Definition:
A dependent clause that functions as a noun (that is, as a
subject, object, or complement) within a sentence. Also known as a nominal
clause.
Two common types of noun clause in English are that-clauses
and wh-clauses:
- that-clause: I believe that
everything happens for a reason.
- wh-clause: How do I know what I
think, until I see what I say?
A noun clause is an
entire clause which takes the place of a noun in another clause or phrase. Like
a noun, a noun clause acts as the subject
or object
of a verb
or the object of a preposition, answering the questions "who(m)?" or
"what?". Consider the following examples:
noun
I know Latin.
noun clause
I know that Latin is no longer
spoken as a native language.
In the first example, the noun "Latin" acts
as the direct object
of the verb "know." In the second example, the entire clause
"that Latin ..." is the direct object.
noun
Their destination is unknown.
noun clause
Where they are going is unknown.
The question "Where are they going?," with a
slight change in word order, becomes a noun clause when used as part of a
larger unit -- like the noun "destination," the clause is the subject
of the verb "is."
This page contains information about noun
clauses
A. Noun clauses perform the same functions in
sentences that nouns do:
A
noun clause can be a subject of a verb:
What Billy did shocked
his friends.
A
noun clause can be an object of a verb:
Billy’s friends didn’t
know that he couldn’t swim.
A
noun clause can be a subject complement:
Billy’s mistake was that
he refused to take lessons.
A
noun clause can be an object of a preposition:
Mary is not responsible
for what Billy did.
A
noun clause (but not a noun) can be an adjective complement:
Everybody is sad that
Billy drowned.
B. You can combine two independent clauses by changing
one to a noun clause and using it in one of the ways listed above. The choice of the noun clause marker
(see below) depends on the type of clause you are changing to a noun clause:
To
change a statement to a noun clause use that:
I know + Billy made a
mistake
= I know that Billy made
a mistake.
To
change a yes/no question to a noun clause, use if or whether:
George wonders + Does
Fred know how to cook?
= George wonders if Fred
knows how to cook.
To
change a wh-question to a noun clause, use the wh-word:
I don’t know + Where is
George?
= I don’t know where
George is.
C. The subordinators in noun clauses are called noun
clause markers. Here is a
list of the noun clause markers:
that
if, whether
Wh-words: how, what, when, where, which,
who, whom, whose, why
Wh-ever words: however, whatever, whenever,
wherever, whichever, whoever,
whomever
D. Except for that, noun clause markers cannot be
omitted. Only that
can be omitted, but it can be omitted only if it is not the first
word in a sentence:
correct:
Billy’s friends didn’t
know that he couldn’t swim.
correct:
Billy’s friends didn’t
know he couldn’t swim.
correct:
Billy’s mistake was that
he refused to take lessons.
correct:
Billy’s mistake was he
refused to take lessons.
correct:
That Billy jumped off
the pier surprised everyone.
not
correct:
* Billy jumped off the
pier surprised everyone.
E. Statement word order is always used in a
noun clause, even if
the main clause is a question:
not
correct:
* Do you know what time
is it? (Question word order: is it)
correct:
Do you know what time it
is? (Statement word order: it is)
not
correct:
* Everybody
wondered where did Billy go. (Question word order: did Billy
go)
correct:
Everybody wondered where
Billy went. (Statement word order: Billy went)
F. Sequence of tenses in sentences containing noun
clauses:
When
the main verb (the verb in the independent clause) is present, the verb
in the noun clause is:
future if its action/state is later
He thinks that the exam next
week will be hard.
He thinks that the exam next
week is going to be hard.
present if its action/state is at the same
time
He thinks that Mary is
taking the exam right now.
past if its action/state is earlier
He thinks that George took
the exam yesterday.
When
the main verb (the verb in the independent clause) is past, the verb in
the noun clause is:
was/were going to or would + BASE if its
action/state is later
He thought that
the exam the following week was going to be hard.
He thought that
the exam the following week would be hard.
past if its action/state is at the same
time
He thought that
Mary was taking the exam then.
past perfect if its action/state is earlier
He thought that
George had taken the exam the day before.
If
the action/state of the noun clause is still in the future (that is,
after the writer has written the sentence), then a future verb can be
used even if the main verb is past.
The astronaut said that
people will live on other planets someday.
If
the action/state of the noun clause continues in the present (that is,
at the time the writer is writing the sentence) or if the noun clause expresses
a general truth or fact, the simple present tense can be used
even if the main verb is past.
We learned that English is
not easy.
The boys knew that the sun rises
in the east.
G. Here are some examples of sentences which contain
one noun clause (underlined) and one independent clause:
Noun
clauses as subjects of verbs:
That George learned how
to swim is a miracle.
Whether Fred can get a
better job is not certain.
What Mary said confused
her parents.
However you learn to
spell is OK with me.
Noun
clauses as objects of verbs:
We didn’t know that
Billy would jump.
We didn’t know Billy
would jump.
Can you tell me if Fred
is here?
I don’t know where he
is.
George eats whatever is
on his plate.
Noun
clauses as subject complements:
The truth is that Billy
was not very smart.
The truth is Billy was
not very smart.
The question is whether
other boys will try the same thing.
The winner will be
whoever runs fastest.
Noun
clauses as objects of prepositions:
Billy didn’t listen to
what Mary said.
He wants to learn about
whatever is interesting.
Noun
clauses as adjective complements:
He is happy that he is
learning English.
We are all afraid that
the final exam will be difficult.
REFERENSI:
http://grammar.about.com/od/mo/g/nounclauseterm.htm
http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/claustyp.html
http://faculty.deanza.edu/flemingjohn/stories/storyReader$23
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