Noun Clause

I. Introduction

A Noun Clause is a dependent clause that functions as a noun. It can be a subject, object or object complement. Because noun clause is dependent, it must be connected to an independent clause to form a complex sentence. A noun clause used as an object is preceded by an independent clause called an introductory clause. The noun clause is the object of the introductory clause verb, which is often a verb of speaking ( say, tell, report ) or mental activity ( know, believe, wonder ).

Introductory clause		Noun clause
Subject	Verb	Object
I	know	that English is a principle language of the world.

II. Type of Noun Clause

There are three type of noun clause:

• That-clause: are made from statements and are introduced by the subordinator that.

I know that the world is round.

• Wh- clause: are formed from wh-questions and are introduced by wh-words such as who, whoever, whatever, what, where, when, which, how, how many, etc.

I did not know when the seminar started.

• If whether-clauses are formed from yes/no questions and are introduced by the subordinator whether or if. The phrase or not may be added.

My groups do not know whether we will join the conference.

The punctuation of sentences with noun clause is easy.

• No comma is used to separate the introductory clause from the noun clause.
• The introduction clause, which may be a statement or a question, determines the end of sentence punctuation.
• If the introductory clause is a question, use a question mark at the end of the sentence.

If the introductory clause is a statement, use a period.

Do you know when he left?

I do not know when he left.

Sequences of tense

The verb in the introductory clause controls the tense of the verb in the noun clause. If the introductory clause verb is simple present, present perfect, or future, the verb in the noun clause is in whatever tense expresses the meaning that the introductory clause intends.

They believe that woman will earn equal pay for equal work.

Scientists have indicated that the figure of smoker has decreased.

However, when the verb in the introductory clause is the past tense, the verb is the dependent clause is usually in a past form.

The teacher agreed that assignment could delay to Wednesday.

I hoped that all students would pass the exam.

1. That- clause

That clause are made from a statement are introduced by the subordinator that. The word that is often omitted if the meaning is clear without it. A that clause is composed of:

that + subject + verb + complement

Introductory clause	That- clause
They states that the earth revolves around the sun.
The teacher explained that we should study hard in order to pass the exam.

The following verbs are used in introductory clauses followed by that-clauses. They are grouped according to whether or not they may take an indirect object.

Introductory Clause Verb

Group I	Group II	Group III	Group IV
No indirect object	Indirect object optional; to required with indirect object.	Indirect object required	Indirect object optional
agree answer assert conclude know notice realize state think	admit explain mention point out prove reply	assure convince inform notify remind tell	promise show teach warn write

· The verb in Group I do not take an object.

I notice that they are outstanding students.

· The verbs in Group II may or may not take an indirect object. However, if an indirect object is used, to must preceded.

The director of U.C proved (to the students) that he provided scholarship to 600 students.

• The verbs in Group III must be followed by an indirect object.

He assured the groups that the assignment will be finished by tomorrow.

• The verb in Group IV may or may not be followed by an indirect object.

The teacher warns (the class) that we should be careful in our final exam.

Note: In academic writing, especially in scientific writing, introductory clause verbs are often written in passive voice with the neutral subject it.

It was stated that...... It has been proven that.....

Subjunctive Noun Clause

After certain verbs and adjectives in an introductory clause, the verb in a that-clause is in the simple or base form, called the subjunctive. These verbs and adjectives indicate urgency, advisability, necessity, and desirability. The verbs and adjectives requiring the subjunctives form in that clause include:

Verbs			Adjectives
advise ask command demand	direct insist move propose	recommend suggest urge	advisable essential necessary	important urgent vital

Example:

• Economists suggested that the firms and households should allocated scare resource effectively.
• It is necessary that we should be fair of the distribution of economic well-being among the member of societies.

Practice:

Complete the introductory clauses in the following sentences.

1. Expert asserts that women learn language more easily than men do.

2. They explained that a certain area of the brain controls language.

3. That is true that people in my village always help each others.

4. It seems important that people in modern cities are distrustful of each other.

2. Wh-word clause

wh-word + Subject + complement

A wh-word clause is a dependent noun clause in which the subordinators is a wh-word such as who, what, where, when, why, how, which, etc. A wh-word clause is composed of either:

....who the teacher is.

.....which we want to go.

wh-word + verb + complement

Or when the wh-word and the subject of the clause are the same word

......who do the assignment.

......what happened yesterday.

The word order in these clauses sometimes causes problems for learners of English as a second language. It may seem strange not to follow words such as who and when with a verb. However, just remember that when word order in a noun clause is like a statement not like a question.

Wh-question	wh-word clause
s v Who made the cake ?	s v .....who made the cake
s v which students have learnt Noun Clause ?	s v .....which students have learnt Noun Clause.
v s How often do you go to club ?	s v .....how often you go club.
v s Who is the actor ?	s v ....who the actor is.

To change a Wh-question into a wh-word clause :

• Change the word order to SV statement word order if necessary.
• Delete do, does, or did.

Question	Noun Clause
(a) What did she say ? (b) Where does she live?	I don’t know what she said. I couldn’t know where she lived.	In (a): what she said is the object of the verb know. In noun clause, the subject precedes the verb. Do not use question word order in noun clause. Notice: do, does, did, are used in questions, but not in noun clauses.
(c) What happened ? (d) Who cried ?	Please tell me what happened. I wonder who cried.	In (c): The word order is the same in both the question and noun clause.
(e) Who is he ? (f) Whose pen is this ?	I don’t know who he is. I wonder whose pen is this.	In(e): he is the subject of the question, so it is placed in front of the verb be in the noun clause.
What did she say ? What should we do?	(g):What she said surprised me. (h):What we should do is really important.	In(g): What she said is the subject of the sentences. Notice in (h): A noun clause subject takes a singular verb.

Practice: Change the question word in parentheses to a noun clause.

1. (Where do you live? ) Please tell me where you live.

2. (When are they coming? ) Do you know when they are coming.

3. (Which one does he want?) Let’s ask him which one he wants.

4. (Who are those people ?) I do not know who those people are.

5. (Where did she go?) Where did she went is none of your business.

6. (How old does a person have to be to get a driver’s license? I need to find out how old a person has to be to get a driver’s license.

3.If/whether-Clause

If whether-clause are dependent noun clauses that are formed from yes/no questions and are introduced by the subordinator whether or If. An If/whether-clause is composed of:

	Whether (if) + Subject + verb + complement

......whether we will get the prize .

.......if he arrive on time.

Introductory clause	If/whether clause
	Subordinator	Subject	Verb (+ complement)
We want to know	if if	we lecturer	passed the exam with flying color. assigned a lot of works in the weekend.
I winder	whether whether	the class economics	win the competition in our university. is the main factor in development the nation.

To change a yes/ no question into an if/whether clause:

• Change the word order to SV statement word order if necessary .
• Delete do, does, did.
• Add the subordinator if or whether. Whether is more formal than if.
• (Optional) Add or not at the end of the clause or immediately after the subordinator whether. Add or not at the end of a clause beginning with if.

Yes/No Question Will she go to party ? Do you need any help ?	Noun clause (a): I don’t know whether she will go to the party or not. I don’t know if she will go to the party or not. (b): I wonder whether you need any help. I wonder if you need any help.	When a yes/no question is changed to a noun clause, whether of if is used to introduced the clause.
	(c): I wonder whether she will go to the party or not. (d): I wonder whether or not she will go to the party. (e): I wonder if she will go to the party or not.	Notice: the patterns when or not is used.
	(f): Whether she will go or not is not important to me.	In (f): Notice the noun clause is in the subject position.

Practice: Change the question below to the noun clause:

1. Should we wait for him ? ð I don’t know whether we should wait for him.

2. Is he having trouble ? ð I wonder whether or not he is having trouble.

3. Should you call him ? ð I don’t know whether you should call him.

4. Does this bus go to downtown ? ð I don’t know if the bus go to downtown or not.

III. Quoted Speech

Quoted speech refers to reproducing words exactly as they were original spoken. Quotation marks (“...”) are used.

Quoting one sentence (a): She said, “My phone is N73”. (b): “My phone is N73,” she said. (c): “ My phone,” she said , “ is N73”.	In (a): Use comma after she said. Capitalize the first word of the quoted sentences. Put the final quotation marks outside the period at the end of the sentences. In (b): Use a comma, not a period, at the end to the quoted sentence when it precedes she said. In(c): If the quoted sentence is divided by she said, use a comma after the first part of the quote. Do not capitalize the first word after she said.
Quoting more than one sentence (d): “My brother is a freshman. He studies at U.C,” she said. (e) : “My brother is a freshman,” she said. “He studies at U.C”	In (d): Quotation marks are placed at the beginning and end of the completed quote. Notice: There is no quotation marks after freshman. In (e) : If she said comes between two quoted sentences, the second sentence begins with quotation marks and a capital letter.
Quoting a question or an exclamation (f): She asked, “What do you do?” (g): “What do you do?” she asked. (h): She shouted “Be careful!”	In (f): the question mark is inside the quotation marks. In(g): If a question mark is used, no comma is used before she asked. In (h): The exclamation point is inside the quotation marks.
(I): “I inform the class” said Bopha. : “I,” said Bopha, “inform the class”.	In (I): The noun subject (Bopha) follows said. A noun subject often follows the verb when the subject and verb come in the middle or at the end of a quoted sentence.
(J): “Let’s go,” whispered Limcheng.	Say and ask are the most commonly used quoted verbs. Some other: add, agree, announce, answer, beg, begin, comment, complain, confess, explain, continue, reply, inquire, promise, remark, respond, shout, suggest, whisper.

IV. Reported speech verb forms in noun clauses

Quoted speech (a)“I study everyday.” (b)“I am studying English.” (c)“I have studied English.” (d)“I studied English.” (e)“I had studied English.” (f)“I will study English.” (g)“I am going to study English.” (h)“I can study English.” (i)“I may study English.” (j)“I must study English.” (k)“I have to study English.”

Reported speech ðShe said she studied everyday. ðShe said she was studying English. ðShe said she had studied English. ðShe said she had studied English. ðShe said she had studied English. ðShe said she would studied English. ðShe said she was going to study English. ðShe said she could studied English. ðShe said she might studied English. ðShe said she had to studied English. ðShe said she had to studied English.

Reported speech refers to using a noun clause to report what someone has said. No quotation marks are used. If the reporting verb is simple past, the verb in noun clause usually also in past form.

Practice: Change the sentences by reporting the speaker’s word in a noun clause.

1. Pedro said “I will help you.” ð Pedro said (that) he would help me.

2. “Do you need a pen?” Annie asked. ð Annie asked if I needed a pen.

3. Talal asked, “Are you hungry?” ð Talal asked if I am hungry.

4. “ I want a sandwich.” Elena said. ð Elena said she wanted a sandwich.

5. “I didn’t want to go.” Yuko said. ð Yuko said he didn’t want to go.

6. “ Can you help me with my report?” asked David. ð David asked if I could help him with his report.