UCI Extension

Paper-Based TOEFL Workshop

Noun Clauses
Structure and Written Expression Skills 9-10
Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test
Tutorial prepared by Marla Yoshida

What is a noun clause?

Review: Nouns can be used in many ways. For example, a
noun can be the subject of a clause

Some books are very expensive.

the object of a clause

I bought some books at the bookstore.

or an object of a preposition

There are lots of pictures in those books.

Sometimes we also use a clause in the same way that we use
a noun. A clause can be a subject, an object, or an object of a
preposition. We call this kind of clause a noun clause.

Compare nouns and noun clauses

The subject is a noun: The food was delicious.
The subject is a clause: [What they ate for dinner] was
delicious.
The object is a noun: Everyone liked the food.
The object is a clause: Everyone liked [what they ate for
dinner.]
The object of a preposition is a noun:
They told us about the food.
The object of a preposition is a clause:
They told us about [what they ate for dinner.]

Using noun clauses

A noun clause begins with one of these words:
that
what
whatever
the fact that
when
whoever
whether
where
whenever
if
why
how
Many of these can also be question words. However, the word
order in noun clauses is different from question word order:
What are you doing? (Question order: verb before
subject)
I dont know [what you are doing]. (Noun clause order:
verb after subject.)
The word order in a noun clause is like the word order in a
statement: Subject + Verb + Object
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Noun clauses with that

That is often used in reported speech, when were telling
what someone said, thought, knew, wrote, etc.
The teacher said [that we should do our homework].
Did you know [that Sacramento is the capital of
California]?
I think [that classical music is boring].
We can also omit that in this kind of sentence.
The teacher said [we should do our homework].
Did you know [Sacramento is the capital of
California]?
I think [classical music is boring].

Noun clauses with that or the fact that

That or the fact that can also be used in sentences like these:
You forgot my name. It makes me sad.
[That you forgot my name] makes me sad.
Gold is expensive. Its a well-known fact.
[That gold is expensive] is a well-known fact.
The bus was late. Thats not unusual.
[The fact that the bus was late] is not unusual.
I had promised to go to Starbucks with you. I forgot it.
I forgot [that I had promised to go to Starbucks with you].
The doctor made a mistake. He regrets it.
The doctor regrets [the fact that he made a mistake].

Noun clauses with whether or if

Whether and if can be used in noun clauses that come from
yes/no questions:
Is today Ellens birthday? I dont know.
I dont know [whether today is Ellens birthday].
I dont know [if today is Ellens birthday].
Is there a Starbucks next to the bank? I cant remember.
I cant remember [whether theres a Starbucks next to the
bank].
I cant remember [if theres a Starbucks next to the bank].
Can he finish in time? Thats not my problem.
[Whether (or not) he can finish in time] is not my problem.
(If doesnt work well when the clause is a subject.)

Noun clauses with question words

Question words like who, where, or what can also introduce noun
clauses. The word order is Subject + Verb + Object
Where was Leonardo Da Vinci born? Ive forgotten.
Ive forgotten [where Leonardo Da Vinci was born].
Why do people like watching TV? We cant understand it.
We cant understand [why people like watching TV].
How can heavy airplanes stay in the air? It puzzles me.
[How heavy airplanes can stay in the air] puzzles me.
What do you want? Anything is fine with me.
[Whatever you want] is fine with me.
Who will come to the party? Im thinking about it.
Im thinking about [who will come to the party].
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More about noun clause connectors

As you know, a noun clause can play various roles in a
sentence:

Sometimes the noun clause is the subject of the sentence:

[How heavy airplanes can stay in the air] puzzles me.
Sometimes the noun clause is the object of the sentence:
Ive forgotten [where Leonardo Da Vinci was born].
Sometimes the noun clause is the object of a preposition:
Im thinking about [who will come to the party].

More about noun clause connectors

We can also think about what role the noun clause
connector plays in the noun clause.
Sometimes the connector is the subject of the noun clause:
Im thinking about [who will come to the party].
Sometimes the connector is the object of the noun clause:
Ive already forgotten [what you told me].
Sometimes the connector isnt any of these things:
Weve forgotten [where Leonardo Da Vinci was born].
I dont know [why I should study this].
Do you know [whether the post office is open]?

More about noun clause connectors

When a question word is the subject of a noun clause, it
always needs a singular verb.
I dont know [who is knocking at the door].
[Whoever knows the answer] should tell us right away.
Please tell me [what has happened].

Of course, sometimes you cant tell if the verb is singular or

plural. Here the verb is the same in singular or plural.
I dont know [who broke the window].
[Whoever broke the window] should apologize.
Were all wondering [what might happen].
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Summary
In this section, you have learned about these things:
A noun clause is a clause that can be used in the
same way as a noun.
A noun clause begins with a noun clause
connector.
A noun clause has the same word order as a
statement (not a question).

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