Entry 4

Noun Clauses.

Remember:

1. A noun is a part of speech.

2. Subjects and objects are parts of a sentence.

3. Nouns function as subjects or objects.

4. Therefore: Nouns = subjects or objects.

5. A noun is a person, place or thing. 

Note: Never separate a noun clause from the main clause with commas or other punctuation marks since noun clauses are part of main clauses.

Noun Clauses can work as: 

Subject: That Ahmad can fly is unbelievable.

Object of a verb: People once believed that the world was flat. 

Object of a preposition: I listened to what he said.

Complement: A major concern is how fast these changes are happening.

Types of Noun Clauses

A) Wh- clauses:  wh-words what, when, where, who,  which, why and how. 

We use clauses with a wh- words: 

1) In wh-questions:

• What are you doing?
• Who ate all the pies?
• Why did you do that?

      2) We use wh.words after verbs of thinking:

Know - understand - suppose - remember - forget - wonder

• I know where you live.
• She couldn’t remember who he was.
• John wondered what was going to happen next.

3) We use wh-words after verbs of saying:

ask - say - admit - argue - reply - agree - mention - explain - suggest

• I asked what she wanted.
• He tried to explain how the accident had happened.
• She wouldn’t admit what she had done.
• Did he say when he would come?

Tell and some other verbs of saying must always have a direct object (see clauses, sentences and phrases):

Tell - remind

• We tried to tell them what they should do.
• She reminded me where I had left the car.

B) If/whether clauses:

It is used for reporting answers to question.

• Does Frog need help?     
• I wonder if he needs help.
• Will someone come to rescue him ?           
• I don't know whether (if) someone will come.
•  Did someone call for help?                                  
• I don't know if someone called for help.
• Has Frog been rescued yet? 
• I don't know whether he has been rescued (or not). Is he all right?  
• I don't know if he is all right.    

I want to know whether Nada should talk to the manager (or not).	Should Nada talk to the manager?
I would like to know whether she needs an appointment (or not).	Does she need an appointment?
Do you know whether she will come (or not) ?	Will she come?
I wonder whether (or not) he needs help.	Does he need help?

YES/NO QUESTION	NOUN CLAUSE	EXPLANATION
Will she come? Does he need help?	a)I don’t know whether she will come. I don’t know if she will come. b)I wonder whether he needs help. I wonder if he needs help. c)I wonder whether or not she will come. d) I wonder whether she will come or not. e) I wonder if she will come or not .	When a yes/no question is changed to a noun clause, whether or if is used to introduce the clause. In c, d and e: Notice that the patterns when or not is used.
	f) Whether she comes or not is unimportant to me.	In f: Notice that the noun clause is in the subject position.

C) That clauses: 

That  clauses are made from statements and are introduced by the word that.

• I think that Brad Pitt is a good actor.
• We know (that) the world is round. 
• That you didn’t clean your room is obvious.

Using an indirect object: 

•  I assured my students that they could handle noun clauses. I convinced them that it wasn’t so difficult.

Examples:

• I think that she is a good writer.
• That Ahmad cheated in the exam was surprising.
• That Nawal needs a job is obvious.
• It is obvious that Nawal needs a job.
• That Sarah has no friends is a pity.
• The teacher mentioned that China has a strong economy.
• I am glad that my sister passed the math exam.
• It did not surprise me that Huda was late.
• I believe that motherhood is a big responsibility.
• That the sun rises from the east is a fact.
• The fact that the Earth revolves around the sun was proven.

D) Intro clause: no indirect object needed. (that-clause): 

Common verbs include:

 agree, answer, notice assert, conclude, know, realize, state, think .

Example: 

• Everyone knows that English is an international language.

Intro clause: indirect object optional but if used, needs the word 'to'.

* Then we have some verbs in the intro clause that take the preposition to

E.g.:

• I proved (to the students) that they could grasp this concept. I mentioned ( to them) that we other students had done well with noun clauses.

Common verbs include:

 admit, explain. mention, point out, prove, reply

Example:

•  I explained ( to my boss) that my computer crashed . 

Intro clause: must use indirect object:

Common verbs include:

 assure, convince, inform, notify, remind, tell

Example:

•  I reminded him that he had an appointment today.

 Intro clause: indirect object optional:

Common verbs include:

 promise, show, teach, warn, write

Example:

•  He showed (the class) how to make soup.

E) Ever words: 

Using –ever words

Whoever wants to come is welcome = Anyone who wants to come is welcome.

They students may dress however they please = The students may dress in any way that they please.

F) the to-infinitive:

When the subject of the to-infinitive is the same as the subject of the main verb:

Examples:

• He didn’t know what to do >>> He didn’t know what he should do
• We will ask when to set off >>> We will ask when we should set off
• Nobody told me what to do. >>> Nobody told me what I should do.
• Can anyone suggest where to go for lunch? >>> Can anyone suggest [to us] where we should go for lunch.

after some verbs of thinking and saying we use wh-words and the to-infinitive:

• We didn’t know what to do.
• We will ask when to set off.
• Nobody told me what to do.
• Can anyone suggest where to go for lunch? 

Entry: 

      Once I was walking down the street when I ran into an old friend whom i went to school with. She told me she had come back with her last boyfriend. What she said made me feel shocked. I thouht that she was joking; however, she wasn't. I didn't know what to say. But, an awkward question came out of my mouth. I asked her: 

      Aren't you tired of being breaking up and comming back with the same guy? 

       She, who seemed offensed, frowned upon me before answering: 

       I don't care if I'm with him many times.  

      

      we remained silence for a while. My friend whose expression was so clear, just said goodbay and kept walking to her house. I didn't mean to offend her; nevertheless, it was the first thing i did. 

Entry 3

English Basic Sentence Patterns.

1) Intransitive verbs. 

Recognize an intransitive verb when you see one.

An intransitive verb has two characteristics. First, it is an action verb, expressing a doable activity like arrive, go, lie, sneeze, sit, die, etc. Second, unlike a transitive verb, it will not have a direct object receiving the action.

Here are some examples of intransitive verbs:

• Huffing and puffing, we arrived at the classroom door with only seven seconds to spare.

Arrived = intransitive verb.

• James went to the campus cafe for a steaming bowl of squid eyeball stew.

Went = intransitive verb.

• To escape the midday sun, the cats lie in the shade under our cars.

Lie = intransitive verb.

• Around fresh ground pepper, Sheryl sneezes with violence.

Sneezes = intransitive verb.

• In the evenings, Glenda sits on the front porch to admire her immaculate lawn.

Sits = intransitive verb.

• Flipped on its back, the beetle that Clara soaked with insecticide dies under the refrigerator.

Dies = intransitive verb.

Pattern 1: N = Noun  V = Verb 

                                                      Intransitive Verbs. 

Examples: 

• They are studying hard for the tribunal exam.
• We are playing in front of the house. 
• Most children have already eaten a lot. 
• She sings beautifully. 
• They swam very well.  

2) Trasitive Verbs.

Recognize a transitive verb when you see one.

A transitive verb has two characteristics. First, it is an action verb, expressing a doable activity like kick, want, paint, write, eat, clean, etc. Second, it must have a direct object, something or someone who receives the action of the verb.

Here are some examples of transitive verbs:

• Sylvia kicked Juan under the table.

Kicked = transitive verb; Juan = direct object.

• Joshua wants a smile from Leodine, his beautiful but serious lab partner.

Wants = transitive verb; smile = direct object.

• Cornelius painted the canvas in Jackson Pollock fashion, dribbling bright colors from a heavily soaked brush.

Painted = transitive verb; canvas = direct object.

• Alicia wrote a love poem on a restaurant napkin.

Wrote = transitive verb; poem = direct object.

• Antonio eats lima beans drenched in brown gravy.

Eats = transitive verb; lima beans = direct object.

• Pinky the poodle cleans the dirty supper dishes with his tongue before Grandma loads the "prewashed" items into dishwasher.

Cleans, loads = transitive verbs; dishes, items = direct objects.

Important note: When no direct object follows an action verb, the verb is intransitive.

Pattern 2: N1 V N2 

                                                        Transitive Verbs. 

Examples: 

• The children have already eaten their breakfast. 
• We were playing cards with our friends. 
• They are studying grammar for the partial test. 
• Those lawyers insulted one another. 
• The girls greeded each other. 
• Jane saw herself in the mirror. 
• John hurt himself. 
• Peter cut himself with a knife. 

Pattern 3: Nx LV Nx 

                                    The nominal in the predicate is always subject complement (SC) 

LV= Linking verbs. 

Common Linking Verbs: Be, Become, Remain, Prove, Seem. 

Examples: 

• Most of them will become teachers. 
• His sons remained bachellors. 
• They are smart students. 
• Her answer was that she wouldn't do it. 
• The exam last week proved a success. 
• The doctor seemed a pilot in those clothes. 

Note: In sentences like: She seems to be a good girl. 

                                       He proved to be an exellent manager. 

The words "seems and proved" are auxiliaries. 

Pattern 4: N LV Adj. 

                                   The adjectival SC refers back to the nominal subject. 

Verbs used in this pattern: Taste, Smell, See, Look, Sound, Feel, Get, Appear, Seem, Be, Continue, Keep, Remain, Stay, Grow, Become, Turn, Go, Run, Lie. 

Examples: 

• They were tired and sick of their problems. 
• She became angry. 
• He grew tall and strong. 
• Albert remained single. 
• They looked happy. 
• The door was open. 
• The pot was broken. 
• Flowers smell delicious here. 
• The girl seemed intelligent.  

Pattern 5: N1 V N2 to/for N3.

                                               It can be transformed into N1 V N3 N2.

In this pattern we have: 

1. Give-class verb which accept the pattern transformation. They are verbs like:         

·         Give. 

·         Tell. 

·         Offer. 

·         Pay. 

·         Mail. 

·         Teach. 

·         Award. 

·         Read. 

·         Lend. 

·         Write. 

·         Grant. 

·         Hand. 

·         Send. 

·         Bring. 

·         Promise. 

·         Sell. 

·         Buy. 

·         Owe. 

·         Rent. 

·         Serve. 

·         Leave (in awill). 

·         Pass. 

·         Take. 

·         Cause. 

     2. Explain-class verbs which do not accept the pattern transformation. They are only used with the preposition "to". They are verbs like: 

• Explain. 
• Say. 
• Speak. 
• Repeat. 
• Announce. 
• Report. 
• Describe. 
• Mention. 
• Introduce. 
• Analyze. 
• Suggest. 
• Prove. 

Examples: 

• Explain that to me. 
• Prove your arguments to the audience. 
• Mention it to the police. 
• Describe the accident to us. 
• Analyze them to us. 

N1 V N2 to/for N3                                                    N1 V N2 N3

    3. Verbs of the "buy" class. 

        Some other verbs which accept this transformation are: Buy, Get, Find, Leave (a message), Save (a seat), Bake, Cook, Make, Fix, Do ( a favor). 

     4. Verbs of the "prescribe" class which do not accept this transformation are: Pronounce, Answer, Change, Cash, Prescribe, Open, Close. 

Pattern 6: N1 V N2x N3x 

                                        N3x is nominal object complement. 

This patter combines patterns 2 and 3. Some verbs used in this patter are: 

• Elect. 
• Nominate. 
• Consider. 
• Choose. 
• Select. 
• Make. 
• Find. 
• Leave. 
• Call. 
• Name. 
• Imagine. 
• Appoint. 
• Crown. 
• Pronounce. 
• Designate. 
• Label. 
• Vote. 
• Think. 
• Prove. 
• Declare. 
• Christen. 

Examples: 

• The students elected Elizabeth class president. 
• They nominated Mr. Clinton candidate for the presidency. 
• Most professors consider her an outstanding student. 
• He made his girlfriend a religious person. 
• They found their son an excellent architect. 
• She called him boss. 
• He pronounced them man and wife. 
• They designated him embassador in Australia. 

Pattern 7: N1 V N2 Adj. 

                            This adjectival refers to N2. This pattern is considered to be a combination of pattern 4 and 2: N1 V N2 + N LV Adj. 

Some verbs used with this pattern are: 

• Make. 
• Find. 
• Leave. 
• Pronounce. 
• Believe. 
• Think. 
• Label. 
• Call. 
• Name. 
• Elect. 
• Prove. 
• Declare. 
• Like. 
• Want. 
• Prefer. 
• Drink. 
• Eat. 
• Serve. 
• Wash. 
• Push. 

Examples: 

• He called her selfish. 
• He pronounced them dead. 
• They labeled the minister reactionary. 
• I like winter coats long. 
• She prefers her coffee black. 
• She made her husband religious. 
• He considered her attractive. 
• The war left this girl orphan. 
• The media painted the situation horrible. 
• We imagine his situation wonderful. 
• They painted their house dark.  
• She keeps her jewerly hidden. 
• The found the solution fair. 
• She called the thief stupid. 
• He always serves grapes fresh and moist. 
• He left his clothes dirty. 

Entry 3: 

1) I got this common custom to always say "shut" in order to avoid pronouncing a disrespectful word. If something bad comes up out of the blue, I say this word to express either my surprise or my anger. Once I remember writing an important, handwrite document when suddenly all the ink from the pen started to smear the paper. I couldn't help but screamed a loud "Shut!" that alerted my parents. My thought was that I had to write it again. However, I decided to start from the scratch but by computer. I didn't give second thoughts about it.  

2) I cannot count with my finders the times I have thought about going to Italy. It's one of my dreamest places. Since I was a child, I've been a huge fan of Italian culture. Italy is gorgeous and delightful. Even though is one of the expensives places in the world, I'm still wishing to travel. I love everything related with Italy; food, clothing, language, culture, traditions, celebrities, and so on. I just want to grow up and finally travel to this amazing country. 

3) Stephen King is a quite wonderful, terror writer. He has written many books for his fans. Although he doesn't like love novels, comedy or acction, he has explained that his area has always been terror, science fiction, supernatural, fantasy and mistery. Too many of his stories have been carried out to the cinema, making us feel part of his amazing narration. This man has a powerful imagination which takes advantage with his writing talent. The New York times cosider King the best writer in all XXI century. And, even with his 71 years, he still writing new experiences for the public. Many people wordship this old bean as a part of their reading life. 

Patter used: 

1) Nx LV Nx
2) N LV Adj
3) N1 V N2 for N3 
    N1 V N2x N3x