Noun Clauses

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 pa e contains information about noun clauses. Also see Adjective !lauses and Adverb !lauses.

A. Noun clauses perform the same functions in sentences that nouns do: A noun clause can be a subject of a verb:
"hat #illy did shoc$ed his friends.

A noun clause can be an object of a verb:

#illy%s friends didn%t $now that he couldn%t swim.

A noun clause can be a subject complement:

#illy%s mista$e was that he refused to ta$e lessons.

A noun clause can be an object of a preposition:

&ary is not responsible for what #illy did.

A noun clause (but not a noun) can be an adjective complement:

'verybody is sad that #illy drowned.

B. You can combine two independent clauses by chan in one to a noun clause and usin it in one of the ways listed above. The choice of the noun clause mar$er (see below) depends on the type of clause you are chan in to a noun clause:

To chan e a statement to a noun clause use that:

( $now ) #illy made a mista$e * ( $now that #illy made a mista$e.

To chan e a yes!no "uestion to a noun clause, use if or whether:

+eor e wonders ) Does ,red $now how to coo$- * +eor e wonders if ,red $nows how to coo$.

To chan e a wh#"uestion to a noun clause, use the wh#word:

( don%t $now ) "here is +eor e- * ( don%t $now where +eor e is.

C. $he subordinators in noun clauses are called noun clause mar%ers. .ere is a list of the noun clause mar%ers:
that if, whether &h#words: how, what, when, where, which, who, whom, whose, why &h#ever words: however, whatever, whenever, wherever, whichever, whoever, whomever

'. (xcept for that, noun clause mar%ers cannot be omitted. /nly that can be omitted, but it can be omitted only if it is not the first word in a sentence: correct:
#illy%s friends didn%t $now that he couldn%t swim.

correct:
#illy%s friends didn%t $now he couldn%t swim.

correct:
#illy%s mista$e was that he refused to ta$e lessons.

correct:
#illy%s mista$e was he refused to ta$e lessons.

correct:
That #illy jumped off the pier surprised everyone.

not correct:
0 #illy jumped off the pier surprised everyone.

(. )tatement word order is always used in a noun clause, even if the main clause is a 1uestion: not correct:
0 Do you $now what time is it- (2uestion word order: is it)

correct:
Do you $now what time it is- (Statement word order: it is)

not correct:
0 'verybody wondered where did #illy o. (2uestion word order: did #illy o)

correct:
'verybody wondered where #illy went. (Statement word order: #illy went)

*. )e"uence of tenses in sentences containin noun clauses: "hen the main verb (the verb in the independent clause) is present, the verb in the noun clause is:
future if its action3state is later .e thin%s that the e4am ne4t wee$ will be hard. .e thin%s that the e4am ne4t wee$ is oin to be hard. present if its action3state is at the same time .e thin%s that &ary is ta%in the e4am ri ht now. past if its action3state is earlier .e thin%s that +eor e too% the e4am yesterday.

"hen the main verb (the verb in the independent clause) is past, the verb in the noun clause is:
was!were oin to or would + BA)( if its action3state is later .e thou ht that the e4am the followin wee$ was oin to be hard. .e thou ht that the e4am the followin wee$ would be hard. past if its action3state is at the same time .e thou ht that &ary was ta%in the e4am then. past perfect if its action3state is earlier .e thou ht that +eor e had ta%en the e4am the day before.

(f the action3state 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.

(f the action3state of the noun clause continues in the present (that is, at the time the writer is writin the sentence) or if the noun clause e4presses a eneral truth or fact, the simple present tense can be used even if the main verb is past.
"e learned that 'n lish is not easy. The boys %new that the sun rises in the east.

,. -ere are some examples of sentences which contain one noun clause .underlined/ and one independent clause: 5oun clauses as subjects of verbs:
That +eor e learned how to swim is a miracle. "hether ,red can et a better job is not certain. "hat &ary said confused her parents. .owever you learn to spell is /6 with me.

5oun clauses as objects of verbs:

"e didn%t $now that #illy would jump. "e didn%t $now #illy would jump. !an you tell me if ,red is here( don%t $now where he is. +eor e eats whatever is on his plate.

5oun clauses as subject complements:

The truth is that #illy was not very smart. The truth is #illy was not very smart. The 1uestion is whether other boys will try the same thin . The winner will be whoever runs fastest.

5oun clauses as objects of prepositions:

#illy didn%t listen to what &ary said. .e wants to learn about whatever is interestin .

5oun clauses as adjective complements:

.e is happy that he is learnin 'n lish. "e are all afraid that the final e4am will be difficult.

$he )entence
Sentences are used in all lan ua es. Sentences are used in both speech and writin . 7ou are learnin about writin in 'n lish. "hen we tal$ about the sentence in this class, we are tal$in about the written 'n lish sentence. "e are not tal$in about sentences in other lan ua es. "e are not tal$in about spo$en sentences.

A. &hat is a sentence0 A written 'n lish sentence is a roup of words with four characteristics: 1. All sentences be in with a capital letter: A, B, C,2. (The other $ind of letters are called lower case: a, b, c,2. ) 3. All sentences end with a period or an exclamation point or a "uestion mar%: . 4 0 5. A sentence contains at least one clause. That is, a sentence contains at least one subject and at least one predicate. 6. All sentences follow a standard word order. These are correct sentences:
The do bit the man. The man bit the do .

#ut this is not a sentence because the words (the same used in the two sentences above) are not arran ed in a standard 'n lish word order:
0The bit man do the.

B. &hat is a clause0 A clause is a roup of words that contains a subject and a predicate. 1. A clause tells us that someone or somethin (subject) is or was or does or did somethin (predicate). A subject is usually a noun or pronoun. A predicate always contains a verb. A predicate may also contain other thin s (adverb, object, complement,8), but a predicate always contains a verb. 3. A clause may be a sentence: &ary sin s.

5. A clause may be a part of a sentence: &ary sin s and #ill plays the uitar. 6. Some e4amples of clauses:
)7B8(C$ 9:(';CA$( Someone/Something is/was/does/did something. +eor e is a boy. .e loves to eat. "hat he loves to eat is pi99a. +eor e and his friends mi ht have pi99a for lunch. :i99a is not served at +eor e;s house.

C. &hat is a predicate verb0 A predicate verb has the followin three characteristics: 1. A predicate verb has a subject. A subject is usually a noun or a pronoun, but a clause can be a subject. 3. A predicate verb has voice (active or passive< see :assive Sentences). 5. A predicate verb has tense (past or present< see Tenses) or a modal (see &odal Au4iliaries). These are the predicate verbs in the clauses above:
is (present tense, active voice) loves (present tense, active voice) is (present tense, active voice) mi ht have (modal, active voice) is not served (present tense, passive voice)

'. &hat is a dependent clause0 A dependent clause is a roup of words that contains a subject and predicate. A dependent clause usually be ins with a subordinator. Subordinators include relative pronouns (see Adjective !lauses), subordinatin conjunctions (see Adverb !lauses), and noun clause mar%ers (see 5oun !lauses). Dependent clauses are also called subordinate clauses.

1. A dependent clause cannot be a sentence by itself. A dependent clause that is not part of a sentence is a fra ment. That is, a dependent clause which be ins with a capital letter and ends with a period is a fra ment. 'on<t write fra ments. 3. A dependent clause can only be part of a sentence. 'very sentence must have at least one independent clause. 5. There are three basic types of dependent clauses: adjective clauses, adverb clauses, and noun clauses. Some dependent clauses loo$ li$e this:
)7B=:';NA$=: ) S=#>'!T ) :?'D(!AT' that his bi$e is beautiful which he ot for !hristmas because his bi$e had a flat tire

/ther dependent clauses loo$ li$e this :

)7B=:';NA$=: ) :?'D(!AT' who loves his bi$e whatever is on his plate which is painted red and blue

The subordinator is also the subject in these clauses. 6. )ubordinators can sometimes be omitted , so dependent clauses sometimes loo$ li$e independent clauses (Subject ) :redicate). =bject relative pronouns (see Adjective !lauses) can usually be omitted.
The bi$e which he ot for !hristmas is beautiful. The bi$e he ot for !hristmas is beautiful.

The noun clause mar%er (see 5oun !lauses) that can be omitted if it is not the first word in a sentence.
.e $nows that his bi$e is beautiful. .e $nows his bi$e is beautiful.

>. #elow are some examples of sentences with one independent clause and one dependent clause. The dependent clauses are underlined.
+eor e is a boy who loves his bi$e. +eor e%s bi$e, which is painted red and blue, is new. #ecause his bi$e had a flat tire, +eor e wal$ed to school. +eor e eats whatever is on his plate.

Adjective Clauses
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 pa e contains information about adjective clauses. Also see Adverb !lauses and 5oun !lauses. A. Adjective clauses perform the same function in sentences that adjectives do: they modify nouns.
The teacher has a car. (Car is a noun.) (t%s a new car. (New is an adjective which modifies car.) The car that she is drivin is not hers. .$hat she is drivin is an adjective clause which modifies car. (t%s a clause because it has a subject (she) and a predicate (is driving)< it%s an adjective clause because it modifies a noun.) 5ote that adjectives usually precede the nouns they modify< adjective clauses always follow the nouns they modify.

B. A sentence which contains one adjective clause and one independent clause is the result of combinin two clauses which contain a repeated noun. 7ou can combine two independent clauses to ma$e one sentence containin an adjective clause by followin these steps: 1. 7ou must have two clauses which contain a repeated noun (or pronoun, or noun and pronoun which refer to the same thin ). .ere are two e4amples:
The boo$ is on the table. ) ( li$e the boo$. The man is here. ) The man wants the boo$.

3. 'elete the repeated noun and replace it with a relative pronoun in the clause you want to ma$e dependent. See C. below for information on relative pronouns.
The boo$ is on the table. ) ( li$e which The man is here. ) who wants the boo$

5. ?ove the relative pronoun to the be innin of its clause (if it is not already there). The clause is now an adjective clause.
The boo$ is on the table. ) which ( li$e The man is here. ) who wants the boo$

6. :ut the adjective clause immediately after the noun phrase it modifies (the repeated noun):
The boo$ which ( li$e is on the table. The man who wants the boo$ is here.

C. $he subordinators in adjective clauses are called relative pronouns. 1. These are the most important relative pronouns: who, whom, that, which. These relative pronouns can be omitted when they are objects of verbs. "hen they are objects of prepositions, they can be omitted when they do not follow the preposition. &-= replaces nouns and pronouns that refer to people. (t cannot replace nouns and pronouns that refer to animals or thin s. (t can be the subject of a verb. (n informal writin (but not in academic writin ), it can be used as the object of a verb. &-=? replaces nouns and pronouns that refer to people. (t cannot replace nouns and pronouns that refer to animals or thin s. (t can be the object of a verb or preposition. (t cannot be the subject of a verb. &-;C- replaces nouns and pronouns that refer to animals or thin s. (t cannot replace nouns and pronouns that refer to people. (t can be the subject of a verb. (t can also be the object of a verb or preposition. $-A$ replaces nouns and pronouns that refer to people, animals or thin s. (t can be the subject of a verb. (t can also be the object of a verb or preposition (but that cannot follow a preposition< whom, which, and whose are the only relative pronouns that can follow a preposition). 3. The followin words can also be used as relative pronouns: whose, when, where. &-=)( replaces possessive forms of nouns and pronouns (see &*11 and pro in !orrection Symbols Two). (t can refer to people, animals or thin s. (t can be part of a subject or part of an object of a verb or preposition, but it cannot be a complete subject or object. &hose cannot be omitted. .ere are e4amples with whose:
The man is happy. ) ( found the man<s wallet. * The man whose wallet ( found is happy. The irl is e4cited. ) -er mother won the lottery. * The irl whose mother won the lottery is e4cited.

&-(N replaces a time (in ) year, in ) month, on ) day,...). (t cannot be a subject. (t can be omitted. .ere is an e4ample with when:
( will never for et the day. ) ( raduated on that day.* ( will never for et the day when ( raduated.

The same meanin can be e4pressed in other ways:

( will never for et the day on which ( raduated. ( will never for et the day that ( raduated. ( will never for et the day ( raduated.

&-(:( replaces a place (in ) country, in ) city, at ) school,...). (t cannot be a subject. (t can be omitted but a preposition (at, in, to) usually must be added. .ere is an e4ample with where:
The buildin is new. ) .e wor$s in the buildin . * The buildin where he wor$s is new.

The same meanin can be e4pressed in other ways:

The buildin The buildin The buildin The buildin in which he wor$s is new. which he wor$s in is new. that he wor$s in is new. he wor$s in is new.

'. Adjective clauses can be restrictive or nonrestrictive. 1. A restrictive adjective clause contains information that is necessary to identify the noun it modifies. ;f a restrictive adjective clause is removed from a sentence, the meanin of the main clause chan es. A restrictive adjective clause is not separated from the main clause by a comma or commas. &ost adjective clauses are restrictive< all of the e4amples of adjective clauses above are restrictive. .ere is another e4ample:
:eople who can%t swim should not jump into the ocean.

3. A nonrestrictive adjective clause ives additional information about the noun it modifies but is not necessary to identify that noun. ;f a nonrestrictive adjective clause is removed from a sentence, the meanin of the main clause does not chan e. A nonrestrictive adjective clause is separated from the main clause by a comma or commas. The relative pronoun that cannot be used in nonrestrictive adjective clauses. The relative pronoun cannot be omitted from a nonrestrictive clause. .ere is an e4ample:
#illy, who couldn%t swim, should not have jumped into the ocean.

(. Adjective clauses can often be reduced to phrases. The relative pronoun (?:) must be the subject of the verb in the adjective clause. Adjective clauses can be reduced to phrases in two different ways dependin on the verb in the adjective clause. 1. :9 + B( @ A
:eople who are livin in lass houses should not throw stones. (clause) :eople livin in lass houses should not throw stones. (phrase) &ary applied for a job that was advertised in the paper. (clause) &ary applied for a job advertised in the paper. (phrase)

3. :9 + =$-(: B(:B .not B(/ @ =$-(: B(:B + in

:eople who live in lass houses should not throw stones.(clause) :eople livin in lass houses should not throw stones. (phrase) Students who sit in the front row usually participate more. (clause) Students sittin in the front row usually participate more. (phrase)

A noun clause is a clause which does the work of a noun in a sentence. (t is a roup of words containin a subject and a finite verb of its own. =sually noun clauses be in with that, what, where, when, who, whom, which, whose, how, why, whether, etc. (xamples:

.e said that he would not come. "e were all curious to $now what he had done. 5obody $nows when the registration will begin. "e all wanted to find out who the winner was. Whom they were in contact with on the day of the robbery is of reat interest to the police. >ane is not sure which university she should apply for. The jud es had a hard time decidin whose painting was the best. How the baby fell from the window is a mystery. They as$ed the boy why he had hit his classmate. Whether you like it or not is not the issue.

7ses of Noun Clauses 5oun !lauses can be used in the followin ways: a. As the subject of a verb

Why she kept on crying pu99led every one. noun clause main verb b. As the direct object 5obody $nows how he got involved in gangland activities verb noun clause c. As the complement of the verb @to be@ "hat we are worried about is that he may have another heart attac$. The 1uestion is why they could escape throu h the front door when there were so many uards there. A Note to )tudents: There are some common errors amon many students when they use noun clauses in sentences. .ere are some of the errors: a/ ;nversion structure within the noun clause

: Where is the place is still not clear.

(n the above e4ample, the inversion structure is used in which the subject ( the place) is preceded by a verb (is). &ista$es li$e this reflect the tendency of students to mista$e interro ative words li$e where, when, why, how, etc. when used in noun clauses for those used in questions, as in @"here is the wallet-@. (t should therefore be noted that the structural components of a noun clause are @Subject ) Finite Verb@ as in : What you do is terrible. .owever, there is an e4ception to the rule. /ne should note that a noun clause that be ins with what can also be immediately followed by a finite verb, without having a subject, as in the followin : : What has been discussed in the meetin will remain a secret. b/ No main verb in the sentence Since noun clauses very often serve to emphasi9e a particular idea in a sentence, many students tend to thin$ that their function is to emphasi9e only

and that there are no strict rules to follow when usin them. This is a misconception. Aoo$ at the followin sentence:

: What they like luxury goods.

(n the above sentence, the student may have thou ht that @ like@ may function as the main verb of the sentence. Since @ hey like luxury goods@ is a complete sentence, and that @what@ is only an emphasi9er, so the student may thin$ that the sentence is correct. (n this case, the student has for otten that the structural components of a noun clause are @Subject ) Finite Verb@ (as in @"hat they say@), and mista$en the finite verb @like@ within the noun clause as the main verb of the whole sentence, thereby producin a sentence that does not have a main verb. (t should be noted that all these interro atives li$e why, who, when, how, whether...etc, althou h they serve as emphasi9ers, be in a clause whose structural components are subject and verb. This means that the finite verb inside the clause, in this case the verb @li$e@, cannot function as the main verb of a sentence. (n the followin sentence, @is@ is the main verb of the sentence and @li$e@ is the finite verb within the noun clause. : What they like is luxury goods. c/ ?ista%in where, when, why, how, etc. for the relative pronoun CwhichC. : ( live in a buildin which has BC storeys .

: ( live in a buildin

where has BC storeys.

(f you really want to use @where@ instead of @which@ in the above sentence, follow the structural rule of noun clause : @)ubject ) finite verb@: : ( live in a buildin where there are BC storeys. Some students see @which@ and @where@ as e1uivalent when they are used as relative pronouns. 7et, @which@ and @where@ bear similar meaning and require different structural components when they are used as relative pronouns.
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