English Tutorial Assignments (for Fiona) - Grammar: Noun Clause

That-clauses and wh-clauses

A. Complete each definition with a noun and that or what. Put brackets round (that) where it could be left out.
The first one has been done for you as an example.
conception confession confidence confirmation confusion contempt
1. Confidence is believing (that) you can be successful, or feeling that you are certain about something.
2. __________ is a statement or letter telling you __________ something is correct, or __________ an
arrangement is definite.
3. __________ is a statement made by someone admitting __________ they are guilty of a crime, or
__________ they are ashamed of something.
4. __________ is feeling __________ somebody or something is without value and deserves no respect, or
showing no concern for __________ might be against the rules or dangerous.
5. __________ is the process of forming an idea or an understanding of something is, or __________ should be.
6. __________ is a state of uncertainty about __________ is happening, or __________ something means.

B. Choose an ending (a-d) for each beginning (1-4) and add that where appropriate. The first one has been done
for you as an example.
1. We heard a rumour (...) a. was quite amazing.
2. They warned me during my interview (...) b. or he was really famous.
3. I didn’t know who Beckham was (...) c. he has been in prison.
4. In retrospect, he got to the semi-final at all (...) d. it would be a difficult job.

1. We heard a rumour that he had been in prison.

C. The original version of this paragraph included the ten words listed here introducing noun clauses. Put them
back in appropriate places in the paragraph. The first one has been done for you as an example.
how that (x5) what where whether why
I had a strange experience when I got a summer job as a temporary office assistant in a big company. On my first day, I

didn’t know what I was supposed to do and nobody seemed to care I was doing anything or not. Since I didn’t
↑
understand anything worked in the office, I just sat down at an empty desk and waited. When the office manager walked

in, she stared at me and asked I was sitting on her chair. I remember I felt really embarrassed and tried to explain nobody

had told me I should sit. She announced quite loudly I wasn’t being paid to sit around and I should go and find some

work to do. So I tried to act as if I was busy and stated cleaning out all the wastebaskets. I only discovered later in the

morning I had gone to the wrong the office.

Noun clauses as subjects and objects
A. Rewrite the sentences, beginning with It.
1. That the weather wasn’t very nice wasn’t my fault.
___________________________________________________________________________
2. That nobody stopped to help the old woman after the accident is absolutely disgraceful.
___________________________________________________________________________
3. What you’re going to need on a trip can be hard to work out two months in advance.
___________________________________________________________________________
4. How Adrian became so rich so fast remains a mystery to everyone.
___________________________________________________________________________
5. Whether he eats the fish or not doesn’t bother me, but he should eat something.
___________________________________________________________________________

B. Add it and that where appropriate to these sentences.

1. They concluded in their report that it didn't make any difference if the vehicles had air bags or not.
2. If you say is important I should attend the meeting, I can assure you I’ll be there.
3. They notified everyone living near the river was possible the water was contaminated.
4. None of the staff likes now every Thursday is a late night.

C. Rewrite each sentence with a meaning similar to the one above it.
1. It’s considered an honour that they’ve been chosen to play for their country.
The boys ____________________________________________________________________
2. It used to be thought outrageous that women were smoking in public.
People ______________________________________________________________________
3. Won’t it be seen as a sign of weakness that we didn’t fight back?
Won’t they ___________________________________________________________________
4. It wasn’t regarded at the time as an indication that anything was wrong.
No one ______________________________________________________________________

D. Correct the ten mistakes in these sentences.

1. The audience stood up and applauded our performance convinced we had a successful show.
That the audience stood up
2. You want to take one class or twenty makes no difference because you have to register first and the university
doesn't like people have been attending classes without being registered.
3. Mr Trotter was trying to show how should the equipment be used, but they weren’t listening.
4. Didn’t you think strange nobody told his car lights were left on all night?
5. I tried to warn the trail was dangerous but it didn’t surprise they went hiking anyway.
Noun with noun clauses
A. Rewrite each pair of sentences as a single sentence using a noun derived from the verb in the sentence above
it, plus other appropriate changes.
1. They concluded that the child’s death was an accident. It made a lot of people angry.
Their conclusion that the child’s death was an accident made a lot of people angry.
2. Manfred explained that a friend’s dog had eaten his homework. It wasn’t very convincing.
Manfred’s ___________________________________________________________________
3. They expect that everyone will just go along with their plans. It’s unrealistic.
Their ______________________________________________________________________
4. She suddenly realised that she was drifting out to sea. It caused her to panic.
Her ________________________________________________________________________
5. We discussed how we might solve the problem. It went on for over three hours.
Our ________________________________________________________________________

B. Complete each definition with a noun and that or what plus a preposition where necessary.
belief example fear knowledge statement
1. If you do something with apprehension, you have a __________ something bad may happen.
2. Oblivion is an unconscious state in which you have no __________ is happening around you.
3. When you say to do something with conviction, you have a strong __________ you are right.
4. A precedent is an earlier action or decision used as a good __________ should be done in other similar
situations.
5. An estimate is an approximate idea or __________ something will cost.

C. Correct the ten mistakes in these sentences.

1. They discussed people were getting into the country illegally and the issue whether those people would ever be
able to become legal citizens.
2. His theory is cutting down the trees causes more flooding due to there is nothing to say on the question what
had happened to his quarterly report.
3. Alfred tried to explain away he had missed several meetings, but he had nothing to say on the question what had
happened to his quarterly report.
4. It seems to be they didn’t have a lot of applicants so they overlooked that I didn’t have much experience and
offered me the job.
5. The German research team’s discovery, which the addition of milk to a cup of tea reduces its health benefits,
seems to have been based on the assumption which the only benefit of hot tea is an improvement in the flow of
blood which goes to the heart because that is all they measured.
Adjectives with noun clauses; the subjunctive or should
A. Rewrite each pair of sentences as a single sentence containing a noun clause.
1. So many young people don;t know how to swim nowadays. That’s rather surprising.
It’s _________________________________________________________________________
2. All the lights were on, but nobody seemed to be at home. That seemed very strange.
It __________________________________________________________________________
3. Nobody complained about all the noise you were making. That was lucky for you.
You _________________________________________________________________________
4. My friend has to work and can’t go to the concert. She’ll be dissapointed.
My friend ____________________________________________________________________

B. Complete each sentence with an adjective and that or what, with prepositions where necessary.
confident happy not sure sorry (x2) worried
1. I’m __________ 'savoir faire’ means.
2. We’re __________ none of the children got hurt in the accident.
3. I made you cry. I’m __________ I said. I’m really __________ I spoke that way.
4. Aren’t you __________ you’ll fail the test or are you really __________ you’re ready?

C. Complete each sentence using appropriate forms of one pair of words and noun clauses.
✓ afraid / have amazed / win essential / wear certain / have fortunate / mot be
1. Were you frightened by the muggers? ~ Yes, I was afraid that they had knives.
2. Isn’t it astonishing that Rick finished first? ~ Yes, I’m ____________________ the race.
3. Are you sure that Stella took the car keys? ~ Yes, I’m ____________________ them.
4. You’re lucky that you weren’t hurt. ~ Yes, it’s ____________________ near the front of the bus.
5. Jacob doesn’t think safety glasses are necessary. ~ Well, it is ____________________ them.

D. Choosing an ending (a-d) for each beginning (1-4) and add appropriate forms of these words, using the
subjunctive or should where appropriate.
demand propose vital wish be become resign stay
1. At some point every individual __________ (...) a. that local clinics __________ open.
2. The planners have already __________ (...) b. that he or she __________ richer.
3. It’s __________ for rural communities (...) c. that the prime minister __________ .
4. The protest leaders are __________ (...) d. that part of the town centre __________ a pedestrian
area.
Uses of noun clauses
A. Add that in five appropriate places in this paragraph.

The philosopher David Hume’s argument people cannot be certain about anything not directly taken in through their

senses was destined to lead him to the idea we cannot be certain about God. Hume also argued our expectation the

future will be like the past (e.g. the sun will rise tomorrow morning) had no basis in reason.

B. Complete each paragraph with one set of words (not necessarily in this order).
if / that / that how / that / the fact that how / that / where
1. The claim ____________________ you live can determine ____________________ healthy you feel seems
rather obvious, doesn’t it?
2. Are you one of those people who leave the house and can’t remember ____________________ they switched
off the oven, or walk away from their parked car with the suspicion ____________________ they didn’t put
the handbrake on, or even leave the supermarket just hoping ____________________ they didn’t forget to
pick up all their bags?
3. More people are taking pills containing glucosamine for pain in their knees. ____________________ no one is
quite sure ____________________ this ‘medicine’ works doesn’t mean ____________________ we should
ignore its reputation for relieving pain and increasing mobility.

C. Add one set of clauses, with conjunctions, to each sentence (not necessarily in this order).
they are surprised / she has a warm personality / a woman has to be cold and tough
she was apologising / she felt sympathy for her friend / she was ‘sorry’ about her problems
it is important / his work shouldn’t interrupted / a man’s time is more valuable than a woman’s they all had a lot of
common goals / they hadn’t realised before / it had been very helpful
A. When Isabel told Deborah (1) ____________________________________________________________ ,
it meant (2) ____________________________________________________________ and not (3)
____________________________________________________________
B. Many people assume (4) ____________________________________________________________ to be
successful and sometimes say (5) ________________________________________ when they actually meet
a successful woman (6) ____________________________________________________________
C. Everyone agreed after the meeting (7) ________________________________________ and (8)
____________________________________________________________
D. Why do so many people still think (10) ________________________________________ , and (11)
____________________________________________________________ (12)
____________________________________________________________ , but not hers.