Noun Clauses

Review:
Is a noun clause a dependent clause or an
independent clause?

What part of speech does a noun clause replace?

What part of a sentence might a noun clause
replace?
Function of noun clauses
Usually used to:

express something we do not know
express uncertainty
ask politely for information

Remember:
The noun clause acts like a noun: its a subject or an
object in a sentence.
The noun clause, like other dependent clauses, must
have a subject and a verb. This is not the main
subject or the main verb of the sentence.

Example: They wanted to know who I was.

Subject of this sentence?
Verb of this sentence?
Object of this sentence?


Noun clauses with Wh-Words










They wanted to know who I was.
They asked me where I was born.
She asked me why I am here.
The state department wanted to know when I would be leaving.
The police wanted to know who I was working for.
Examples:
Another one:
Example: Who I was was important to them.


What?!?!?!
Yes, that grammar is correct! Ask yourself
what is the
Subject of this sentence?
Verb of this sentence?
Object of this sentence?


Tricky!
Wh-Question: What did we learn yesterday?
Answer with noun clause: What we learned
yesterday was the noun clause.

What differences do you notice?
Do not use the helping verb do/did in the noun clause.
Do not use question order in the noun clause.
Pay attention to the verb tense in the noun clause!
Noun clauses as subjects need a singular verb.

Singular verbs like

What they agreed on was to study together.
Where Opal and Casey live is a great neighborhood.
What my students tell me sometimes surprises me.

The verb inside the noun clause matches the noun
clause subject.
The main verb, if the noun clause is a subject, is
singular (even if the subject inside the noun clause is
plural!)
Noun clauses can follow different verbs
(and sometimes an indirect object or a preposition):
Wh-Question: Where is our classroom?

Answers:
I dont know where our classroom is.
I wonder where our classroom is.
She told me where our classroom is.
Here is the information about where our classroom is.
Some more Wh- examples
Wh- Question: Whose pen is this?
Answer: I dont know whose pen this is.

Wh-Question: Who is his teacher?
Answer: I dont know who his teacher is.
Noun Clauses with If / Whether
These two words mean
the same thing.
Whether is more
formal.
Usually follow verbs
of mental activity.
Used in polite questions.
Examples:
I dont know if the test on Monday will be
hard.
I dont know whether the test on Monday will
be tricky.
I wonder if we will have to write an essay on
Monday?
I dont know if Marcie would give us a long
test like that at this point in the quarter.
Noun Clauses with THAT.

Use that after certain verbs to express feelings,
thoughts, and opinions. (see p. 253 of handout for list of
verbs)
It is optional and not usually necessary.
NOTE: When this kind of noun clause is the
subject of the sentence, that cannot be
omitted.
Examples
I think that writing an essay is different from
writing a paragraph.
I know writing an essay is different from
writing a paragraph.
That writing an essay is different from writing
a paragraph is clear.
Special that clauses: Type 1
Type 1: Person + Be + Adj + that clause

Examples:
I am happy that you got a good grade on the
test.
The students are excited that next weekend is a
three-day weekend.

Special that clause #2
Type 2: It + Be + Adj + that clause

Examples:
It is fascinating that you are all so interested in
learning about how to write essays.
It is disappointing that the quarter is so short
and we have so much to do.

Special that clause #3
That clause as subject possible but not
usually used. The last option is the most
common.
Examples:
That writing essays is different from writing paragraphs is
clear.
The fact that writing essays is different from writing
paragraphs is clear.
It is a fact that writing essays is different from writing
paragraphs.
Dont forget these things!
A noun clause is a dependent clause.
A noun clause can replace a subject or a verb
in a sentence.
Some noun clauses have special rules.

and dont forget this!
Dont use question word order in a noun
clause.
Dont use do, does, did in the noun clause if
they are a helping verb. Do use them if theyre
the main verbs:
Q: What did she do?
A: I dont know what she did.
NO: I dont know what did she do.
NO: I dont know what she did do.