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Noun Clauses

What is a noun clause?


A noun clause is a dependent clause that can occur in the same place as a noun or a noun phrase in a
sentence.
Example: I didnt know what he said
I didnt know that he had my keys.
Different ways to use a Noun Clause:
I. To Create an Indirect Question from a WH-Question
WH-clauses often replace direct questions because they make a question more indirect and therefore
more polite. There are two kinds of direct questions, information questions and Yes/No questions,
which can be replaced by noun clauses [indirect speech].
Direct Information Question: Where are my keys?
Noun Clause: I wonder if you know where my keys are. [Indirect information question]
Direct Yes/No Question: Is he coming with us?
Noun Clause: I dont know if he is coming with us. [indirect Yes/No question]
Remember:
1. Word order: Usually we need to change the word order of the question when we create a noun
clause. However, if the WH-question word is the subject of the question, the word order is the same
for the noun clause.
Example Question: What happened?
Example Noun Clause: I dont know what happened.
2. Put a question mark at the end of the sentence if the main clause is a question.
Example: Can you tell me what time it is?
3. Put a period at the end of the sentence if the main clause is a statement.
Example: I was wondering where you bought that shirt.
4. Although WH-clauses begin with WH-words, they do not use question word order. They use
statement word order with the subject of the WH-clause always before the verb.
Example:
Question: What was she wearing? [question word order]
Noun clause: I dont know what she was wearing. [noun/ statement word order]
5. WH-clauses can also be the subject of a sentence.
Example: What she said surprised me.

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6. For indirect Yes/No questions [noun clause], the phrase or not can be added to the end of the
If/whether clauses if the clauses are not very long.
Examples: I wonder if she left or not.
I wonder whether she left or not.
7. Or not can also immediately follow whether, but cannot follow if.
Example: Do you know whether or not its going to rain tomorrow?
8. There is no comma between the main clause and the WH-clause or the if/whether noun clause.
II. To Create THAT Noun Clauses
1. A noun clause can begin with that. The word That can be omitted in speaking but is usually
included in writing
That clauses are noun clauses which begin with that.
That can usually be omitted unless the noun clause is the subject of the sentence.
Examples: I think (that) he called you about an hour ago. [object of the verb]
That Ann likes her job is obvious. [subject of the sentence]
2. That noun clauses can also follow certain adjective s when the adjective refers to a person.
Example: Jan is happy (that) Bob called.
3. That noun clauses commonly follow adjectives in sentences that begin with It + be.
Example: It is clear (that) Ann likes her new job.
4. That noun clauses in the subject position are not commonly used. It is more common to
use the fact that or it is a fact that to begin the noun clause in the subject position.
Examples: The fact (that) Ann likes her new job is clear.
It is a fact (that) Ann likes her new job.
III. Reported Speech [Indirect Speech]
Reported Speech refers to using a noun clause to report what someone has said. It expresses the
meaning of quoted speech or writing from the point of view of the reporter. No quotation marks are
used.
Reported Statements: She says (that) she wants to leave.
Reported Yes/No Questions: They asked if I needed a ride.
Reported Information Questions: She asked what time it was.
Reported Imperatives (Commands): I told him to stay home.
1. In reported statements, the quoted statement changes to a that noun clause.

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2. In reported yes/no questions, the quoted yes/no question changes to an if/whether
clause. Like other if/whether clauses, reported yes/no questions have statement word
order.
Quoted Speech: Are you coming with us? Reported Speech: Do you know if you are
coming with us?
3. In reported information questions, the quoted information question changes to a
WH-clause. Like other WH clauses, reported information questions have statement
Word order.
Example: Can you please tell me when the train arrives?
4. In reported imperatives (commands), the quoted command is changed to an infinitive.
In negative imperatives, not comes before the infinitive.
Example: I told him not to stay home.
5. If the reporting verb (say) is in the present tense, the tense in the that clause doesnt
change.
Example:
Quoted Speech: Its raining. Reported Speech: Joe says (that) its raining.
6. If the reporting verb (said) is in the past tense, the tense in the that clause often changes.
Example:
Quoted Speech: I need a vacation. Reported Speech: Joe said (that) he needed a vacation.
7. Ask or want to know are used instead of say and tell to report questions.
8. Pronoun changes Personal pronouns must be changed to represent the reporters point of
of view, instead of the speakers or writers point of view.
Example:
Quoted Speech: Please take your book. Reported Speech: She told me to take my book.
9. Adverb changes: Adverbs of time (today, yesterday) and place (here, there) may change depending
on the time of the reported speech and the location of the reporter.
Example:
Quoted Speech: Ill call you tomorrow. Reported Speech: He said he would call me the next day/
tomorrow/on Monday.
Example:
Quoted Speech: Ill be here until 6:00P.M. Reported Speech: He said hed be there until 6:00 PM.

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