Noun clause is a dependent clause which f unctions as a noun or

noun phrase.
e.g: T hat he is not the best choice goes without saying.

It can be subject, object, or complement. Derived f rom statements ➔ that-clauses

Two types of e.g: She believed (that) everything would be f ine.
Definition
nominal
e.g: I didn’t know how she got there all by herself .
clauses
e.g: T he question is what we can do to solve the problem.
Derived f rom questions ➔ wh-clauses
(What can we do to solve the problem?)
Beginning with T HAT , a question word, or IF/
WHET HER

e.g: We had a talk about who should be invited. Noun clauses af ter PREPOSIT IONS

e.g: Do you know whether/if there’s a good f ilm on

Used with embedded Yes/No questions
e.g: It wasn’t possible that he could be mistaken. (with IT ) Position tonight?

e.g: I’m disappointed that I didn’t get the job. (af ter an IF is pref erred when the noun clause is the object of the
In dif f erent structures e.g: I don’t know if I can do anything to help.
adjective) verb.

e.g: I heard the rumor that the prof essor had been
e.g: It is debatable whether it’s necessary to tell her all
kidnapped. (af ter a noun) T alking about choices or alternatives
about this.
WHETHER and IF
T he verb tense in the independent clause determines Noun clause as subject e.g: Whether we will pass this course remains to be seen.
the verb tense in the dependent noun clause.

e.g: T he question is whether we

e.g: T he president AGREES that solar power IS the Af ter BE (noun clause as subject complement) should risk everything again this
answer to the energy crisis. Sequence of Tenses time.

e.g: T he president AGREED that solar power WAS the

NOUN CLAUSE
e.g: We need to discriminate between whether she really needs
answer to the energy crisis. WHET HER is used in other positions Af ter a preposition
the
money or is just being greedy.

T he question whether to wait another year will be discussed

Af ter a noun
today.

Bef ore a to-Inf initive e.g: I can’t decide whether to go or not.

Immediately bef ore OR NOT e.g: We have to decide whether or not we are going.
e.g: We regret that you did not f ind our product
satisf actory.

Inf ormally af ter common reporting verbs e.g: He thought (that) ...., she said (that) ....

NOT af ter some verbs (email, reply, shout, etc. e.g: She shout that she was okay.

Leaving out THAT in that- noun clause Af ter adjectives e.g: I'm glad (that) he's okay.

Noun clauses as object NOT af ter nouns e.g: I didn't believe his claims that he was ill.
e.g: We told the driver we were in a hurry.

e.g: T hat he was lying was obvious.

NOT in that-clauses as S or SC
e.g: T he problem was that he was lying.

e.g: We explain to the driver that we were in a hurry.

It was assumed that the stock market would
continue to rise.