NOUN CLAUSES

A clause is a structure that has a subject and

a verb. There are two kinds of clauses:
independent and dependent.

An independent clause is a main clause

and expresses a complete thought. It is a
sentence.
A dependent clause is not a complete
sentence. It must be part of an independent
clause.
 Mary is a student. (independent clause)
 What were you doing? (independent clause)

 What you were doing (dependent clause)

 I saw what you were doing. (dependent clause)

 Where is your book? (independent clause)

 I know where your book is. (dependent clause)
A phrase is a group of words that doesn’t contain
a subject and verb.
A noun phrase is used as the subject or object in
a sentence.

 This book was published last year. (noun phrase/subject)

 I read this book. (noun phrase/object)
NOUN CLAUSE

A noun clause has a subject and verb. It is used as the

subject or object in a sentence.
A noun clause is a dependent clause that works like a
noun. You can find it as a subject or object.

noun clause

 I read what she wrote.

noun clause

 What she wrote is interesting.

Wh- clauses begin with words like who, what, how, whenever,
which, etc.

 I need to explain what a noun clause is.

 I don't know where Mary lives.
 Tell me how old she is. noun clause
 First, you need to explain what a noun clause is.

 What is a noun clause?

 Where does Mary live? questions
 How old is she?
 Questions Noun Clauses

What do you do in What we do in class is easy.

class?
Where he works is a secret.
Where does he work?
I don’t know what you should
What should I do? do.

Who are they? Mary knows who they are.

What happened? She knows what happened.

When a Yes/No question is changed to a noun clause,
whether or if is used to introduce the noun clause.

 I don't know whether you have studied noun clauses

before.
 I don't know if you have studied noun clauses before.

 I wonder if it will rain tomorrow.

 I wonder if it will rain tomorrow or not.
 I wonder whether or not Mary went to work yesterday.
 I wonder whether Mary went to work yesterday or not.
 Whether he invites her or not is important.
 Question words (when, where, how, who, whom, whose, what, which)
and whether may be followed by an infinitive.
An infinitive is a non-finite verb. In other words, it cannot be the
main verb in a sentence. An infinitive can be used as a noun,
an adjective, or an adverb.

 My mother told me where to go.

 My mother told me where I should go.

 He can’t decide whether to accept the offer or not.

 He can’t decide whether he should accept the offer or not.

 Please tell me how to operate this machine.

 Please tell me how I could operate this machine.
 I think that the war will end soon. object of the verb think

 I think the war will end soon.

 I know (that) he will be successful.
 Teachers claim that grammar is fun.

 That Mary studied very hard was obvious to John.

(That Mary studied very hard) is the subject of the sentence.

 That pollution affects the quality of our lives is obvious.

 It is obvious that pollution affects the quality of our lives.
 That he is still alive is a miracle.
 It is a miracle that he is still alive.