NOUN CLAUSES

WHAT IS NOUN CLAUSES ?•A noun clause is a subordinate(depend)clause used as a noun.•Noun clauses are clauses that can be used in a variety of ways.

(1)NOUN CLAUSES USED AS SUBJECTS

Both nouns and noun clauses can be used as subjects.In each pair of below sentences, the first sentence contains a single noun as a subject ; the second sentence contains a noun clause as a subject.

(a) The teacher′s report contained accurate information.

report = single noun as a subject

What the teacher reported contained accurate information.

What the teacher reported = noun clause as a subject

(b) The student wants to graduate. student = single noun as a subject

What the student wants is to graduate. What the student wants = noun clause

as a subject

(c) The senator is wrong. senator = single noun as a subject

What the senator said is wrong. What the senator said = noun clause as

a subject

Exercise:

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. Whoever ate my lunch is in big trouble.What you said made the crowd angry.

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. Whoever ate my lunch is in big trouble.What you said made the crowd angry.

(2) NOUN CLAUSES USED AS OBJECTS

Both nouns and noun clauses can also be used as objects.In each pair of below sentences, the first sentence contains a single noun as an object ; the second sentence contains a noun clause as an object.

(a)The prisoner told his story. his story = single noun as an object

The television audience didn′t believe what he said. what he said = noun clause as an object

(b) The husband prepared the meal. the meal = single noun as an object

His wife liked what he had prepared.

what he had prepared = noun clause as an object

(c) The cat ate the mouse. the mouse = single noun as an object

The cat enjoyed what it had eaten. what it had eaten = noun clause as an object

Exercise:

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.

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.

(2A) NOUN CLAUSES USED AS INDIRECT OBJECTS

An indirect object precedes the direct object and tells to whom or for whom the action of the verb is done and who is receiving the direct object. There must be a direct object to have an indirect object. Indirect objects are usually found with verbs of giving or communicating like give, bring, tell, show, take, or offer. An indirect object is always a noun or pronoun which is not part of a prepositional phrase. Indirect objects are usually placed directly before the direct object.

(a) He gave Mary a rose.

The predicate of the above sentence consists of the transitive verb "gave," the indirect object "Mary," and the direct object "rose.“

Indirect objects can also be complex, consisting of the simple indirect object and all the words describing it.

(b)I bought the little boy with the crooked grin a lollipop. * simple indirect object = "boy" * complex indirect object = "the little boy with the crooked grin"

(c) She gave me the report. Who received the report? "Me". So "Me" is the Indirect object.

(d) King Arthur put her sword on the table. King Arthur is the subject; "put" is the verb; the sword is the direct object; the table is the indirect object.

(3) NOUN CLAUSES USED AS PREPOSITIONSBoth nouns and noun clauses can also be used as prepositions.In the first sentence, the preposition begins a simple prepositional phrase .In the second sentence, the preposition begins a noun clause.

(a) President Bush talked to the television audience.to the television audience= simple preposition

phrase

He spoke about how war promotes peace.about how war promotes peace= preposition

begins a noun clause

EXERCISE:

Billy didn’t listen to what Mary said.He wants to learn about whatever is interesting.Some people believe in whatever organized religion tells them. We have been waiting for whoever will pick us up from the party.We will focus the investigation on whomever you identify as the perpetrator.

Billy didn’t listen to what Mary said.He wants to learn about whatever is interesting.Some people believe in whatever organized religion tells them. We have been waiting for whoever will pick us up from the party.We will focus the investigation on whomever you identify as the perpetrator.

(4) NOUN CLAUSES USED AS OBJECT COMPLEMENT

•Object complements may follow certain verbs in English.• Sentences with object complements follow the pattern:

S + V + O + Complement. •Object complements can often be removed leaving a well-formed sentence, thus the use of the term complement is slightly illogical.

Examples:

(a)My son painted his room blue. Blue modifies the direct object room.

(b)The class elected the smallest boy President. President modifies boy and shows the result of the

election.

(c)The clown made the children very excited. The participle excited describes children.

(d)The waitress seems grumpy. Grumpy is a predicate adjective modifying the

subject waitress.

(5) NOUN CLAUSES USED AS SUBJECT COMPLEMENTS

A subject complement is a complement that is used to predicate a description of the subject of a clause. It is usually a noun or an adjective that follows a verb like to be, to become, to appear, to feel, to look, to smell, to taste, etc. (These are called linking verbs.)

Noun Clause +verb Subject +be+ Noun ClauseIt +verb + Noun Clause

Examples:Ben is a policeman. ( is - linking verb) I am fine. ( am - linking verb)That pie smells delicious. ( smells - linking verb)

-THAT-CLAUSES -indirect statements (THE FACT) THAT+SV Examples:-(The fact) that he lost upset him-The problem was that he lost-It upset him that he lost

-WH-CLAUSES -indirect questions and nominal relative clauses("anticipatory it" with indirect questions only)-WHETHER+SV-WHAT/WHO..+(S)VExamples:-Whether he won or lost is unimportant-Losing was what upset him-It is not clear what the score was

.

-GERUND -verb or noun modifiers(not with "anticipatory it")Examples:-(His) losing upset him. -The problem was (our) losing. -The winning of games is important.

-INFINITIVE -use ‘for’ for subject of infinitive(also reduced wh-clauses)Examples:-(For him) to win was his goal. -What to do was not clear. -Our goal was (for him) to win. -It upset him to play

*Both finite and nonfinite noun clauses can function as subject complements.

(6) FUNCTION OF NOUN CLAUSE AS ADJECTIVE COMPLEMENT

-ADJECTIVE + NOUN CLAUSE

A complement is any word or phrase that completes the sense of a subject, an object, or a verb.

Adjective complements-> When used, these complements always follow adjectives. They provide necessary support for the adjective to complete its meaning, and can be NOUN CLAUSES.

Noun clauses as adjective complements: • He is happy that he is learning English. • We are all afraid that the final exam will be difficult.• I am sad that my brother is ill. •My supervisor is worried that the roof will leak again.•The toddler was surprised that throwing a tantrum did not get him his way.

My brother is angry that someone dented his new car.

I'm not sure whether we can still go. Aren't you curious what time the party

starts? He is happy that he is learning English. We are all afraid that the final exam will be

difficult.

(7) NOUN CLAUSES IN ANSWERING

WH-QUESTIONS•Both nouns and noun clauses cam be used to answer question.•Noun clauses can begin with “question” words like who, what, when, where, why, how and which.•Note how noun clauses are used in answering the following questions.

•The noun clauses are underlined.

•(a) Who is absent today?• I don’t know who is absent today.

(b) What is she looking for?I don’t know what she is looking for.

(c) When is the president arriving?I don’t know when the president is arriving.