Understanding Noun Clause
Noun clause is a dependent clause that functions as a noun (noun).
This noun clause can function as subject or object of a clause or a phrase in another.
It acts as a noun, it can be replaced with the pronoun "it".
ex:
noun clause function noun clause.
See The Sentence for definitions of sentence, clause, and dependent clause.
Noun clause is a dependent clause that functions as a noun (noun).
This noun clause can function as subject or object of a clause or a phrase in another.
It acts as a noun, it can be replaced with the pronoun "it".
ex:
- I forgot the fact. (noun)
- I forgot it. (pronoun)
- I forgot that the fact was very important. (noun clause)
noun clause function noun clause.
Function | Noun Clause | ||
---|---|---|---|
Subject of a Verb | What she cooked was delicious. | ||
That today is his birthday is not right. | |||
Subject complement | The fact is that she is smart and dilligent. | ||
A teacher must be whoever is patient. | |||
Object of a Verb | Diana believes that her life will be happier. | ||
I want to know how Einstein thought. | |||
Object of a preposition | The girl comes from where many people there live in poverty. | ||
He will attend the party with whichever fits to his body. |
See The Sentence for definitions of sentence, clause, and dependent clause.
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.)
This page
contains information about noun clauses. Also see Adjective Clauses
and Adverb 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.
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http://grammar.about.com/od/mo/g/nounclauseterm.htm