Noun Clauses
A sentence which contains just one clause is called a simple
sentence.
A sentence which contains one independent clause
and one or more dependent clauses is called a complex sentence.
(Dependent clauses are also called subordinate clauses.)
There are three basic types of dependent clauses: adjective
clauses, adverb clauses, and noun clauses. (Adjective clauses are
also called relative clauses.)
A. Noun
clauses perform the same functions in sentences that nouns do:
A noun
clause can be a subject of a verb:
What Billy did shocked his friends.
A noun
clause can be an object of a verb:
Billy’s friends didn’t know that
he couldn’t swim.
A noun
clause can be a subject complement:
Billy’s mistake was that he
refused to take lessons.
A noun
clause can be an object of a preposition:
Mary is not responsible for what
Billy did.
A noun
clause (but not a noun) can be an adjective complement:
Everybody is sad that Billy
drowned.
B. You can
combine two independent clauses by changing one to a noun clause and using it
in one of the ways listed above. The choice of the noun clause marker (see below)
depends on the type of clause you are changing to a noun clause:
To change a statement
to a noun clause use that:
I know + Billy made a mistake =
I know that Billy made a mistake.
To change a yes/no
question to a noun clause, use if or whether:
George wonders + Does Fred know how
to cook? =
George wonders if Fred knows how
to cook.
To change a wh-question
to a noun clause, use the wh-word:
I don’t know + Where is George? =
I don’t know where George is.
C. The
subordinators in noun clauses are called noun clause markers. Here is a list of the noun clause
markers:
that
if, whether
Wh-words: how, what, when, where, which,
who, whom, whose, why
Wh-ever words: however, whatever, whenever,
wherever, whichever, whoever, whomever
D. Except
for that, noun clause markers cannot be omitted. Only that can be omitted, but
it can be omitted only if it is not the first word in a sentence:
correct:
Billy’s friends didn’t know that
he couldn’t swim.
correct:
Billy’s friends didn’t know he
couldn’t swim.
correct:
Billy’s mistake was that he
refused to take lessons.
correct:
Billy’s mistake was he refused to
take lessons.
correct:
That Billy jumped off the pier surprised everyone.
not correct:
* Billy jumped off the pier
surprised everyone.
E. Statement
word order is always used in a noun clause, even if the main clause is a
question:
not correct:
* Do you know what time is it?
(Question word order: is it)
correct:
Do you know what time it is?
(Statement word order: it is)
not correct:
* Everybody wondered where did
Billy go. (Question word order: did Billy go)
correct:
Everybody wondered where Billy
went. (Statement word order: Billy went)
F. Sequence
of tenses in sentences containing noun clauses:
When the
main verb (the verb in the independent clause) is present, the verb in
the noun clause is:
future if its action/state is later
He thinks that the exam next
week will be hard.
He thinks that the exam next
week is going to be hard.
present if its action/state is at the same
time
He thinks that Mary is
taking the exam right now.
past if its action/state is earlier
He thinks that George took
the exam yesterday.
When the
main verb (the verb in the independent clause) is past, the verb in the
noun clause is:
was/were
going to or would
+ BASE if its action/state is later
He thought that the exam the
following week was going to be hard.
He thought that the exam the
following week would be hard.
past if its action/state is at the same
time
He thought that Mary was
taking the exam then.
past perfect if its action/state is earlier
He thought that George had
taken the exam the day before.
If the
action/state of the noun clause is still in the future (that is, after
the writer has written the sentence), then a future verb can be used
even if the main verb is past.
The astronaut said that
people will live on other planets someday.
If the
action/state of the noun clause continues in the present (that is, at
the time the writer is writing the sentence) or if the noun clause expresses a general
truth or fact, the simple present tense can be used even if the main
verb is past.
We learned that English is
not easy.
The boys knew that the sun rises
in the east.
G. Here are
some examples of sentences which contain one noun clause (underlined)
and one independent clause:
Noun clauses
as subjects of verbs:
That George learned how to swim is a miracle.
Whether Fred can get a better job is not certain.
What Mary said confused her parents.
However you learn to spell is OK with me.
Noun clauses
as objects of verbs:
We didn’t know that Billy would
jump.
We didn’t know Billy would jump.
Can you tell me if Fred is here?
I don’t know where he is.
George eats whatever is on his
plate.
Noun clauses
as subject complements:
The truth is that Billy was not
very smart.
The truth is Billy was not very
smart.
The question is whether other
boys will try the same thing.
The winner will be whoever runs
fastest.
Noun clauses
as objects of prepositions:
Billy didn’t listen to what Mary
said.
He wants to learn about whatever
is interesting.
Noun clauses
as adjective complements:
He is happy that he is learning
English.
We are all afraid that the final
exam will be difficult.
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