NouN

Clauses
A clause is a structure that has a subject and a verb.
There are two kinds of clauses: independent and
dependent.

An independent clause is a main clause and

expresses a complete thought. It is a sentence.
A dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It
must be part of an independent clause.
Mary is a student. (independent clause)
What were you doing? (independent
clause)

What you were doing (dependent

clause)

I saw what you were doing.

(dependent clause)

Where is your book? (independent

clause)

I know where your book is.

(dependent clause)
 NouN Phrase

A phrase is a group of words that

doesn’t contain a subject and
verb.
A noun phrase is used as the
subject or object in a sentence.

This book was published last

year. (noun phrase/subject)
I read this book. (noun phrase/object)
 NouN Clause
A noun clause has a subject and verb. It is used
as the subject or object in a sentence.
A noun clause is a dependent clause that
works like a noun. You can find it as a
subject or object.

I read what she wrote.

What she wrote is interesting.

 Some are internal: Fears, Worries, etc.

NouN Clauses BegiNNiNg with QuestioN words

Wh- clauses begin with words like who, what, how,

whenever, which, etc.

I need to explain what a noun clause is.

I don't know where Mary lives.
Tell me how old she is.
First, you need to explain what a noun clause is.

What is a noun clause?

Where does Mary live?
How old is she?
 Questions Noun Clauses

What do you do in What we do in class is

class? easy.

Where does he work? Where he works is a

secret.
What should I do?
I don’t know what you
Who are they? should do.

What happened? Mary knows who they

are.

She knows what

happened.
 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 noun clause.

•I don't know whether you have studied noun clauses

before.
•I don't know if you  have studied noun clauses before.

•I wonder if it will rain tomorrow.

•I wonder if it will rain tomorrow or not.
•I wonder whether or not Mary went to work yesterday.
•I wonder whether Mary went to work yesterday or not.
•Whether he invites her or not is important.
 QuestioN words followed By iNfiNitive

•Question words (when, where, how, who, whom,

whose, what, which) and whether may be
followed by an infinitive.
•My mother told me where to go.
•My mother told me where I should go.

•He can’t decide whether to accept the offer or

not.
•He can’t decide whether he should accept the
offer or not.

•Please tell me how to operate this machine.

•Please tell me how I could operate this machine.
 NouN Clauses BegiNNiNg with that

•I think that the war will end soon. object of the verb
think
•I think the war will end soon.
•I know (that) he will be successful.
•Teachers claim that grammar is fun.

•That Mary studied very hard was obvious to John.

•(That Mary studied very hard) is the subject of the
sentence.
•That pollution affects the quality of our lives is obvious.
•It is obvious that pollution affects the quality of our lives.
•That he is still alive is a miracle.
•It is a miracle that he is still alive.
Once you have gone to class,
return to the chapter to read it
again more thoroughly.
Compare the notes that you
took in class, to those that you
took from your reading.
Do you still have questions
about the subject?
 If you can not find the answers in
your text the 2nd time through,
arrive to the next class early and
ask your instructor prior to class.