Salute vs saluting

[NHHL]

- When they were in high school, one of the things they hated the most was salute the flag every morning.

- One of my professors in my university said that I should change "salute" to "saluting" and add "that" between "things" and "they" in this context. I think "salute" works fine and this sentence still makes sense without "that" in this context. What do you think?

Thanks for your opinions!

NHHL

 

[Copyright]

I think you need saluting and I think that that is optional in this case.

A simpler example:
The thing he hated most was running.
The thing he hated most was run.

 

[natkretep]

Yes, 'that' is optional. The verb be (is, are, was, were, been being) can be used for a construction like the equation A = B, and in this construction the A and B must be noun or noun-like. That is why you need the -ing form, as Copyright has said.

• The thing I like most is constructing models. (less formal)
• The thing I like most is the construction of models. (more formal)

The more formal version of your sentence is

• ... one of the things they hated the most was the saluting of the flag every morning.