1. Noun Clauses
ESOL Grammar 4

2. Which is incorrect? When is the final exam?
I want to know when is the final exam.
I want to know when the final exam is.

3. Which is incorrect? Who is she? I don’t know who is she?
I don’t know who she is.
I don’t know who is she.

4. Introduction
A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb.
An independent clause can stand as a complete sentence.
Sue lives in Tokyo
A dependent clause has a s + v, but is not a complete sentence.
Where Sue lives

5. Clauses Noun Clauses (Chapter 12) Adjective Clauses (Chapter 13)
that, what, where, how, if/whether
Adjective Clauses (Chapter 13)
who, that, whom, which, whose

6. Noun Clauses Noun clauses act like nouns.
In most cases it acts as the object of the main verb.
I don’t understand it.
I don’t understand what he told me.
I don’t understand why he did it.
I think that he should report the bullying to his teacher.

7. Noun Clauses Noun clauses act like nouns.
In some cases, it is also a subject of a sentence.
It was surprising.
What he said was surprising.
That he changed his mind so soon was confusing.

8. Noun Clauses Noun clauses act like nouns.
In some cases, it is also a complement of a sentence.
It was surprising (that) he didn’t recognize you.
The mystery was how he got the key to the car.
It’s uncertain if he can join us this weekend.

9. Practice Find the noun clause. One sentence does not have a noun clause.
My friend told me that she rented a bike in Paris.
That she was willing to ride a bike in the city traffic impressed me.
I wondered how she was able to rent the bike.
She told me that it was easy.
Where did you go to rent the bike?
She told me where she went to rent the bike.
I asked her what she paid to rent the bike.

10. Practice Answers My friend told me that she rented a bike in Paris.
That she was willing to ride a bike in the city traffic impressed me.
I wondered how she was able to rent the bike.
She told me that it was easy.
Where did you go to rent the bike? (No Noun Clause)
She told me where she went to rent the bike.
I asked her what she paid to rent the bike.

11. Questions or Noun Clauses?
I don’t know where she lives
Where does she live
I couldn’t hear what he said
What did he say
Do you know when they arrive
When do they arrive

12. Noun Clauses Beginning with Question Words
If who is the subject of both a question and a noun clause, the word order will be the same:
I don’t know who lives there.
Who lives there?
Other examples:
Who are those men? I don’t know who those men are.
Whose house is that? I don’t know whose house that is.

13. Noun Clauses Beginning with Question Words
A question word noun clause can also be the subject of a sentence:
What she said surprised me.
Where he got married was very pretty.
A question word noun clause used as a subject takes a singular verb:
What they should do is obvious.
What my classes are studying has to be clear.

14. Let’s Practice P. 244 Exercise 6 How old he is
What he was talking about
Where you live
Where she went
When they are coming
Which one he wants
What happened
Who opened the door
Why they left the country
What we are doing in class
Who those people are
Whose pen this is

15. Homework P. 246
Exercise 9
When will Tom be here? …when Tom will be here
Why is he coming? …why he is coming
What/Which flight will he be on?...what /which flight he will be on.
Who is going to meet him at the airport?...who is going to meet him at the airport.
Who is his roommate?...who his roommate is.
Where does he live?...where he lives.
Where was he last week?...where he was last week.
How long has he been working for Sony?...how long he has been working for Sony?
What kind of computer does he have at home?...what kind of computer he has at home?

16. Homework P 247 Exercise 10 A: Did Ruth go? B: Ruth went
A:is my eraser? B: It is
A: Didn’t Franco lock it? B: he didn’t lock
A: has he been? B: he has been
A: Are we supposed? B: we are supposed

17. Noun Clauses
Wh- If/whether + Subject + Verb + Object That

18. Noun Clauses
Ex. 2 on p243 Ex 4 on p243

19. Noun Clauses beginning with
Wh-
why, where, when, which, who, whom, how
If / whether
Question words followed by infinitives
That

20. Noun Clauses Beginning with Wh- Words
Ex. 5, p244

21. Noun Clauses Beginning with Wh- Words
Question:
Why does he take his computer on camping trips?
Embedded Question:
I don’t know ….
I don’t know why he takes his computer on camping trips.

22. More about the Wh- clauses
Direct questions vs. embedded questions
Where is she? I know…
1. I know where is she.
2. I know where she is.

23. She wants to know … She wants to know Direct Questions
Embedded Question
Who is she?
She wants to know
who she is.
Where are they from?
where …
Why did he call?
why …
When did he arrive?
When …
What have they said?
what …
How did he do it so fast?
How …

24. More about the Wh- clauses
When there are 2 questions, and one of them is the main clause, make the other one the noun clause.
Where is she? Can you tell me?
1. Can you tell me where is she.
2. Can you tell me where is she?
3. Can you tell me where she is?

25. Practice Why was he upset? I don’t know …
Where did she go after she left the school?
I have no idea …

26. Practice
Ex. 7 on p245

27. Noun Clauses Beginning with If or Whether
Ex 13 p 248

28. Noun Clauses Beginning with If or Whether
“Are my students happy with my teaching?” I don’t know … I wonder … Do you know? -I don’t know if my students are happy with my teaching. -I wonder whether my students are happy with my teaching. -Do you know if my students are happy with my teaching? Noun clauses with if or whether are indirect Y/N questions.

29. Noun Clauses Beginning with If or Whether
Noun clauses with if or whether are indirect Y/N questions.
Are they angry? >> I don’t know if they are angry.
Did you take the test? >> I wonder …

30. Noun Clauses Beginning with If or Whether
Question: Is this the teacher’s office? 1. Do you know is this the teacher’s office? 2. Do you know if this is the teacher’s office?

31. Practice Ex. 14 on p249 Let me know if…
…the financial report is ready.
…it will be ready tomorrow.
…the copy machine needs paper.
…someone is waiting for me.
…we need anything for the meeting.
…you are going to be there.
Please check whether…
…they got the message.
the copy machine is working.
…there is any paper left.
…this information is correct.
…the fax came i.
…we are going to have Monday off.

32. Homework P.250-251 Exercise 18 …your name is. …Maria will arrive.
…what that word means
I wonder if/whether the teacher knows the answer.
I’ll ask her if/whether she would like some coffee or not.
… where it hurts.
Why I am unhappy is something…
…if I stay or leave.
…who your teacher is.
…why the car is not running properly.
…where the stars go in the daytime.

33. Reported Speech
Reported speech refers to using a noun clause to report what someone else has said. It is NOT a direct quotation and no quotation marks are used:
Quotation: He said, “You have to complete your homework.”
Reported Speech: He said (that) you have to complete your homework.
THAT is often dropped, but it is correct both ways.

34. Reported Speech
If the reporting verb (the main verb of the sentence – said, thought, heard, etc.) is simple past, the verb in the noun clause will usually also be in a past form (see p. 261 for all verb forms):
I watch TV everyday = She said she watched TV everyday.
I am watching TV = She said she was watching TV.
I watched TV = She said she had watched TV.
I will watch TV = She said she would watch TV.

35. Reported Speech Exceptions:
I may watch TV= She said she might (may) watch TV.
MAY often gets changed to MIGHT

36. Reported Speech More Exceptions
Should, ought to, and might do not change:
I should watch TV = She said she should watch TV.
I might watch TV = She may/might watch TV.
I ought to watch TV = She said she ought to watch TV.

37. Reported Speech
In informal/spoken English, sometimes no change is made in the noun clause verb, especially if the speaker is reporting something immediately or soon after it was said:
Immediate:
The teacher just said he wants us to read Chapter 6.
John just told me he is skipping the next class.
Later:
Last week, the teacher said he wanted us to read Chapter 6.
Yesterday, John told me he was skipping the next class.

38. Reported Speech
The present tense verb is used when the reported speech deals with a general truth:
The world is round = She said the world is round.
It often rains in March = She said it often rains in March.
Basset Hounds are lazy dogs. =She said Basset Hounds are lazy dogs.

39. Reported Speech
When the reporting verb is simple present (says, etc.), present perfect (has said), or future (will say, etc.), the noun clause verb does not change.
I watch TV every day.
Does she watch a lot of tv? She says she watches TV every day.
Has she said whether or not she watches a lot of TV? She has said she watches TV every day.
What will her answer be if I ask her how much TV she watches? She will say she watches TV every day.

40. Reported Speech
An imperative sentence is changed to an infinitive. TELL is used instead of SAY as the reporting verb:
Watch TV. = She told me to watch TV.
Please be quiet. = She told me to be quiet.
*TELL is followed immediately by an object.

41. Homework P.262
Exercise 37 (odds only) 3. …what I wanted 5. …she wanted 7. …if I enjoyed the trip 9. …if I had seen her grammar book 11. …if I could help 13. …he might be late 15. …why the sky is blue 17. …he would come 19. …he would go 21. …if what I heard is true 23. …we would be in contact

42. Let’s Practice
Complete Exercise 37, p. 262 – evens only 2. …if I needed… 4. …if I was hungry. 6. … (that) he was going to move… 8. …what I was talking… 10. …she didn’t want to… 12. …Mitch told me he might … 14. … she had to go… 16. …where everyone was. 18. …if Ms. Chang would be … 20. …if Omar knew what … 22. … the sun rises in the east.

43. Homework Complete Exercise 42, p. 265
His father was a businessman and that his mother was an engineer.
That she was excited about her new job and that she had found a nice apartment.
That he expected us to be in class every day and that unexcused absences might affect our grade.
That Highway 66 would be closed for two months and that commuters should seek alternate routes.
That every obstacle was a steppingstone to success and that I should view problems in my life as opportunities to improve myself.

44. Using –ever words The following –ever words give the idea of “any”:
Whoever
Whoever wants to come is welcome.
Anyone that wants to come is welcome.
Whatever
He always says whatever he thinks.
He always says anything he thinks.
Whenever
You may leave whenever you wish.
You may leave any time you wish.

45. Using –ever Words Wherever However She can go wherever she wants to.
She can go anywhere she wants to.
However
Students may dress however they please.
Students can dress any way they please.

46. Practice Complete Exercise 49, p. 269 wherever whenever whatever
whoever
however
whatever; wherever; whenever; whoever; however