A Noun Clause
The term clause refers to a group of words that has a subject and a verb. Let’s have some examples.
- Ali knows better.
In this example, Ali is the
subject and the word ‘knows’ refers to the verb.
You may know that a noun is a
naming word. It is a name of a thing.
- Ali, school, class
Definition of Noun Clause
A noun clause is defined as a
clause that functions as a noun. Look at the difference. A noun is a word and a
clause is a group of words. They perform similar functions.
- I will tell you what I saw.
- I know what his name is.
Compare the below examples of
nouns.
- I will tell you a story.
- I know Ali.
Functions of Noun Clauses
As a Subject
We can use a noun clause to
function as a subject of a sentence.
- What he told surprised me.
- How John behaved was not polite.
As a Direct Object
As nouns are used as direct
objects, similarly, noun clauses are also used as direct objects.
- I did
not get what he said.
- She understood that she has capabilities.
As an Indirect Object
One
of the functions of a noun clause is as an indirect object.
- I have bought whoever wins a gift.
- I sent whoever receives a letter.
As an Object of Preposition
A
noun clause can be used as an object of a preposition.
- Ali is not interested in whatever I say.
- I am ashamed of how he behaved toward you.
As a Subject Complement
We
can also use a noun clause as a subject complement.
- Children become whatever you want them to be.
- He is what I told you about.
How to identify a noun clause?
Replace with a Noun or Pronoun
How
to identify a noun clause in a sentence is quite easy. To check whether a
clause is a noun clause or not, replace the clause with a pronoun or noun. The clause
functions as a noun if you can replace it with a pronoun, or a noun.
- What I said was your promise.
- It was your promise.
- Where we went was beautiful.
- Islamabad was beautiful.
Ask a Question with What
When you find a clause in
a sentence, ask yourself a question with what. If it clarifies the question,
the clause is a noun clause.
- Where
we went was a beautiful place.
If we ask the question ‘what was a beautiful place?’ the answer is where we went. The clause clarifies the question, so the clause is a noun clause.
Starting Word of a Noun Clause
A
noun clause starts with wh-words and expletive words. The expletive words do
not have grammatical functions. They just fill out a sentence without adding meaning. They
are like that, whether, if. The wh-words are who, whose, whom, where, when,
why, etc.
- I don’t know what your name is.
- The great thing about him is (that) he gets up early in the morning.
As we
know that noun clauses are dependent clauses. If the main clause is a question,
we write the noun clause as a declarative sentence.
- Do you know who I am?
