NOUN CLAUSE

Keep in your mind!

Noun: is used as a subject or object.
Example: The story is interesting.
I know her house.
Noun clause: is used as a subject or object. In
other words, a noun clause is used in the
same ways as a noun.
Example: What he said is interesting.
I know where she lives.
 Words to introduce NC
• Question words:
- who - whom
- what - which
- when - where
- why - how
- whose
• Whether/If
• That
 Noun Clause with ‘Question Words’
Where does she live? I don’t know where she lives.

What did he say? I couldn’t hear what he said.

Who lives there? No body knows who lives there.

Who is at the door? I wonder who is at the door.
Who is she? I don’t know who she is.

Who are those girls? I don’t know who those girls are.

Whose house is that? I wonder whose house that is.

What did he say? What he said surprised me.

Noun Clause with ‘whether’ or ‘if’
Yes – No Question Noun Clause

Will she come? I don’t know whether she will come.

I don’t know if she will come.

I wonder whether he needs help.

I wonder if he needs help.
Does he need help? I wonder whether or not he needs help.
I wonder whether he needs help or not.
I wonder if he needs help or not.
Whether he needs help or not is not obvious to me.
 Noun clause with ‘that’
Statement Noun clause

He is an excellent student Everybody thinks that he is an excellent student.

I think he is an excellent student.

The earth is round We know (that) the earth is round.

Computer is basic need for modern life That computer is basic need for modern life
is obvious.
It is obvious (that) computer is basic need for
modern life.

English is world language That English is world language is fact.

It is a fact that English is world language.
 Question Words followed by Infinitive
• I don’t know what I should do.
= I don’t know what to do.
• She can’t decide whether she should go or stay
home.
= She can’t decide whether to go or (to) stay
home.
• Please tell me how I can get the information.
=Please tell me how to get the information.
• A boy told us where we could find the address.
=A boy told us where to find the address.
 Reported /Indirect Speech
Indirect Speech (also referred to as 'reported
speech') refers to a sentence reporting what
someone has said.
 Reporting Verb
• If the reporting verb (i.e. said) is in the past, the reported
clause will be in a past form.
• This form is usually one step back into the past from the
original.
• For example:
– He said, “The test is difficult.”
He said the test was difficult.
– She said, “She watches TV every day.”
She said she watched TV every day.
-- Jack said, “I come to school every day.
Jack said he came to school every day.”
 Reporting Verb
• If simple present, present perfect or the future is
used in the reporting verb (i.e. says) the tense is
retained.
• For example:
– He says the test is difficult.
– She has said that she watches TV every day.
– Jack will say that he comes to school every day.
 General truth
• If reporting a general truth the present tense
will be retained.
• For example:
- The teacher said, “Phrasal verbs are very
important.
 The teacher said that phrasal verbs are
very important.
 Changing Pronouns and Time Signifiers
• When changing from direct speech to indirect
speech, it is often necessary to change the pronouns
to match the subject of the sentence.
• For example:
- She said, "I want to present my report.“
She said that she wanted to present her report.
- Jack said, "My friend went to the class with me.“
Jack said his friend had gone to the class with him.
 Changing Pronouns and Time Signifiers

• It is also important to change time words (signifiers)

when referring to present, past or future time to match
the moment of speaking.
• For example:
- She said, "I want to submit my report tomorrow.“
She said that she wanted to submit her report the next day.
- Jack said, " My friend went to the class with me
yesterday.“
 Jack said that his friend had gone to the class with him
the day before.
 Indirect Questions

• When reporting questions, it is especially important to

pay attention to sentence order.
• When reporting yes/ no questions connect the reported
question using 'if'.
• When reporting questions using question words (why,
where, when, etc.) use the question word + S+ V.
Example:
She asked, "Do you want to come with me?“
 She asked me if I wanted to come with her.
Dave asked, "Where did you go last weekend?“
 Dave asked me where I had gone the previous weekend.
He asked, "Why are you studying English?“
 She asked me why I was studying English.
 Indirect command
• When reporting command, change the
infinitive verb to ‘to infinitive verb’.
Example:
• He said, “Close the door.”
He said to close the door.
• She ordered him, “Don’t come to my house.”
 She ordered him not to come to her house.