to me.

Here’s the example that saw:

no こと example

とにかく今回でわかったのは、素直な態度は吉と出るって事、思った事は言う、行動するだ！

First of all, this confusing sentence employs another slang technique of implied quotes (see the だ at the end), but what is very misleading is the way the sub-phrases 思った事は言う and 行動する are separated.

Here is how the full sentence is broken down:

今回でわかったのは (= the things that I learned this time are…):

  • 素直な態度は吉と出るってこと
  • 思ったことは言う(こと)
  • 行動する(こと)

だ

Basically the speaker is listing 3 actions that he learned, but they are three somewhat separate clauses that should’ve been nominalized. It’s just somewhat implied.

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