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.