1. Noun Clauses
Yang & Phoebe

2. Contents Introduction Noun Clauses beginning with a question word
Noun Clauses beginning with Whether or If
Question words followed by infinitives
Noun Clauses beginning with That

3. Contents Quoted Speech Reported Speech: Verb forms in noun clauses
Using the subjunctive in noun clauses
Using –ever words

4. Introduction
A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb.
An independent clause (or main clause) is not a complete sentence. It contains the main subject and verb of the sentence.
A dependent clause (or subordinate clause) is not a complete sentence. It MUST be connected to an independent clause.

5. Example: I know where Sue lives.
‘I’ Main Subject
‘Know’ Main Verb.
‘ I know’ Independent clause
‘Where Sue lives’ dependent clause

6. A Noun clause is used as a subject or an object.
e.g. Subject: What he said was interesting.
Object: I listened to what he said.

7. Noun clauses beginning with a question word
In a noun clause, the subject precedes the verb.
e.g. Where does she live?
I don’t know where she lives.
What did he say?
I couldn’t hear what he said.
Note: Does, did, and do are used in questions, but not in noun clauses.

8. Noun Clauses beginning with Whether or If
When a yes/no question is changed to a noun clause, whether or if is used to introduce the clause.
e.g. Does he need help?
I wonder whether/if he needs help.
Will she come?
I don’t know whether/if she will come.
I wonder whether or not she will come.
Whether she comes or not is unimportant to me.

9. Question words followed by infinitives
Question words (when, where, how, who, whom, whose, what, which ) and whether maybe followed by infinitive. The meaning expressed by the infinitive is either should or can/could.
e.g. I don’t know what to do. (~what I should do.)
Jim told us where to find it. (~ where we should find it.)
Pam can’t decide whether to go or (to) stay home.
(~whether she should go or stay home.)

10. Noun Clause beginning with THAT
The word ‘that’, when it introduces a noun clause, has no meaning in itself. It simply marks the beginning of the clause.
e.g. He is a good actor.
I think that he is a good actor.
The world is round.
We know (that) the world is round.
Note: In a noun clause, ‘That’ is frequently omitted.

11. When THAT can’t be omitted
The word ‘that’ is not omitted when it introduces a noun clause used as the subject of a sentence.
e.g. That she doesn’t understand spoken English is obvious.
That the world is round is a fact.
It is a fact that the world is round.
Note: More commonly, ‘It’ is functions as the subject and the noun clause is placed at the end of the sentence.