Politeknik Keuangan Negara - STAN

Prodi D III Akuntansi

English course

Week 9
Week 9
Let’s start with the first set of slides

Noun Clause

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 Noun Clause

Remember
1. A noun is a part of speech.
2. Subjects and objects are parts of a sentence.
3. Nouns function as subjects or objects.
4. Therefore: Nouns = subjects or objects.

 Example:
 The burrito gave me heartburn.
("Burrito" and "heartburn" are the nouns in this sentence. "Gave" is the
verb and "burrito" is the subject.) 3
 Noun Clause
But What About This One?

What I had for breakfast gave me heartburn.

What is the subject?

is it I? nooooooo

Or is it breakfast? nooooooo

"What I had for breakfast"? Right.

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 Noun Clause
• To find the subject of a sentence, locate the verb and ask who or what about the
verb.
What I had for breakfast gave me heartburn.

• "what gave me heartburn?"

• "I"? clearly not.
• "Breakfast"? not exactly.
• "What I had for breakfast"? Right.
"But wait," you say. "I thought a noun was a person place or
thing"?
It is. Think about "what I had for breakfast" as being a
thing or things.
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Noun Clause
Let's look at some more examples:
s v o
(a) We know her parents.
(noun phrase)
• group of related words
phrase • no subject & verb

s v o
(b) We know where her parents live.
(noun clause)
• group of related words
clause • has a subject & verb
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Noun Clause

s v s v
(c) We know where her parents live.
(noun clause)

has
noun clause subject + verb
Noun Clause
A definition of noun clauses
• Noun clauses are used to name something when a single
word isn't enough.
• Again, they're always going to be dependent clauses and 
these clauses can't stand alone.
• If a dependent clause stands alone, it forms a 
sentence fragment, not a full sentence. While an 
independent clause can act as a sentence by itself, a
dependent clause cannot.
Noun Clause
How to Spot a Noun Clause
One of the easiest ways to spot a noun clause is to look
for these words:
• How • Where • Whom
• That • Whether • Whomever
• If • Which • Why
• What • Whose
• Whatever • Whichever
• When • Who
• Whenever • Whoever
Noun Clause
Type of Noun Clause
Subject of a
verb

Adjective Object of a
complement verb

Noun clause

Object of a Subject
preposition complement
Noun Clause
Type of Noun Clause I
A noun clause can act as the subject of a verb.
a) Candy is fine with me
Candy is the simple subject in that sentence
Whatever you want is fine with me.
Whatever you want is a noun clause acting as the subject of the sentence.

b) Something is your business

S

Whatever you do is your business.

S

c) Someone is still in the cafetaria.

S
Whoever ate my lunch is still in the cafetaria
s
Noun Clause
Type of Noun Clause I
A noun clause can act as the subject of a verb.

diagram noun clauses acting as the subject.

Whatever you do is your business

Noun Clause
Type of Noun Clause I
A noun clause can act as the subject of a verb.
For example:
• What Alicia said made her friends cry.
• What Megan wrote surprised her family.
• How the boy behaved was not very polite.

When there's a verb in the sentence, you must find the subject.
In the first sentence, we can ask, "What made her friends cry?"
The answer is "what Alicia said.“
Therefore, "what Alicia said" is the subject of the verb "made."
In the second sentence, we can ask, "What surprised her family?"
The answer is "what Megan wrote."
In the third sentence, we can ask, "What was not very polite?"
The answer is "how the boy behaved."
Noun Clause
Type of Noun Clause II
A noun clause can act as the direct object of a verb.

My dog will eat whatever food I give him.

Here, the noun clause receives the action of the verb ‘eat’ so it is a direct
object. It answers the question, “eat what?”
In 1978 scientists discovered (that) the planet Pluto has a satellite.

a) He said something
V O
He said that he was sick
V o
b) Billy’s friends didn’t know it

Billy’s friends didn’t know that he couldn’t swim

Noun Clause
Type of Noun Clause II
A noun clause can act as the direct object of a verb.

• She didn't realize that the directions were wrong.

• He didn't know why the stove wasn't working.
• They now understand that you should not cheat on a
test.

Once again, you can use the method of questioning to demonstrate how the noun clause is being used.
• In the first sentence, we can ask, "What didn't she realize?" and the answer is "that the directions were wrong."
Therefore, "that the directions were wrong" is the object of the verb.
• In the second sentence, we can ask, "What didn't he know?" and the answer is "why the stove wasn't working."
• In the third sentence, we can ask, "What do they understand?" and the answer is "that you should not cheat on a
test."
Noun Clause
Type of Noun Clause III
Noun clauses also act as objects of a preposition.

 I asked about Tom

object of a preposition

 I asked about why Tom ate those hot peppers.

object of a preposition

 “Why Tom ate those hot peppers” is a noun clause acting as the
object of the preposition.
 The clause is introduced by the subordinating conjunction why, and
it can't stand alone, so we know it is a subordinate clause.
Noun Clause
Type of Noun Clause III
Noun clauses also act as objects of a preposition.
In the examples below, you'll see the prepositions "of" and "for" in action.
• Harry is not the best provider of what Margie needs.
• Josephine is not responsible for what Alex decided to do.
• Allie is the owner of that blue car parked outside.

Again, the best way to understand this concept is by asking the appropriate
questions.
• In the first sentence, we can ask, "Harry is not the best provider of what?" The answer is "what
Margie needs."
• In the second sentence, we can ask, "Josephine is not responsible for what?" The answer is
"what Alex decided to do."
• In the third sentence, we can ask, "Allie is the owner of what?" The answer is "that blue car
parked outside."
Each of these sentences could be complete before the addition of the prepositions. However, the
prepositions are introduced to provide further detail and the noun clauses act as the objects of these
prepositions.
Noun Clause
Type of Noun Clause IV
A noun clause can also function as an adjective complement.
A. Everybody is upset that Gary failed
That Gary failed is a noun clause used as an adjective complement.
The clause modifies the adjective "upset"; in other words, it is acting as an adverb.
B. She is happy that she is learning Spanish.
The adjective complement in this sentence would be: that she is learning Spanish
Other examples:
• Her family was happy when Meg returned home.
• The child is sad that his stomach hurts.
• I'm excited that my best friend is coming to visit.
Ask some similar questions as before.
• In the first sentence, we can ask, "When was her family happy?" ("Happy" is an adjective for the family.) And
the answer to that is "when Meg returned home."
• In the second sentence, we can ask, "Why is the child sad?" ("Sad" is an adjective for the child.) And the
answer to that is "that his stomach hurts."
• In the third sentence, we can ask, "Why are you excited?" ("Excited" is an adjective for "I.") And the answer is
"that my best friend is coming to visit."
Noun Clause
Type of Noun Clause V
A noun clause can also serve as a subject complement. A subject complement will always modify,
describe, or complete the subject of a clause.
• Carlie's problem was that she didn't practice enough.
• Harry's crowning achievement at school was when he became class president.
• Darla's excuse for being late was that she forgot to set her alarm.
Do you see what questions these noun clauses answer and how they relate to the subject?
• What was Carlie's problem?
She didn't practice enough.
• What was Harry's crowning achievement?
It was when he became class president.
• What was Darla's excuse for being late?
It was that she forgot to set her alarm.
Without these clauses, the sentences would not be complete thoughts.
 Noun Clauses

The Bicycles of Paris

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 On a recent trip to Paris, I learned that bicycles were
available for rent everywhere. There were thirty or so bikes at a
high-tech bike station right in front of my hotel. Since there were no
attendants taking care of the bikes at the station, I wondered how
the Velib bikes were paid for. As I looked down from my window,
I could see that people just came along, inserted a monthly pass
or credit card in the meter, and rode off on their bikes. How all
this was organized was something I was curious about. What I
found out was a weekly Velib pass costs about 7 euros. Riders have
to leave a $150 credit card deposit in case the bike is not returned. I
wondered how many bikes were not returned.

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Use a noun clause as the subject or the object of
the main verb in a sentence.

Noun clause - SUBJECT

How this all was organized was something I was
curious about.

Noun clause - OBJECT

I learned that bicycles were available for rent

everywhere.

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Do not use question word order in a noun clause.

Normal question word order

I wondered. How were the Velib bikes paid for?

I wondered how the Velib bikes were paid for.

Noun clause word order

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 14-2 NOUN CLAUSES THAT BEGIN WITH A QUESTION
WORD

INFORMATION QUESTION
NOUN CLAUSE
Where does she work ?
(a) I wonder where she works.
When did he call?
(b) Do you know when he called?
What did they do?
(c) Please tell me what they did.
Why is she sad?
(d) I don’t know why she is sad.

usual wordI don’t

INCORRECT: orderknow why is she
noun sad.
clause
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 14-2 NOUN CLAUSES THAT BEGIN WITH A QUESTION
WORD

QUESTION NOUN CLAUSE

v s s v
Who is that actor ? (e) Tell me who that actor is.
v s s v
Whose dog is this ? (f) I wonder whose dog this is.

main verb noun or noun or main verb

+ pronoun pronoun + be
be

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 14-2 NOUN CLAUSES THAT BEGIN WITH A QUESTION
WORD

INFORMATION
QUESTION NOUN CLAUSE
S
Who wants to go? (i) I wonder who wants to go.
S
What’s going on? (j) Tell me what’s going on.

when a question no change in

word is the subject word order

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 14-2 LET’S PRACTICE

When was the bridge built?

Do you know when the bridge was built

_____________________?

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 14-2 LET’S PRACTICE

Who will join us for a picnic?

I don’t know who will join us for a picnic
_______________________.

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14-2 LET’S PRACTICE

Whose house is that?

I wonder whose house that is
_________________.

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Noun Clause
PRACTICE!
Underline the noun clauses in the following sentences.

1. What he told me was a lie.

2. How the thieves escaped from the prison is still a mystery.
3. Tell me why you said that.
4. Pay attention to what I am saying.
5. It is unfortunate that you were absent.

Answers
1. What he told me was a lie.
2. How the thieves escaped from the prison is still a mystery.
3. Tell me why you said that.
4. Pay attention to what I am saying.
5. It is unfortunate that you were absent.
Thanks!
Any questions ?

UTS 30%
UAS 30%
ACTIVITIES 40%
(ATTENDANCE 5% CLASS ACTIVITIES 5% QUIZ 10% GROUPWORK 20%)

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