Noun clause may be classified according to the kinds of sentences from

which they are derived – statement, question, request, exclamation.

Noun Clause Introductory Function of Clause Examples
Derived From: Conjunction

1. a statement That Subject That coffee grows in Brazil is well

Coffee grows in Brazil. known to all.
Subject after it It is well known that coffee grows in
Brazil.
Subjective complement My understanding is that coffee grows in
Brazil.
Object of verb
Appositive I know that coffee grows in Brazil.
His belief that coffee grows in Brazil is
correct.
 Noun Clause Introductory Function of Clause Examples
Derived From: Conjunction
2. a question
a. Expecting yes or no Whether (or not) Subject Whether (or not) he gets the
answer also If money doesn’t concern me.
Will he get the Subjective The question is whether he will
money? complement get the money.
Object of verb Do you know whether (or if) he
will get the money?
Object of preposition We were concerned about whether
he would get the money.

b. Interrogative word Who; what; which; Subject How he gets the money is his own
question when; where; why; affair.
How will he get the how Subjective The question is how he will get
money? complement the money.
Object of verb I don’t know how he will get the
money.
Object of preposition We were concerned about how he
would get the money.
3. a request that Oject of verb He suggested that I write the
Write the letter soon. letter soon.
 Noun Clause Introductory Function of Clause Examples
Derived From: Conjunction
4. an exclamation What; how Object of verb I hadn’t realized what a pretty
What a pretty girl she is! girl she was.
Object of preposition We talked about what a pretty
girl she was.

That, Whether, If are funtioned as connectors.

The generalizing forms of the interogative words may also appear in noun clause – whoever, whatever,
whichever, whenever, wherever, however.
Sentence in direct speech that are accompanied by verbs of saying or asking may be regarded as noun clause
object of these verbs.
“There will be no school tomorrow,” the teacher announced.
There are two important differences between adjactive clause and noun clause.

1. The adjective clause is preceded by a noun or pronoun antecedent.

Adjective Clause Noun Clause
I know the house where he lives. I know where he lives. (Where he lives
(Where he lives has antecedent the is the object of know)
house, which is the object of know)

2. A preposition that precedes the introductory word belongs to the adjective clause, but usually does not belong
to the noun clause.

The woman to whom he has been giving
money is poor relative of his. ( The adjective
clause begins with to, which forms a
prepotional phares with whom whithin the
adjective clause. To may be moved to the end
of the adjective clause.)
He gives money to whoever needs it. (The
noun clause begin with whoever. The entire
clause is the object of to, which may not be
moved. Also, the –ever forms appear with
noun clause only.)